Trump to host Netanyahu, UAE prince within weeksDonald Trump says he plans to host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and United Arab Emirates Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the White House after the two countries announced they are establishing full diplomatic relations. (Aug. 13)AP

A 22-year-old man was arrested and charged Thursday in connection with the slaying of a Kansas City, Missouri ,child whose case became the namesake of a controversial Trump administration violent crime crackdown that now extends across the country. "Great work by detectives getting justice for his family," the Kansas City Police Department announced in a tweet. "The arrest and state charges resulted from cooperation among Kansas City police officers, the FBI, and U.S. Since last month, Barr has dispatched dozens of officers to Kansas City, Chicago, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Detroit, Cleveland and Milwaukee. Operation Legend officers are being largely dispatched from the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S.

For the second time as a Palm Beach County voter, President Donald Trump has requested a vote-by-mail ballot ahead of Florida's primary election on Tuesday. And the president who has just spent the past few weeks excoriating mail-in voting has less than a week to cast it. Now it must travel to Washington, D.C., where the president and first lady can vote and then return before 7 p.m. Tuesday, when all mail-in ballots must be submitted. In tweets, he lamented without evidence rampant fraud with mail-in ballots and even suggested the November election be delayed over coronavirus concerns. Postal Service, which he linked Thursday to his dislike of mail-in voting.

For the Opposing View, read “President Trump is helping middle-class Americans.”It seem eons ago now — though only a few years — that Donald Trump capitalized on the soaring stature of the Oval Office to shatter equilibriums with his brand of edicts and outrage. The president promised July 19 that within two weeks, he'd produce a long-awaited plan for overhauling the nation's health care system. And does anyone really believe Trump will reach an agreement with an Iranian regime that refuses even to speak with him? In addition, a payroll tax holiday Trump is promising is really a deferral of taxes that will have to be paid back. — Our View was written by editorial writer Gregg Zoroya on behalf of the USA TODAY Editorial Board.

WASHINGTON—The Trump administration criticized a move by mortgage-finance companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to charge a new fee on certain mortgages, saying it would harm consumers. “The White House has serious concerns with this action, and is reviewing it,” a senior White House official said in a written statement late Thursday. “It appears only to help Fannie and Freddie and not the American consumer.”At issue is a 0.5% surcharge that the government-controlled mortgage giants said they would begin to impose on most mortgages that are refinanced at lower interest rates. The decision by the companies, which said the fee was meant to address heightened credit risks in the mortgage market, was met with quick opposition from the industry. Earlier on Thursday, a coalition of 20 industry groups, including the Mortgage Bankers Association and the National Association of Realtors, urged the companies and their regulator, the Federal Housing Finance Agency, to rescind the fee.

For Our View, read “Meet Donald Trump, the incredibly shrinking president.”Donald Trump did an enormous favor for middle-class America last week. Now that Trump is implementing the tax cut, they say that it is “a war on Social Security” and that it is “not (a) real solution.”This is called a double standard. A payroll tax cut is one of the quickest and most efficient ways to stimulate the economy. He has told Americans that if reelected, that tax will be forgiven so workers keep the money. Will he force a big middle-class tax hike next year?

But the raw racism of postwar housing policy cast a long shadow over our society. You see, the ’50s and ’60s were an era both of relatively good pay for ordinary workers and of relatively cheap suburban housing. So Trump’s Suburban Lifestyle Dream is basically a walled village that the government built for whites, whose gates were slammed shut when others tried to enter. Discrimination was a statist policy, involving the exercise of political power to deny people free choice. (Black Americans already knew that very well.)

“If they make a deal, the Postal Service is taken care of, the money they need for the mail-in ballots would be taken care of — if we agree to it. More than three-quarters of voters will be able to cast their ballots by mail this year. Mr. Trump has assailed the money-losing Postal Service in recent months, at the same time warning that voting by mail will lead to fraud, lost or stolen ballots and long delays in determining a winner. Mr. DeJoy has kept tens of millions of dollars invested in XPO Logistics, a Postal Service contractor for which he was a board member, first reported by CNN on Wednesday. Amazon, a frequent subject of Mr. Trump’s attacks, is a major competitor to the Postal Service in package delivery.

The Palestinian Authority, led by Mahmoud Abbas, was also stripped of something by this deal, which may force him to the negotiating table. You will find a lot of support from Trump, the Europeans and the Arabs for that position. Israel still has to deal with you, because your people in the West Bank are not going to just disappear, no matter what happens with the U.A.E. has kept up a delicate balance between Iran and Israel, not looking to provoke Iran, and dealing with Israel covertly. is taking the helm of the first, and it is leaving Iran to be the leader of the second.

Campaign watch: Biden-Harris Is a StinkerAny presidential running mate “should first and foremost ‘do no harm,’ ” Republican consultant Bradley A. Blakeman observes at FoxNews.com, yet Joe Biden’s pick, Kamala Harris, “will harm both” Biden’s election odds and “his chances of successfully governing” if elected. “She has zero foreign-policy experience and no economic gravitas,” for one thing, and she won’t help Biden “win in battleground states,” coming from deep-blue California. NASA wants “all of space to be politically correct.”Political scientist: ‘Break Our Windows’ PolicingThough a few “big city Democrats” are “fed up” with rioters’ “mayhem” and “want police to stop it,” most, including Mayor Bill de Blasio, ­“favor drastic concessions to the protesters, ­beginning with sharp reductions in police budgets,” University of Chicago professor Charles Lipson laments at RealClearPolitics. Colleges have made “bogus claims” about “science” to justify their decision when the fact is that young athletes are “nearly ­totally immune” to the virus’ worst effects. “Politics drives this dreadful decision-making”: Left-wing university officials “aggressively embrace a position of paranoia,” in contrast to President Trump, who wants young people to “return to normal routines” when it comes to “school, extracurriculars and sports.” That’s why pulling the sport of football will, in turn, affect the game of politics: Many gridiron-loving Midwesterners will know that “dishonest and conflicted political actors” have “robbed” them of our “national sport.”— Compiled by Karl Salzmann & Adam Brodsky

President Trump said he may deliver his speech at the UN General Assembly in person, while other world leaders have opted to send in video recordings. “I’m thinking about going directly to the UN to do the speech,” Trump said at the White House press briefing Thursday. Trump said he thinks appearing in person would better represent the US and that he feels he has an “obligation” to be there. Last month, Reem Abaza, the spokesperson for the president of the General Assembly, said each state in the assembly had been invited to submit a pre-recorded video, which will be streamed into the UN. Trump said Thursday that his speech would be an important one and added he expected the UN hall to have a spacing requirement because of the coronavirus pandemic if he does give it in person.

So this week the administration offered new guidance: Rather than adding $100 a week on top of existing unemployment benefits, states could count existing benefits toward their share. In other words, unemployed workers would get an extra $300, not $400. States still have the option of providing an extra $100, but few if any are expected to do so. They’re probably not going to come up with an extra $100 for everyone on unemployment insurance.”The lowest-paid workers won’t qualify for the extra money. People receiving money under the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program, for example, qualify for the $300 a week even though that program is entirely funded by the federal government.

President Trump continues to be his own worst enemy: On Thursday, he stooped to calling presumptive vice-presidential nominee Kamala Harris a “mad woman.”That doesn’t promote his agenda. It doesn’t help him with women. It doesn’t shore up his image as worthy of the nation’s highest office. Surely there are enough substantive issues on which to hit Harris and running mate Joe Biden: their views on crime, the economy, foreign policy . Why not focus on that, Mr. President — instead of resorting to callous insults that do you no good?

Fresh off a surprise ballot-box victory in November that stunned pundits and pollsters back home, and by turns baffled and enraged his Democratic opponents, a newly re-elected President Trump accepted the Nobel Peace Prize Thursday in the Norwegian capital. You won’t hear from him no more.” (Outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel was seen shaking her head.) ***None of this is true, of course, nor will any of it ever transpire. But it would be true if there were any justice in global affairs — or at least, if good sense reigned among the men and women who preemptively awarded a Peace Prize to Obama. Sohrab Ahmari is The Post’s op-ed editor and author of the forthcoming book “The Unbroken Thread: Discovering the Wisdom of Tradition in an Age of Chaos.”Twitter: @SohrabAhmari

President Trump just brokered the most important Middle East deal in years: a peace agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. The announcement was made Thursday by Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed. That key concession would never have been possible unless Trump and Bibi had moved toward annexation in the first place. How ironic: President Barack Obama won a Nobel Peace Prize even though he emboldened nuke-seeking terror state Iran and left the Middle East in shambles. Trump isn’t progressive enough for Oslo’s Nobel elitists, but with this deal alone, he’s done more for peace in the Middle East than anything Obama ever did.

WASHINGTON — President Trump on Thursday confirmed to the The Post he intends to give his Republican National Convention speech from the White House lawn, defying critics who said the location was inappropriate. “I’ll probably be giving my speech at the White House because it is a great place. Team Trump floated a number of locations, including the Great Battlefield of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania or the East Wing of the White House. The idea of the president delivering his convention speech from the executive residence roiled his critics, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi who said it was wrong. The Republican convention will run from August 24-27 while Democrats will hold their convention from August 17-20.

President Trump polled his aides on Thursday about whether he should let anti-surveillance whistleblower and leaker Edward Snowden return to the US from Russia without going to prison, saying he was open to it. “There are a lot of people that think that he is not being treated fairly. Trump commented on Snowden for the first time as president after accusing former President Barack Obama of spying on his 2016 campaign. Before taking office, Trump tweeted at least 45 times denouncing Snowden as a traitor and calling for his execution. In a 2013 tweet, Trump wrote: “Snowden is a spy who should be executed-but if it and he could reveal Obama’s records, I might become a major fan.”

Their efforts, though, left the region as divided as ever and Palestinians more aggrieved and isolated than before. ADADBahrain and Egypt, two of the UAE’s closest regional allies, praised the agreement. ADThe Trump administration, which first announced the opening between the UAE and Israel, hailed the agreement as a historic peace initiative. Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, said in a statement that he was “gratified” by the announcement. “We are offering normalization — not in return for a peace agreement with Palestinians in accordance with international law — but for nothing,” he said.

The H1N1 flu pandemic eventually killed 50 million people a century ago, about 675,000 of them in the United States. The current pandemic has claimed at least 748,000 lives worldwide, about 163,000 of them in the United States, according to a tally kept by The Washington Post. AD(The AIDS epidemic has killed more than 700,000 people in the United States since it began in 1981.) New York in 1918 had a smaller population of 5.5 million people, so the death rate of 287 per 100,000 “person-months” was greater than the 202 of the current covid-19 pandemic. So the current outbreak has quadrupled the death rate, while the flu pandemic nearly tripled it.

Trump says he will not reverse recent Postal Service policy changes ahead of electionPresident Trump said during an Aug. 13 briefing that he would not direct the Postmaster General to reverse some of the policy changes at the U.S. Postal Service, citing the funding it would take to facilitate mail-in voting.

“This is an urgent matter that requires immediate compliance,” Maloney wrote in a letter Wednesday to Steven Dillingham, the Census Bureau’s director. His letter says officials would address concerns from members of Congress during regular briefings. “So, you’ve got twin monsters here.”Earlier this month, the Census Bureau reversed course on plans to extend the data collection because of disruptions caused by the pandemic. But only the House extended the deadline, and the bureau announced this month that it would cease canvassing households on Sept. 30. On July 21, Trump then directed the Census Bureau to exclude undocumented residents when calculating congressional apportionment.

— President Trump, congratulating QAnon supporter Greene, who has made racist, Islamophobic and anti-Semitic statements. Unequal treatment, unequal schools, unequal wealth and now, as brought tragically home by the pandemic, unequal health. ADADBut there is another truth at work this summer: America has started the work on repairing her imperfections. In 1984, when Ferraro was selected, two women held seats in the U.S. Senate (both were Republican), 22 women were members of the House of Representatives. That did not make his selection of Harris any less groundbreaking: She is the daughter of immigrants, and the first Black woman and person of South Asian descent on a major-party national ticket.

Kushner said the UAE-Israel pact was an “icebreaker” that he hoped would be followed by similar moves by other Arab countries. Iran and Turkey, each seeking the role of Muslim champion, will doubtless accuse the Emiratis of betraying the Palestinian cause. Although Thursday’s announcement is a political boost for Trump, it could also facilitate Israeli and Emirati cooperation with a Democratic administration, if Joe Biden should win in November. Thursday’s telephone diplomacy was described by a senior State Department official who heard the call. “This is a turning point for peace,” Netanyahu said.

That Harris is also an alumna of Howard University only adds to the historic nature of Joe Biden’s decision. It is her grounding in the HBCU experience itself. “I became an adult at Howard University,” Harris told The Post’s Robin Givhan last year. Harris’s HBCU experience prepared her for life in a world in which opportunity is not equal and appreciation, encouragement, even fairness, for people of color, are in short supply. And now Harris’s HBCU grounding has prepared her well for the denunciations that come with running against the likes of President Trump — a loud, foulmouthed, intellectual lightweight with the morals of a weasel.

As is often the case with Mr. Trump, his narrative is not only false but also self-contradictory and convoluted. Mail-in voting is not riddled with opportunities for fraud; it has been carried out honestly in several states for years. Mr. Trump is on record favoring absentee voting, which is functionally the same as mail-in, in terms of the demands on the U.S. being sent at random,” as Mr. Trump would have it. That is what Mr. Trump is doing.

Martha MacCallum, Host of The Story 7pm ET on the Fox News Channel spoke with Fox News Radio's Guy Benson as she previewed this year's Convention coverage. But in this business and in life in general, we all know that things can change. So we're taking it day by day. And Sunday night, we're gonna kind of spend an hour with all of our viewers, kind of orienting everybody towards what's to come. And I think a lot of Americans are going to begin to focus, as they always do during the conventions.

National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow confirmed Thursday that the economy is improving ahead of the November election, but veteran pollster Frank Luntz told “Your World with Neil Cavuto” that the recovery might be "too little, too late" for President Trump to remain in office after January 2021. The economy back in March, before COVID, was the strongest economy this country has ever seen in modern times," Luntz told host Neil Cavuto. "And that economy was strong enough to propel Donald Trump to reelection ... Everything that you would want in the economy to get somebody reelected was perfect.”During the pandemic, unemployment rates -- which Luntz described as the biggest economic concern for Americans -- have skyrocketed. KUDLOW PREDICTS 'SELF-SUSTAINING' RECOVERY FOR US“We have been asking Americans, what is the single most important factor for you to decide whether the economy is working or not?” he said. That is important to about 15, maybe 20% of the population.

Ben Rhodes, a former deputy national security adviser to President Barack Obama, received a wave of criticism on Thursday after he attempted to downplay a peace accord between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. "This agreement enshrines what has been the emerging status quo in the region for a long time (including the total exclusion of Palestinians)," Rhodes tweeted. TRUMP ANNOUNCES 'HISTORIC PEACE AGREEMENT' BETWEEN ISRAEL, UAERhodes is perhaps best known for his advocacy of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, from which Trump withdrew the United States in May 2018. Many Twitter users suggested Rhodes was bitter about the Trump administration achieving even a partial Middle East peace agreement, something which eluded the Obama administration. In Gaza, Hamas called the deal a “stabbing in the back of our people.”The Associated Press contributed to this report.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday that coronavirus relief talks would be back on the table only when Republicans agreed to a $2 trillion relief package. When asked in her weekly news conference when she would would begin again on relief negotiations, Pelosi replied: “I don’t know, when they come with $2 trillion. The White House rejected Pelosi’s offer to decrease her package by $1 trillion if Republicans would come up $1 trillion. “The House doesn’t have the votes to go south of $2 trillion, the Senate Democrats can’t go south of $2 trillion, so that’s what compromise is all about,” Sen. “Because there are 20 Republicans who don’t want to vote anything that doesn’t mean the whole thing should shift in their direction.

Former New York Times reporter Alex Berenson accused Google Thursday of skewing search results to tie capitalism to racism. However, Google automatically provideed search results for "capitalism and racism" while giving the option to "search only for socialism and capitalism." In addition, when searching "capitalism and racism," Google does not include "socialism" in its results. "I assumed this was a joke, but it’s real: if you Google 'socialism and racism,' the top result you’re offered will be 'capitalism and racism,'" Berenson wrote on Twitter. We continually work to improve Google Search and we never rank search results to manipulate political sentiment."

Hillary Clinton praised Kamala Harris as the newly announced vice presidential pick and urged her supporters to have "her back." "I'm thrilled to welcome @KamalaHarris to a historic Democratic ticket," Clinton tweeted Tuesday. Four years ago, Clinton made history as the first woman to win a major party's nomination for president. Harris will also break new ground as the first Black woman to be a vice-presidential pick for a major party. DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION SPEAKERS ANNOUNCED AS BIDEN VP DECISION LOOMS

Barack and Michelle Obama and Hillary and Bill Clinton are reportedly set to speak at the Democratic National Convention (DNC), along with a number of other high-profile Democrats. Additionally, a source with knowledge of the planning for the Democratic National Convention confirmed to Fox News that former Republican Gov. Given the time constraints –­ two hours of programming each night Aug. 17 - Aug. 20 –­ the Biden campaign will be forced to make cuts. Last month the Democratic National Committee (DNC) announced their gathering would be conducted mostly online, with delegates and Democratic members of Congress taking part in the convention virtually rather than in-person. Trump has since floated the idea of delivering his Republican National Convention nomination acceptance speech from the White House to cut down on costs, an idea some have suggested would violate the Hatch Act.

Joe Biden would rather have federal officers enforce his proposed nationwide mask mandate than have them work to quell the violence ravaging several U.S. cities, Ben Shapiro observed Thursday. Shapiro, who hosts "The Ben Shapiro Show" podcast, accused Democrats of the supposed double standard on Twitter, responding to a @Breaking911 alert that read "Joe Biden & Kamala Harris call for nationwide face mask mandate." BIDEN CALLS FOR MANDATE REQUIRING ALL AMERICAS TO WEAR MASKS"Are the same people complaining when federal law enforcement is sent to stop destruction of federal property now proposing we send the feds to yell at you about masks?" "Let’s institute a mask mandate nationwide starting immediately and we will save lives. The mask mandate was showcased in a TV commercial that the Biden campaign quickly turned around on Thursday.

A Kansas prosecutor has announced charges in the killing of 4-year-old LeGend Taliferro, whose death led to the establishment of the Department of Justice's Operation Legend. Taliferro was killed by gunfire while sleeping on the floor of a unit in the Citadel Apartments in Kansas City on June 29, the Kansas City Star reported. Taliferro's death was part of a surge of violent crime this summer, Attorney General Bill Barr said in a statement. Kansas City police officers worked with the FBI and U.S. Operation Legend has been credited with numerous arrests.

"This is an opportunity to bring law and order and justice back to America." The lawmaker said that people who live in autonomous protest zones "cry" for the idea of justice, freedom, security and safety. That they wouldn't work with the federal government to bring security and safety back to their own streets." Operation Legend will deploy hundreds of federal agents -- from the FBI, U.S. It's a responsibility that we bring safety back to America," he said.

When Cawthorn won his primary, he said that the President called him shortly after his victory to congratulate him. And Cawthorn pushed back against his Democratic opponent's assertions, accusing Davis in a statement to CNN of promoting "conspiracy theories" and of "bigotry." Davis is also alleging that the Instagram post is just one of many "dog whistles" he believes Cawthorn is sending. Adding to the attention Cawthorn faces over the social media post, there are now new questions about his educational claims. Asked if he was notified by the Naval Academy that he did not get in, Cawthorn replied that he was.

Some Republicans voters in Arizona say they are dissatisfied with the way President Trump has handled the response to coronavirus pandemic and are organizing to defeat him in 2020. CNN's Miguel Marquez reports.

Mueller did not find evidence of a criminal conspiracy between Trump’s campaign and Russia, but he did detail extensive contacts between the campaign and Russian operatives. Cohen worked closely with Trump for years before turning against him, most publicly in testimony to Congress last year prior to Trump’s impeachment. It’s unfortunate that the media is exploiting this sad and desperate man to attack President Trump,” Morgenstern said. Trump has called Cohen “a rat,” and a liar, and Cohen said he faced repeated death threats from Trump supporters. A federal judge last month ruled Cohen had been subjected to retaliation for planning to publish his book, and ordered him released again.

U.S. President Donald holds a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) press briefing at White House in Washington, U.S., August 13, 2020. REUTERS/Kevin LamarqueWASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday he plans to give his acceptance speech for the presidential nomination at this month’s Republican Party convention from the White House lawn, the New York Post reported. “We’d do it possibly outside on one of the lawns, we have various lawns, so we could have it outside in terms of the China virus,” the Post quoted Trump as saying in an interview, referring to social distancing guidelines amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Top NewsTrump holds up virus aid to block election fundingPosted[NFA] President Donald Trump on Thursday said his team was rejecting Democrats' bid to include funds for the U.S. Postal Service and shore up election infrastructure in a new coronavirus relief bill, as he vowed to block money to facilitate mail-in voting. Colette Luke has the latest.

Postal Service and election infrastructure in a new coronavirus relief bill, a bid to block more Americans from voting by mail during the pandemic. “The items are the post office and the $3.5 billion for mail-in voting,” Trump told Fox Business Network, saying Democrats want to give the post office $25 billion. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Thursday said the Republican-controlled Senate was leaving Washington until September, unless there was a coronavirus relief agreement that required a vote. Evidence shows mail voting is as secure as any other method. State election officials have scrambled to expand mail voting capacity.

Postal Service and election infrastructure in a new coronavirus relief bill, a bid to block more Americans from voting by mail during the pandemic. “The items are the post office and the $3.5 billion for mail-in voting,” Trump told Fox Business Network, saying Democrats want to give the post office $25 billion. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Thursday said the Republican-controlled Senate was leaving Washington until September, unless there was a coronavirus relief agreement that required a vote. Evidence shows mail voting is as secure as any other method. State election officials have scrambled to expand mail voting capacity.

Mueller did not find evidence of a criminal conspiracy between Trump’s campaign and Russia, but he did detail extensive contacts between the campaign and Russian operatives. Cohen worked closely with Trump for years before turning against him, most publicly in testimony to Congress last year prior to Trump’s impeachment. It’s unfortunate that the media is exploiting this sad and desperate man to attack President Trump,” Morgenstern said. Trump has called Cohen “a rat,” and a liar, and Cohen said he faced repeated death threats from Trump supporters. A federal judge last month ruled Cohen had been subjected to retaliation for planning to publish his book, and ordered him released again.

Pompeo did not say which military leader spoke with the Russian military about the program, and the Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Pompeo's comments mark the first time a senior member of the administration has publicly acknowledged discussing the bounties with the Russian government. By contrast, Trump said in a recent interview with Axios that he never confronted Russian President Vladimir Putin about the matter. The White House claimed that Trump was briefed on the intelligence, but the president has dismissed the reports as a "Russian hoax." The top U.S. general in the Middle East told reporters that he's skeptical over the intelligence that bounties had been paid.

Pompeo did not say which military leader spoke with the Russian military about the program, and the Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Pompeo's comments mark the first time a senior member of the administration has publicly acknowledged discussing the bounties with the Russian government. By contrast, Trump said in a recent interview with Axios that he never confronted Russian President Vladimir Putin about the matter. The White House claimed that Trump was briefed on the intelligence, but the president has dismissed the reports as a "Russian hoax." The top U.S. general in the Middle East told reporters that he's skeptical over the intelligence that bounties had been paid.

President Donald Trump said Thursday he may give his Republican National Convention acceptance speech from the White House after all, despite ongoing criticism about his plans to use the executive residence for a partisan purpose. The president told the New York Post he would likely give his speech from the White House lawn when he officially accepts the Republican nomination on Aug. 27. “I’ll probably be giving my speech at the White House because it is a great place,” he told the newspaper. “I’ll probably do mine live from the White House,” the president told Fox News at the time. White House employees, however, are bound by the terms of the act and could be implicated depending on their involvement.

Trump in turn used the briefing to counter strike, focusing keenly on his Democratic rivals as opposed to touting his administration's response. When reporters at Trump's briefing asked White House staff if the president's opening statement was in compliance with the Hatch Act, White House spokesperson Judd Deere said: "The President’s prepared remarks are composed in compliance with the Hatch Act." The Hatch Act prohibits executive branch employees from partaking in political activities in their official capacities. Trump and the U.S. Office of Special Counsel have argued that the act does not apply to the president, allowing him to use the White House for partisan means. "Americans must unite together and they must put politics aside and have to really unite for a common good," he said.

The Labor Department attorney spearheading a pay discrimination lawsuit against Oracle has filed a whistleblower complaint, arguing she was removed from her post after objecting to Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia becoming involved in the case. Herold raised these objections again in a letter in July and was reassigned to a different position weeks later, said the attorneys, from the firm Katz, Marshall & Banks. AdvertisementAlleged political interference: Herold’s attorneys contend that Scalia’s involvement in the case was politically motivated, as Oracle has cultivated deep ties with President Donald Trump and senior members of his administration. For instance, Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison held a fundraiser for Trump earlier this year and CEO Safra Catz has donated large sums to the president's reelection effort. Oracle did not respond to a request for comment.

President Donald Trump admitted to blocking Postal Service funding in order to compromise voting by mail. Joy says efforts like these are ‘a twisted and broad effort by Trump and his team to suppress the vote by any means necessary."

At a time when talks are stalled over relief for millions of Americans, Trump is formally blocking 25-billion in emergency funding for the postal service, making it harder to vote. The President’s top economic adviser Larry Kudlow adding the White House sees “voting rights” as a “liberal left” idea to be negotiated over. MSNBC’s Chief Legal Correspondent Ari Melber breaks down how this all will effect the upcoming election.

The Trump Administration wants to change the definition of a showerhead to let more water flow. The Trump Administration wants to change the definition of a showerhead to let more water flow. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump Administration wants to change the definition of a showerhead to let more water flow, addressing a pet peeve of the president who complains he isn’t getting wet enough. On the White House South Lawn in July , Trump made the issue personal:“So showerheads — you take a shower, the water doesn’t come out. Appliance and plumbing energy and water conservation standards save consumers about $500 a year on energy bills, deLaski said.

In an upcoming book, Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump’s former attorney, alleges that Trump worked with Russia to win the 2016 presidential election. Cohen claims that Trump lied when he told the American public he had no dealings in Russia, because Cohen personally oversaw Trump’s efforts to secure a major real estate deal in Moscow during the campaign. I also knew that the Mueller investigation was not a witch-hunt,” Cohen wrote, although he did not provide specifics about the alleged collusion in the excerpt. In the excerpt released Thursday, Cohen claimed he knew Trump better than even his wife or children because he was tasked to cover up the president's infidelities and various misdeeds. Cohen wrote that he is convinced Trump "will never leave office peacefully."

The United States, Israel and the United Arab Emirates pulled off the rarest of feats on Thursday: a diplomatic win-win-win in the Middle East. With this grim landscape as a backdrop, the announcement of Thursday’s deal holds the potential of breathing life into the peace process. The new agreement is rooted in the national interests of both the UAE and Israel, but its implications go far beyond that. recognition of its existence and the perks that entails, such as embassies, trade, travel and cooperation on security, water and more — from just two Arab countries, Egypt and Jordan. This could further weaken the Palestinians’ diplomatic hand.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Thursday gave credence to a false and racist conspiracy about Kamala Harris’ eligibility to be president, fueling an online misinformation campaign that parallels the one he used to power his rise into politics. Speaking from the White House, Trump told reporters he had “heard” rumors that Harris, a Black woman and U.S.-born citizen whose parents were immigrants, does not meet the requirement to serve in the White House. He was a high-profile force behind the so-called “birther movement” — the lie that questioned whether President Barack Obama, the nation’s first Black president, was eligible to serve. Trump comments about Harris on Thursday landed in a blizzard of other untrue, racist or sexist claims unleashed across social media and conservative websites after Biden picked Harris, the first Black woman and the first Asian American woman on a major party ticket. The misinformation campaign is built on falsehoods that have circulating less noticeably for months, propelled by Trump and his supporters.

At the time, sanctions experts thought it would be impossible to enforce the U.S. court order in international waters. Rather, U.S. officials threatened ship owners, insurers and captains with sanction to force them to hand over their cargo, which now becomes U.S. property, the official said. Prosecutors alleged the four ships were transporting to Venezuela 1.1 million barrels of gasoline. ADVERTISEMENTThe Trump administration has been stepping up pressure on ship owners to abide by sanctions against U.S. adversaries like Iran, Venezuela and North Korea. ___Joshua Goodman on Twitter: @APJoshGoodman___Associated Press writer Scott Smith in Caracas, Venezuela, contributed to this report.

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The state is seeking to provide unemployed Alaskans an extra $300 a week in benefits under an option offered by the federal government. It is not clear yet when the money for the unemployment benefits might be available. Congress earlier this year, in response to the coronavirus pandemic, approved payments of an additional $600 a week for unemployed workers; those benefits expired Aug. 1. Alaska had 37,700 fewer jobs in June than it did in June 2019, according to the state labor department. The June numbers showed widespread business disruptions related to COVID-19, with the leisure and hospitality industry hit particularly hard, according to the department.

When $600 Goes AwayEnlarge this image Joe Raedle/Getty Images Joe Raedle/Getty ImagesThe extra $600 dollars a week that Congress added to unemployment benefits as part of the CARES Act expired at the end of July. Most of the 30 million Americans on unemployment, saw their weekly income drop by half. Congress was expected to extend the benefits in some way, but Republicans and Democrats seem deadlocked. Over the weekend, President Trump announced that the federal government would team up with states to get people an extra $400 a week. But there's a lot of confusion over how long people might have to wait to get that extra money.

Governor Drops Lawsuit Against Atlanta Mayor Over Masks, But Fight May Not Be OverEnlarge this image toggle caption John Bazemore/AP John Bazemore/APGov. Brain Kemp is taking a new approach in his battle over face masks with Atlanta's mayor. On Thursday Kemp announced the attorney general's office has withdrawn a lawsuit he filed against Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and the Atlanta city council, when she moved to reinstate more restrictive COVID-19-related safeguards. ... [And] following her refusal in mediation to further negotiate a compromise, the Attorney General's Office has filed to withdraw our pending lawsuit," the governor said. She has also questioned why she was singled out by Kemp in the lawsuit when other city leaders issued similar directives.

Trump And His Campaign Amplify Birther Conspiracy Against Kamala HarrisEnlarge this image toggle caption Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images Tasos Katopodis/Getty ImagesPresident Trump stoked a controversial theory being promoted by supporters — and his campaign — that Sen. Kamala Harris is not eligible for the vice presidency. Trump was responding to a question and was referencing a Newsweek opinion piece by Law Professor John Eastman inaccurately calling into question Harris' eligibility. I would have assumed that the Democrats would have checked that out before she gets chosen to run for vice president." Experts say anyone born in the United States is an American citizen, which makes them eligible for the presidency. The 14th amendment reads: "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside."

WASHINGTON—The Trump administration criticized a move by mortgage-finance companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Macto charge a new fee on certain mortgages, saying it would harm consumers. “The White House has serious concerns with this action, and is reviewing it,” a senior White House official said in a written statement late Thursday. “It appears only to help Fannie and Freddie and not the American consumer.”At...

“We want people to vote so when they vote it means one vote. Trump currently trails in national opinion polls and has repeatedly attacked mail-in voting this year, claiming that expanding such voting would lead to large-scale fraud in the election. Trump’s challenges to USPS funding have fueled allegations that he is trying to hamstring the service ahead of the presidential election where mail-in voting is likely to be crucial. Later in the briefing, Trump declined to denounce claims that Harris doesn’t meet constitutional requirements to serve as Biden’s running mate. “I would have assumed the Democrats would have checked that out before she gets chosen to run for vice president,” he said in a response to reporter’s question.

The candidates are starting to talk taxes. But what they’re saying is more campaigning than policy. Biden offers specifics that won’t come to pass, and Trump hasn’t released a plan. Most of the differences lie in whether to keep the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, or dump it.

At 963,000, the number of new claims was an impressive 28% below the rolling average for the prior 4 weeks of 1,339,000. The initial claims drop is just the latest in a series of very encouraging economic data over the last three months. We had the strongest labor market in modern times heading into the pandemic thanks to President Trump’s pro-growth economic policies. SECOND STIMULUS CHECK MAY NOT GO OUT UNTIL SEPTEMBER AS RELIEF TALKS DRAG ONThe decline in initial claims is already a clear indication that jobs are available and that employers are having less difficulty filling those open positions. But the initial claims numbers form the first week of August make the answer to that query fairly obvious (unless your motivation is purely political).

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday that he warned Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov against placing bounties on the heads of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, assuring him there would be “an enormous price to pay.”“If the Russians are offering money to kill Americans, or for that matter other Westerns as well, there will be an enormous price to pay. That’s what I shared with foreign minister Lavrov,” Pompeo said during an interview with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. The Times reported that some bounties as high as $100,000 were paid for each U.S. or allied troop killed. Trump has said he was not briefed on the intelligence because there was not a consensus about its reliability within the intelligence community. Meanwhile, the U.S. has been entrenched in negotiations with the Taliban and the Afghan government over a peace agreement that involves the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the region.

Donald Trump got a bit of an unexpected question from a reporter at his press conference, who asked him if he regretted “all the lying you have done to the American people.”The reporter was S.V. Date, White House correspondent for HuffPost, who also was serving as the print pool reporter on Thursday. President, do you regret all of the lying you have done for the American people?”“All the what?” Trump responded. “And who is that?” Trump asked. After Trump’s remark, Meghan McCain tweeted about what her father, John McCain, experienced when he ran for president.

President Trump answered a question Wednesday from OAN Network about the reputed website antifa.com. Take a look at any place you want to take a look at, and they're all over the place. We had to save-- they wanted to knock down a courthouse, a $500 million courthouse. And they're doing damage, and we're recommending to the governor that they call in national security, call in the National Guard. We sent just defensive measures to protect and save that courthouse from being burned down or knocked down.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) has resisted the idea of tying government funding to coronavirus relief, arguing that it is too long to wait. The White House and Senate Republicans have countered with a $1.1-trillion plan, and rejected Democrats’ offer to compromise at around $2 trillion. White House economic advisor Larry Kudlow said Democrats want to include too many items on their “liberal, left wish lists,” such as measures to provide money for mail-in voting this fall. Since then, the White House has taken a firmer hand, including leaving the talks last week when they concluded Democrats weren’t willing to compromise. McConnell has largely sat on the sidelines, content to have the White House negotiate the GOP position.

Kamala Harris was born in the United States and is eligible — in fact, extremely qualified — to be vice president of the United States, and president of the United States. (Trump, unsurprisingly, tried to fuel this theory, saying, “I heard it today that she doesn’t meet the requirements. It has been conclusively established that anyone born in the United States is a citizen of the United States. (For good measure, Eastman throws in the possibility that Harris might also be ineligible for her current position as a U.S. Voters will evaluate Biden and Harris on their qualifications, and if they win Harris will be sworn in as vice president.

The EU ‘‘acknowledges the US decision not to exacerbate the ongoing aircraft dispute by increasing tariffs on European products,’’ according to a European Commission post on Twitter. Advertisement‘‘I welcome the decision not to impose tariffs on gin and blended whisky, and to remove tariffs on shortbread. The EU, meanwhile, is waiting for a WTO decision to come as early as September that may allow for retaliation against the United States. Hogan last month stepped up a call for the United States to negotiate a settlement to the transatlantic dispute. So far, Washington has rejected at least three offers from Brussels for a settlement because the EU and United States ‘‘don’t have the same number,’’ he said.

Mueller did not find evidence of a criminal conspiracy between Trump’s campaign and Russia, but he did detail extensive contacts between the campaign and Russian operatives. Cohen worked closely with Trump for years before turning against him, most publicly in testimony to Congress last year prior to Trump’s impeachment. Cohen said he knows where Trump’s metaphorical “skeletons” are buried because he buried them. Trump has called Cohen “a rat,” and a liar, and Cohen said he faced repeated death threats from Trump supporters. A federal judge last month ruled Cohen had been subjected to retaliation for planning to publish his book, and ordered him released again.

An OPT permit essentially expands F-1 education visas for foreign college and university students so they can work while in school or after graduating. The Ombudsman’s report says 200,162 OPT holders were employed in the U.S. in 2018, more than one-fifth of all foreign students. About a third of foreign students that year came from China, with India next at about a fifth. The OPT program grew 400% between 2008 and 2018, Pew Research has reported. Last year, Arizona Republican Congressman Paul Gosar, supported by immigration hardliners including Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz and Texas Rep. Louie Gohmert, introduced a “Fairness for High-Skilled Americans” bill — which has not progressed — to kill the OPT program.

Postal Service in a desperate attempt to steal the November election. Republican lawmakers — in their customary role as chief enablers of Trump’s bad behavior — won’t pass a stimulus bill that includes House Democrats’ funding requests for the postal service. They remain mum, even as their actions and Trump’s jeopardize the postal service and the legitimacy of the upcoming elections. Free and fair elections ‘threatened’Throughout his term, Trump has had it out for the postal service. An honest president would make sure the postal service is equipped to handle the anticipated minimum of 5 million mail-in ballots come November.

“She’s a f---ing pit bull,” said Brad Rogers, CEO of Red White and Bloom, the Canadian pot company lobbying for a license to cultivate weed in Illinois. In late January, Kutti registered as a lobbyist for Red White and Bloom, state records show. She then stole every chance minorities had to access equity and prosperity in cannabis,” Kutti continued. Red White and Bloom has also applied for multiple craft cultivation licenses, which are among the delayed permits. Ties to TrumpKutti’s lobbying work for Red White and Bloom isn’t her only recent foray into the political realm.

Watch the Chicago Sun-Times’ Lynn Sweet and Laura Washington’s conversation about the upcoming 2020 Democratic and Republican conventions. Our newsmaker guests are Trump Campaign Advisor and former Trump 2016 campaign manager Corey Lewandowski; Illinois for Trump campaign co-chair Rep. Darin LaHood; member of the Illinois Democratic Party State Central Committee Rep. Robin Kelly and Biden delegate and Distinguished Fellow Chicago Council on Global Affairs and a visiting professor at Stanford University Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies Ertharin Cousin.

Postal Service mailboxes removed from neighborhood streets and hauled away in flatbed trucks. The sight of mailboxes being carted off caused concern in light of recent comments by President Donald Trump about cutting Postal Service funding. But a Postal Service spokesperson said declining mail volume means the Postal Service is removing “duplicate” boxes from areas that have multiple collection boxes. “First-class mail volume has declined significantly in the U.S., especially since the pandemic,” Ernie Swanson, a spokesman for the USPS, told The Oregonian/OregonLive. Other recent changes to the postal service have also raised concern among residents, including new Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a Trump donor who has no background working in the postal service.

WASHINGTON (AP) — With talks on emergency coronavirus aid having stalled out, both sides played the blame game Thursday rather than make any serious moves to try to break their stalemate. Official Washington is emptying, national politics is consuming the airwaves and the chasm between the warring sides appears too great for now. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi pressed the case for funding for the U.S. “Perhaps you mistook them for somebody who gave a damn,” Pelosi said when asked if she should accept a smaller COVID-19 rescue package rather than endure weeks of possible gridlock. All of the chief combatants have exited Washington after a several-day display of staying put as to not get blamed for abandoning the talks.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Thursday gave credence to a false and racist conspiracy about Kamala Harris’ eligibility to be president, fueling an online misinformation campaign that parallels the one he used to power his rise into politics. Speaking from the White House, Trump told reporters he had “heard” rumors that Harris, a Black woman and U.S.-born citizen whose parents were immigrants, does not meet the requirement to serve in the White House. The president said he considered the rumors “very serious.”The conspiracy is false. “Full stop, end of story, period, exclamation point,” said Jessica Levinson, a professor at Loyola Law School. “Let’s just be honest about what it is: It’s just a racist trope we trot out when we have a candidate of color whose parents were not citizens.”

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. Security Council started voting Thursday evening on a U.S. resolution that would indefinitely extend the U.N. arms embargo on Iran, a measure that faces strong opposition from Russia and China and is almost certain to be defeated. The results of the email voting because of the COVID-19 pandemic are expected to be announced on Friday evening, and it is likely the resolution will not get the minimum nine “yes” votes in the 15-member Security Council for Russia and China to use their vetoes. Ambassador Kelly Craft urged European nations that support the nuclear deal with Iran to put in writing their ideas to extend the expiring arms embargo on the Islamic Republic, indicating that the the United States may be willing to compromise on its demand for an indefinite extension. Craft said in an interview with The Associated Press that the United States was “keeping the space open” for talks with the United Kingdom, France and Germany, as well as Russia and China. The five veto-wielding members of the U.N. Security Council still support the 2015 agreement with Iran aimed at preventing the country from acquiring nuclear weapons, which U.S. President Donald Trump pulled out of in 2018.

MIAMI (AP) — The Trump administration has seized the cargo of four tankers it was targeting for transporting Iranian fuel to Venezuela, U.S. officials said Thursday, as it steps up its campaign of maximum pressure against the two heavily sanctioned allies. At the time, sanctions experts thought it would be impossible to enforce the U.S. court order in international waters. A senior U.S. official told The Associated Press that no military force was used in the seizures and that the ships weren't physically confiscated. Rather, U.S. officials threatened ship owners, insurers and captains with sanction to force them to hand over their cargo, which now becomes U.S. property, the official said. It is not clear where the vessels or their cargoes currently are.

The Republican governor praised Arizona residents for taking the virus seriously, wearing masks, avoiding crowds and taking other steps to avoid contracting or spreading the virus. “My ask today is keep doing what you are doing –- it’s making a big difference,” Ducey said. He said there are variations of virus spread throughout the state and the benchmarks for reopening that were released Aug. 6 were just that, guidelines that are flexible. Trump announced an executive order Sunday that would add $400 per week, but states are required to chip in 25% of that amount. The figures reported by the Department of Health Services increased the state’s totals to 190,794 confirmed cases with 4,383 deaths.

That gives the US a vested interest in whether the Paris agreement succeeds or fails, regardless of whether the US fulfils its own voluntary obligations under the accord. Under the Paris accord, countries agreed to hold global temperature rises to no more than 2C above pre-industrial levels, and put forward voluntary commitments to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to achieve that goal. The US, under Barack Obama, pledged to reduce emissions by 26% to 28% by 2025 compared with 2005 levels. Trump’s argument for withdrawal was that the Paris accord would impose costs on the US while other countries would benefit. “Trump’s most important deregulatory action to revive the economy is withdrawing the United States from the Paris climate treaty,” he said.

Donald Trump's former personal attorney Michael Cohen has vowed to reveal the private secrets of the US president’s past life in a new tell-all book which he wrote from prison. Cohen was Mr Trump’s fixer and confidant for more than a decade but flipped on Mr Trump during the Russian election meddling investigation and was ultimately jailed for lying to Congress. On Thursday, Cohen announced the imminent release of a new memoir, titled Disloyal, and published the 3,700-word foreword that teased explosive revelations to come. “The President of the United States wanted me dead. Or, let me say it the way Donald Trump would: He wouldn’t mind if I was dead,” Cohen writes at one point.

President Donald Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani has said that if a future administration under Joe Biden tried to prosecute Donald Trump, the country would become a “banana republic.”During an appearance on Fox News on Wednesday, Mr Giuliani was asked "how damaging would it be for a Biden administration to criminally prosecute a former president?" Daily coronavirus briefing No hype, just the advice and analysis you need Enter your email address Continue Continue Please enter an email address Email address is invalid Fill out this field Email address is invalid Email already exists. “It's no surprise,” Mr Biden said. “Whining is what Donald Trump does best more than any president in American history. Is anyone surprised Donald Trump has a problem with a strong woman?”Sen Harris broadly condemned Mr Trump and his administration but didn't address his specific remarks about her.

Download the new Independent Premium app Sharing the full story, not just the headlinesThe Independent contacted Mr Trump’s campaign for comment. Mr Cohen’s claims largely repeat similar accusations he has made in the past — which were denied by Mr Trump — with slight alterations. During his testimony to Congress in February 2019, Mr Cohen called Mr Trump a “cheat”, and claimed he knew ahead of time about WikiLeaks’ release of emails in 2016 that damaged his opponent Hillary Clinton’s campaign. Mr Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison in 2018 after admitting to arranging payments to women who claimed to have had affairs with Mr Trump. In the foreword for the book, Mr Cohen also repeated claims about Mr Trump pursuing real estate deals in Moscow during the election campaign.

Donald Trump has refused to refute his campaign’s discredited theory that Kamala Harris is not eligible to serve as vice president because her parents were not US citizens when she was born in the country. The senator, recently unveiled as Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden‘s running mate, was born in California and is a US citizen. He also asked whether she’s not eligible to run because she was not born in the US, which is false. He didn’t acknowledge that Mr Obama was born in the US until 2016, months before his election. I would have assumed the Democrats would have checked that out before she gets chosen to run for vice president.

The next time you go to share a coronavirus article on Facebook, you will see the date and source of the story before you post it. The popular social media platform just rolled out a new COVID-19 notification feature in hopes of stemming the tide of misinformation about the virus. A new notification feature on Facebook will tell users the source and date of any coronavirus articles before they share them. This week, the company announced a blanket ban on blackface and antisemitic conspiracy theories. This week, the company announced a blanket ban on blackface and antisemitic conspiracy theories.

At the top of Thursday's briefing, Trump attacked Biden for politicizing the pandemic, ignoring science and forcing Americans into their basements. 'Joe Biden wants to fling open American borders allowing the pandemic to infiltrate every U.S. community based on his policies. 'That is what real leadership looks like, we just witnessed real leadership,' Kamala Harris said taking the podium and praising Joe Biden. It's about your responsibilities as Americans,' Biden went on. The Associated Press reported in May that Trump feared wearing a mask would 'send the wrong message.'

President Donald Trump fanned the flames of yet another 'birther' conspiracy theory by telling White House reporters Thursday that he had 'no idea' if Kamala Harris was eligible to be vice president. John C. Eastman wrote a controversial editorial for Newsweek that suggested Kamala Harris wasn't eligible to run for VP. 'I would have assumed the Democrats would have checked that out before she gets chosen to run for vice president,' Trump went on, adding that the unfounded claims were 'very serious.' 'You're saying that, they're saying that she doesn't qualify because she wasn't born in this country?' Businessman Trump was one of the most prominent voices to push the 'birther' conspiracy about Obama, doing so in early April 2011.

He added: “But if we don’t do that, as I said last April, this could be the worst fall, from a public health perspective, that we’ve ever had.”“We’re kind of in a war,” Dr. Robert Redfield told WebMD in an interview Wednesday. The U.S. is at risk of experiencing the worst fall health season that its ever had if more people don’t follow coronavirus prevention measures, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned this week. He stressed the need for the public to get the flu vaccine. Russia on Tuesday announced that it created the world’s first coronavirus vaccine that’s ready for use, though it has not completed clinical trials. “I hope that the Russians have actually definitively proven that the vaccine is safe and effective,” Fauci added.

The White House has had a history of plumbing woes, mostly based on age and wear and tear. The White House did not respond to CNN's request for comment. A comprehensive modern update to White House plumbing didn't occur until the massive renovation overseen by Harry S. Truman, from 1948-1952. "People are flushing toilets 10 times, 15 times, as opposed to once," said the President at a White House event last December. CORRECTION: This story has been updated to correct the year in which Andrew Jackson ordered water to be brought into the White House.

Israel, UAE agree to normalize ties in what Trump calls 'historic' agreement Trump said he expects more countries to "follow the United Arab Emirates' lead." "Israel and the United Arab Emirates will fully normalize their diplomatic relations," Trump said, surrounded by aides in the Oval Office. "The UAE and Israel also agreed to cooperation and setting a roadmap towards establishing a bilateral relationship," the crown prince added. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called an emergency meeting to discuss the announcement, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa. Asked if he supported Israel annexing Palestinian land, Trump said "we're talking to Israel about that right now," without elaborating.

"Israel agreed not to annex parts of the West Bank. It is off the table now," Trump said during a White House briefing. This comes in contrast to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's earlier remarks that annexation is "still on the table," and that it is a pledge the prime minister said he is "committed to." "For years, Israel has been portrayed as an enemy…now more countries will join us in this circle of peace," the prime minister said. He added that annexation is "still on the table," and that it is a promise Netanyahu said he is "committed to."

Senior Israeli officials reportedly said Thursday that they are in advanced talks with Bahrain about normalizing ties with the Gulf state, hours after the historic announcement on Israel’s establishment of ties with the United Arab Emirates. Bahrain is expected to be the next country to establish official ties with Israel, a senior official told the Kan public broadcaster. A senior American official told Palestinian media that Bahrain and Oman are expected to normalize ties with Israel in the near future, the report also said. Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner said later Thursday that more Arab countries may soon announce normalized ties with Israel. Kushner said the administration had been in talks with other Arab states to normalize ties with Israel, too.

Postal Service, which has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, and recently been mired in controversy with its new leadership. Trump's comments follow repeated unfounded claims that mail-in ballots will lead to widespread voter fraud. Postal Service is 2020 election sabotage amid COVID-19. "If the (coronavirus]) bill isn't gonna get done, that's gonna mean the Post Office isn't gonna get funded ... so, I don't know how you could possibly use these ballots, these mail-in ballots," Trump said. Professor Rubio said the massiveness of mail-in voting that could occur this year, and the changes within the USPS may impact that.

Trump attacks Biden on call for mask mandatePresident Donald Trump is going after his political rival over a call for a nationwide mask mandate. (Aug. 13)AP

KE Holdings reported a net profit of $227.5 million in the first half of 2020 on revenue of $1.77 billion. The company’s revenue grew more than 60% in 2019 to $6.5 billion, KE reported in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, while losses more than quadrupled to $308.6 million. KE Holdings’ IPO comes fraught with peril, starting with the White House. Despite attention from U.S. lawmakers and high-profile misfires, Wall Street continues to accept offerings from high-flying Chinese companies. They have raised $6.12 billion, easily surpassing last year’s total of $3.52 billion.

President Trump accused Joe Biden of politicizing the coronavirus pandemic at a White House briefing Thursday after the presumptive Democratic nominee called for a nationwide mask mandate. “He does not identify what authority the president has to issue such a mandate or how federal law enforcement could enforce it,” Trump said. Trump said that his administration has taken a different approach, delegating mask-wearing policies to state governments, while encouraging Americans to mask up. “Do the right thing.”Trump added that Biden wants to “fling open” American borders amid the pandemic, and accused him of putting “left-wing politics” ahead of scientific evidence. “Joe Biden wants to fling open American borders, allowing the pandemic to infiltrate every US community based on his policies,” Trump said.

The Trump administration has reportedly confiscated four Iranian cargo ships believed to be carrying fuel in violation of US sanctions. Fuel tankers in the Persian Gulf region have become targets after the US in 2018 withdrew from the countries’ 2015 nuclear deal. The US last month sought a federal court’s approval to seize four Iranian fuel tankers headed to Venezuela, according to the Journal. The move would have hurt two adversaries — blocking fuel to Venezuela and revenue for Iran — as the Trump administration tries to pressure Iran into inking a new nuclear deal. It’s unclear if those four ships were the same vessels that were seized this week.

The publisher behind Bob Woodward’s latest book, “Rage,” is expecting its biggest payday yet from its books tied to President Trump. Following the Wednesday release of the cover and title by Simon & Schuster Wednesday ahead of its Sept. 15 release, pre-orders for the book propelled it to the No. Insiders who get an advance look say The New York Times weekly bestseller list to be published Aug. 23 will show Hannity’s book has grabbed the No. A Trump family member also sought to try to block the publication of the Mary Trump tome. “‘Rage’ is the most important book Simon & Schuster will publish this year,” Simon & Schuster CEO Jonathan Karp told CNN.

WASHINGTON — President Trump on Thursday compared Sen. Kamala Harris to his 2016 opponent Hillary Clinton — brutally describing her as a shallow opportunist who stands for nothing during an interview with The Post in the Oval Office. The president also tore apart Harris’ polarizing criminal justice record, accusing Joe Biden’s new running mate of being “extremely bad to the black community.”“She’s a bad version of Hillary. She’s a person that will say whatever is necessary and in the end in gets her in trouble,” Trump said. Trump himself recalled a now-infamous debate stage exchange last July where Rep. Tulsi Gabbard ripped Harris’ criminal justice record as the California attorney general and San Francisco district attorney. “She’s been extremely bad to the black community, extremely bad to the black community,” he continued.

President Trump said during an exclusive Oval Office interview on Thursday that his campaign is “putting New York in play” against Democrat Joe Biden in the 2020 election. Trump told The Post that he believes a spike in violent crime and high taxes can help him win his home state in an upset against Biden and running mate Kamala Harris. “For instance, we think we’re going to win New Mexico, we think we’re going to win Minnesota. You look at New York 11, New York 19, there’s quite a few opportunities in upstate as well,” Jack said. Trump acknowledged winning New York was an uphill battle, but cited a surge in crime and an increase in taxes.

The first rumination about a Joe Biden/Kamala Harris ticket began weeks after they both entered the presidential race. Harris beat Biden to the arena, but Biden surged in polls after announcing his campaign. And just days after the Trump campaign hammered Biden for a racially insensitive comment about diversity in the Black community, some around the campaign have stumbled with bigoted attacks on Harris. AD“He is solid as a rock,” President Trump said of Pence on Tuesday, when asked about Harris. “But if they don’t get those two items, that means you can’t have universal mail-in voting.”The Biden campaign quickly unwrapped its political gift.

The problem with the big hoopla around this is that it is neither a genuine breakthrough nor will it bring peace between Israelis and Arabs anytime soon. ADADThe UAE, a member of the Arab League, originally agreed to the 2002 Saudi-initiated Arab Peace Initiative that called for the normalization of relations in return for the Israelis ending their 1967 occupation of Arab lands. Then came the Trump administration with its ill-advised vision for peace, which gave Israel everything they wanted and didn’t even bring Palestinians to the negotiating table. ADADThough now more than ever there’s a real, urgent need to bring peace to the region, this so-called breakthrough fails to provide even a road map for the end of the decades-long Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands. He’s hoping that this will improve his chances for an outright win in a potentially fourth Israeli general election in less than two years.

It is also widening the gap between big and small businesses. The Fed cannot give people checks, which is why its actions have done little to help renters facing eviction or small businesses on the verge of dying. He said the stock market gains are a red flag signaling that small businesses are being crushed. If a small business closes, a larger business fills the void. Meanwhile, for most small business and those worst off, things have only become worse.

The pair questioned whether he was fit for the seat because he is a member of the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic charitable organization. Buescher responded that his involvement in the group consisted mostly of charitable work and community events at his local Catholic parish. McGuire told Breitbart Harris “has built a career out of opposing the work and values of Catholics." The Supreme Court later upheld the exemption but did not address whether the mandate itself is a violation of religious freedom. “It is equally disappointing to see Joe Biden tout his Catholic faith while picking as his running mate someone who has made her anti-Catholic bona fides clear.”

Chrissy Teigen and John Legend are adding to their family, sources close to the couple confirmed to Fox News on Thursday. Legend and Teigen met in 2006 while filming a music video before marrying in Italy in 2013. "Chrissy teigen is pregnant again omg," a fan tweeted, adding a handful of crying emojis. CHRISSY TEIGEN ASKS FANS IF SHE'S 'TOO OLD' FOR NOSE PIERCING: 'BE HONEST'"Just learned that @chrissyteigen is pregnant with baby no. “You’re happier being faithful and being in love with one person... At a certain point, I just decided that person was Chrissy [Teigen].

EXCLUSIVE: The theme of the upcoming 2020 GOP convention will be “Honoring the Great American Story” and will highlight America’s “greatness, opportunity and President Donald Trump’s bold leadership,” Fox News has learned. The Trump campaign on Thursday afternoon had back to back phone calls with Republican members of Congress, previewing the themes for the 2020 Republican National Convention, a source familiar with the calls told Fox News. The discussions come as the convention details remain in flux, and as the campaign and the Republican National Committee continue to adjust their plans amid the coronavirus pandemic. Meanwhile, the RNC last month said “a few hundred delegates” will be in Charlotte, N.C., on Monday, Aug. 24 for convention business, which will include the formal nomination of the president. The Democratic National Convention, which was pushed back a month and is scheduled to start on Aug. 17, is still being held in Milwaukee.

The agreement normalizing relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, partially brokered by the Trump administration, marks a "tectonic shift in the way the Middle East operates," "Special Report" anchor Bret Baier said Thursday. "The fact that Israel is fully normalizing relations with the United Arab Emirates -- this is only the third Arab country in the Middle East to do this," Baier told "Bill Hemmer Reports" host John Roberts, "and this wasn’t thought that it was going to come to pass." TRUMP ANNOUNCES 'HISTORIC PEACE AGREEMENT' BETWEEN ISRAEL, UAEEgypt was the first Arab nation to sign a peace deal with Israel in 1979. Baier noted both the Israeli and U.S. governments have claimed Thursday's agreement will lead to more interest from Arab nations in making similar deals. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPThe anchor added that the deal is a "big foreign policy win" for Trump, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling it the "greatest advance toward peace in the Arab world in decades."

President Donald Trump on Thursday rejected former Vice President Joe Biden's call for a national mask mandate to combat the coronavirus, accusing the Democratic candidate for president of politicizing the outbreak and of shunning science in combating the pandemic. Trump, who resisted calls to wear masks for months, now endorses the idea, although he favors allowing governors to decide on whether to require them at the state level. "We have urged Americans to wear masks. "Maybe they're great and maybe they're just good, maybe they're not so good. "We'll defeat this virus, but not by hiding in our basements, he's got to come out of his basement.

"I was concerned for the safety of everyone in that building and everyone in the county because precautions that the CDC and guidelines that the CDC has been telling us for months now, weren't being followed," Watters told CNN, after her photo drew national attention. Perhaps the fact that the President hasn't personally suffered thus far has played a part in this. As Trump has continued to hold rallies in defiance of social distancing advice, and ridiculed mask-wearers -- including his presidential opponent Joe Biden -- an opposition to social distancing has become synonymous not only with Covid-skepticism, but with partisan politics. Trump's example has also been followed by other leaders -- and applied whatever sphere of public life most suits them. Looking from across the pond, the politicization of the pandemic in the US appears to have added an extra dimension to the animosity over social distancing among the population.

Read the statement here:President Donald J. Trump, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, and Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the United Arab Emirates spoke today and agreed to the full normalization of relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. The United States, Israel and the United Arab Emirates are confident that additional diplomatic breakthroughs with other nations are possible, and will work together to achieve this goal. The United Arab Emirates and Israel will immediately expand and accelerate cooperation regarding the treatment of and the development of a vaccine for the coronavirus. Israel and the United Arab Emirates will join with the United States to launch a Strategic Agenda for the Middle East to expand diplomatic, trade, and security cooperation. Today's agreement will lead to better lives for the peoples of the United Arab Emirates, Israel, and the region.

(CNN) 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton said Thursday that if President Donald Trump loses the presidential election this fall, she believes he won't go "silently into the night." I have every reason to believe that Trump is not going to go, you know, silently into the night if he loses. He's going to try to confuse us, he's going to try to bring all kinds of lawsuits, he's got his crony Attorney General (William) Barr ready to do whatever is necessary," Clinton said at The 19th Represents Summit. Earlier on Thursday, Trump said he opposes much-needed funding for the US Postal Service because he doesn't want to see it used for mail-in voting this November. In an evening news conference, he said would not veto a bill that contains the funding, but continued to claim without evidence that mail-in voting would lead to widespread fraud.

The White House has had a history of plumbing woes, mostly based on age and wear and tear. The White House did not respond to CNN's request for comment. A comprehensive modern update to White House plumbing didn't occur until the massive renovation overseen by Harry S. Truman, from 1948-1952. "People are flushing toilets 10 times, 15 times, as opposed to once," said the President at a White House event last December. And with those showerheads, even Trump might feel better about the efforts he puts in to achieve what he calls his "beautiful" hair.

The former vice president and the current President are two entirely different human beings! Just 19% of Trump voters say they are voting for the incumbent because he's not Biden. If this race is about Trump, Biden wins. Biden's campaign knows that voters will be faced with a choice between two men on November 3. And if that happens, Joe Biden will be the next president of the United States.

Postal Service (USPS) office in midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S., August 13, 2020. REUTERS/Mike SegarWASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump said on Thursday he would not veto coronavirus legislation that included funding for the U.S. “If we could agree to a bill, the overall bill, which is obviously a much bigger number than just the post office, that would be fine,” Trump told reporters at the White House. Earlier in the day Trump said demands from Democrats that a bill include federal aid for the post office and funding for the election have become major sticking points in negotiations. “The items are the post office and the $3.5 billion for mail-in voting,” he told Fox Business Network, saying Democrats want to give the post office $25 billion.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday criticized the arrest of Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai this week under China’s new national security law. “I think it’s a terrible thing,” Trump told reporters in response to a question about Lai’s arrest.

News AgencyIsrael, United Arab Emirates reach historic dealPosted[NFA] Israel and the United Arab Emirates reached a historic peace deal that will lead to a full normalization of diplomatic relations between the two Middle Eastern nations in an agreement the Trump administration helped broker. Lisa Bernhard produced this report.

FILE PHOTO: China and U.S. flags are seen near a TikTok logo in this illustration picture taken July 16, 2020. REUTERS/Florence LoWASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump said on Thursday that any deal to sell Chinese-owned social media app TikTok to an American company must “substantially” benefit the United States and provide “total security.”Trump made the remarks after issuing an executive order banning transactions with TikTok’s Chinese parent Bytedance by mid-September after appearing to bless a sale of the popular video sharing app to Microsoft.

FILE PHOTO: White House economic advisor Larry Kudlow addresses a press briefing on the U.S. economy and new U.S. employment and unemployment numbers in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, U.S., July 2, 2020. REUTERS/Tom BrennerWASHINGTON (Reuters) - White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow on Thursday said the Trump administration is satisfied with China’s progress in meeting commitments to purchase U.S. goods in a Phase 1 trade deal, signaling that the pact will survive an initial review on Saturday. Lighthizer and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He on Saturday will conduct the first semi-annual review of the trade deal’s implementation in a videoconference. “We have big differences with China on other matters, but regarding the Phase 1 trade deal, we are engaging,” Kudlow said. But Lighthizer has told Trump that China is now buying over 40% of U.S. commodity exports, compared to about 20% in the baseline year of 2017, Kudlow said.

This is already piled on top of his determination that the Postal Service should support itself in the midst of this pandemic. We need more, not less, help for the Postal Service to gear up for what's expected to be a crush of mail-in ballots. Rubio: Well, it was founded as a government agency in 1775, and the postmaster general was a powerful political figure. Stanton: So the Postal Service, certainly Nixon saw it through a political lens‚ maybe even a partisan one. And that assumption [that the postal service was essential] was never questioned until after 1970, after we had a postal service.

"This damning acknowledgment totally exposes that Ron Johnson's disgraceful conduct is the definition of malfeasance," said Biden spokesman Andrew Bates. Graham is pursuing allegations of abuses by the FBI in its investigation into the Trump campaign's 2016 contacts with Russia. Trump has repeatedly encouraged investigations into former President Barack Obama, claiming without evidence that Obama committed grave crimes against Trump’s incoming administration. Trump dubbed the alleged scandal “Obamagate” but has offered no details to support allegations that Obama committed any wrongdoing. "The very transparent goal of their own disinformation campaign and feigned concern is to attack our character in order to marginalize the eventual findings of our investigation," Johnson wrote.

The Fox News poll was conducted from Aug. 9-12 and over half of the interviews were completed after Biden selected Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) as his vice presidential pick. The poll finds 44 percent of voters view Harris favorably while 40 percent view her unfavorably. Vice President Mike Pence, on the other hand, is viewed favorably by 41 percent of voters and unfavorably by 51 percent. More voters trust Trump to handle Biden on the economy by a margin of four percentage points. The race has tightened since June, when Fox News found Biden had a 12-point advantage over Trump, 50 percent to 38 percent.

During a press conference at the White House President Trump criticized Joe Biden's call for a mask mandate.

Donald Trump says he will block funding for the U.S. Postal Service because Democrats want to expand mail-in voting during the pandemic

A coalition of voting rights groups in Arizona have banded together with a lofty goal of getting one million people to vote this November. A coalition of voting rights groups in Arizona have banded together with a lofty goal of getting one million people to vote this November. (AP Photo/Matt York)PHOENIX (AP) — A coalition of voting rights groups in Arizona has banded together with the lofty goal of getting one million people to vote against President Donald Trump this November. Latinos account for nearly a quarter of registered voters in Arizona, but have had lower-than-expected turnout in past presidential elections. U.S. Census data shows that 47% of eligible Hispanic voters in Arizona cast a ballot in 2016, compared to nearly 63% of eligible white voters.

The five veto-wielding members of the U.N. Security Council still support the 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran which U.S. President Donald Trump pulled out of in 2018. The U.S. initially circulated a resolution to the 15-member council to indefinitely extend the arms embargo which was seven pages long and had 35 paragraphs. Asked about reports the Europeans have talked about a six-month extension of the arms embargo, she replied: “They mentioned six months. ADVERTISEMENTThe foreign ministers of Russia and China, in separate letters to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the Security Council last month, were sharply critical of the U.S. effort to indefinitely extend the arms embargo. Craft said council members face a choice between “sponsoring terrorism” or promoting international peace and security.

Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden joined by his running mate Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., replaces his face mask after speaking at the Hotel DuPont in Wilmington, Del., Thursday, Aug. 13, 2020. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden joined by his running mate Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., replaces his face mask after speaking at the Hotel DuPont in Wilmington, Del., Thursday, Aug. 13, 2020. (AP) — President Donald Trump on Thursday attacked Joe Biden for calling on governors to mandate that all Americans wear masks for the next three months, accusing the Democratic presidential candidate of politicizing an issue Trump himself has used for political gain in recent months. On Thursday, he said it’s patriotic for Americans to wear masks, but added, “maybe they’re great, and maybe they’re just good. Step up, do the right thing.”The back-and-forth marked a new line of attack from Trump, who is trailing Biden significantly in most nationwide and swing-state surveys.

FILE - In this Nov. 17, 2019, file photo, Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones waits for the team's NFL football game against the Detroit Lions in Detroit. Jones sidestepped the question of whether he would change his policy requiring players for the Cowboys to stand during the national anthem. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)FILE - In this Nov. 17, 2019, file photo, Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones waits for the team's NFL football game against the Detroit Lions in Detroit. Jones sidestepped the question of whether he would change his policy requiring players for the Cowboys to stand during the national anthem. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)Jerry Jones sidestepped the question of whether he would change his policy requiring Dallas Cowboys players to stand during the national anthem.

“We’ll be paying into Social Security through the general fund.”ADVERTISEMENTBut aides to the president on Thursday sought to walk back Trump’s comments. In comments Wednesday to reporters, Trump said at least four times that he would end the payroll tax. The 12.4% payroll tax split between employers and workers funds Social Security. ADVERTISEMENTIt is highly unlikely that economic growth would be enough to offset the loss of the payroll tax. Payroll tax cuts are among the least effective ways to promote growth during a recession, said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody Analytics.

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s selection of Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate suggests Big Tech might avoid the hammer blow of a breakup if the ticket wins the White House. Newsletter Sign-up CIO Journal The Morning Download delivers daily insights and news on business technology from the CIO Journal team. PREVIEWWhile vice presidents have limited power to shape or enforce policy from the White House, advocates say she could help prioritize the tech industry’s policy wishlist, which includes issues such as immigration reform. The Trump administration has curtailed visas for highly skilled workers, drawing rebukes from Silicon Valley in recent months. Major tech companies, including Microsoft Corp., have stopped selling the technology to police in the absence of federal regulations.

DOJ: Yale Discriminates Against Asian American and White Applicants In AdmissionsEnlarge this image toggle caption Beth Harpaz/AP Beth Harpaz/APThe Department of Justice accused Yale University of violating federal civil rights law by illegally discriminating against Asian American and white applicants in its undergraduate admissions process. Those are the findings of a two-year investigation conducted in response to a complaint by a coalition of Asian American groups. It went on to say that "for the great majority of applicants," Asian American and white prospective students have one-tenth to one-fourth of the likelihood of admission as African American applicants with comparable academic credentials. The Justice Department is demanding that Yale agree not to use race or national origin in its upcoming 2020-2021 admissions cycle. Disclaimer: Rachel Treisman is a graduate of Yale University.

Marge Simpson (left) and Democratic VP candidate Kamala Harris (right): Fox/GettyFans of The Simpsons have reacted with indignation after an advisor to Donald Trump compared Democratic vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris to Marge Simpson. Jenna Ellis, one of Trump’s senior legal advisors and attorneys, said that Harris “sounds like Marge Simpson”. “Anybody being compared to Marge Simpson has lived their life right,” wrote one commenter. I will not tolerate any Marge Simpson slander. Story continues“I hear people talking trash about my queen Marge Simpson,” wrote someone else, alongside images of the character looking menacing.

Photograph: Justin Lane/EPAThe number of Americans who filed new claims for unemployment benefits last week dipped below 1 million for the first time in 21 weeks, but signs of the coronavirus pandemic’s devastating impact on the US jobs market remain. The latest figures from the labor department showed 963,000 people filing claims after 20 weeks of claims above 1m. Before the pandemic, claims were averaging about 200,000 a week and the previous record for claims was 695,000, set in 1982. In July, the US added 1.8m jobs and the unemployment rate fell to 10.2% from 11.1%. Last month’s jobs report showed little growth outside the sectors hit hardest in the wave of quarantine closures.

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Thursday sought to clarify President Trump’s promise to “terminate” the payroll tax if he is reelected, saying instead he meant he wanted “permanent forgiveness” of the temporary payroll tax deferral. And it works out very nicely.” Trump explained the tax cut would spur economic growth, which would contribute to the general fund. WHITE HOUSE OFFICIAL SAYS PERMANENT PAYROLL TAX CUT NOT ON THE TABLE, DESPITE TRUMP COMMENTS"The payroll tax deferral will be forgiven," Kudlow said outside the White House on Thursday. The payroll tax is used to fund Social Security and Medicare. The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has denounced the president’s payroll tax cut as a “reckless war on Social Security.” However, in 2011, roles were reversed: President Barack Obama urged Republicans to pass a payroll tax cut.

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, the man dubbed “Europe’s last dictator,” seems to have badly underestimated at least two serious threats to his 26-year rule. The country, home to 9.5 million people, has been rocked by protests since Lukashenko, its longtime president, was declared by election authorities to be the landslide winner of Sunday’s national election. Women all across #Belarus are forming human chains of solidarity. Advertisement“She was clearly severely underestimated by Lukashenko,” said Nigel Gould-Davies, who was Britain’s ambassador to Belarus in 2008-09. With the outside world paying more notice as the days passed, the protests were at a tense juncture.

President Trump accused presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden of attempting “to politicize a pandemic” following his call Thursday for a nationwide mask mandate to slow the spread of coronavirus. During an evening press briefing, Trump told Biden to "stop playing politics with the virus." At the event, Biden called for a nationwide mask mandate, pushing governors to require masks in all states for at least the next three months. Biden cited estimates saying a mask mandate would save at least 40,000 lives over the three-month period. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP”Wearing the mask is less about you contracting the virus,” Biden said.

In a hotly contested election year, the loss of college football seems almost certain to seep into politics as well. He famously served the Clemson Tigers football team a $5,500 fast-food feast to celebrate its national championship and has attended multiple college football championship games. For years, the college football season has been an enticing advertising canvas for both parties, recently dominated by Republicans. It’s far from clear how much support, if any, Trump might lose because of the absence of college football. He predicted before the season’s cancellation that Ohio State’s Buckeyes would finish the year undefeated.

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden did something simultaneously clever and stupid recently, in full view of TV cameras. But then try to imagine Boss Trump riding a bike. However, the GOP strategy, often assisted by the pre-scripted political press, is to attack Joe Biden exactly where Trump is weakest. Or if it were credibly reported that Biden, like Trump, had no clue what significant military event took place at Pearl Harbor? Reading the debate transcript, one can only lament how many more Americans would still be alive had Slow Joe, not Boss Trump, been in charge.

This week, Republican voters in Georgia’s 14th congressional district nominated Marjorie Taylor Greene for the seat being vacated by Rep. Tom Graves. She’s denounced a “Muslim invasion” of America, called George Soros a “Nazi,” and endorsed the bonkers QAnon conspiracy. The person styling himself Q in cryptic online messages is anonymous, thus QAnon. No fewer than 60 current or former congressional candidates have expressed interest in or support for the QAnon conspiracy. Unlike Group Captain Mandrake, a lot of Republicans out there don’t recognize crazy when they see it.

Postal Service of money in order to make it harder to process an expected surge of mail-in ballots, which he worries could cost him the election. “If we don’t make a deal, that means they don’t get the money,” Trump told host Maria Bartiromo. He’s pairing the tough Postal Service stance in congressional negotiations with an increasingly robust mail-in -voting legal fight in states that could decide the election. That followed legal maneuvers in battleground Pennsylvania, where the campaign hopes to force changes to how the state collects and counts mail-in ballots. Judy Beard, legislative and political director for the American Postal Workers Union, said postal workers are up to the task of delivering mail-in ballots this year.

Postal Service. Postal Service and election security ahead of the November election. “They want $25 billion — billion — for the post office,” he said, adding that, without it, the Postal Service won’t be equipped to handle the influx of mail-in ballots. Dems seek $10B for USPSDemocrats have pushed for $10 billion for the Postal Service in talks with Republicans on a huge COVID-19 response bill. Postal Service to hinder Americans from voting.

Jerry Jones sidestepped the question of whether he would change his policy requiring Dallas Cowboys players to stand during the national anthem. Two years ago, Jones wouldn't even support players staying in the locker room during the national anthem, declaring the club's policy was for players to be on the sideline, “toe on the line." I have nothing to prove as far as where I'm standing with the flag and where the Cowboys stand. “We have many on that team that were thinking about one way and many, many others that were thinking about another way,” Jones said. “I'm going to show grace,” Jones said.

In a nation where consensus has been ravaged by politics, the U. S. Postal Service is an exception. But Republican leaders led by President Donald Trump are bent on hobbling this crucial organization. That means they can’t have universal mail-in voting, they just can’t have it,” Trump said. But there have never been significant problems with mail-in voting fraud even though several states have relied on it for years. But withholding aid in the false belief that voting by mail hurts Trump is insanity.

After taking office in 2018, Nassau County Executive Laura Curran ordered the reassessment to be completed for the 2020-21 tax year. Andrew M. Cuomo, a Democrat, issued an executive order that gives Nassau assessment officials some room to breathe. The deadline for homeowners to file assessment challenges had been April 30. She said it would not hamper the ability of her office to produce tax bills. In March, a county report estimated that tax bills for more than 205,000 homeowners in Nassau — about 53% — were would rise in October'20 and January'21 under Curran's reassessment.

It is unclear when the data was destroyed or how many volunteers had registered and needed to be cleared from the system. Michigan Department of Health and Human Services spokesman Bob Wheaton said the department received confirmation Thursday evening that the information had been scrubbed from the NGP VAN site. The confirmation came hours after the department's director told lawmakers he was unsure whether the information was still on the data platform. Since Michigan is under a state of emergency, the state could issue no-bid contracts because it was exempted from soliciting bids prior to awarding the contract. Before the contract was finalized, volunteers were given training information with the link to NGP Van included in it.

In 2018, only 17% of Democratic voters anticipated voting difficulties and 83% predicted it would be easy. Despite concerns about voting, Americans believe this election is the most important in the two decades that the Pew Research has conducted surveys. In a sign of the high stakes for Democrats, the poll found Biden supporters would be far more "angry" if their candidate loses. Sixty-one percent of Biden supporters said they would be "angry" if their candidate loses, compared with 37% of Trump supporters who said they would be "angry" if Trump loses. Thirty-seven percent of Biden supporters said they would be "disappointed" if Biden lost while 59% of Trump supporters said they would be "disappointed."

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s push to cut Social Security payroll taxes for the rest of the year — and even arguing for a permanent cut — would have little impact bolstering the coronavirus-battered economy in the short term and could destabilize long-term funding for benefits that millions of Americans depend on. Trump this week said that he could eliminate the tax if he is reelected without undercutting the retirement program or greatly adding to the deficit, arguing that economic growth would offset the revenue losses. “At the end of the year, the assumption that I win, I’m going to terminate the payroll tax, which is another thing that some of the great economists would like to see done,” Trump told reporters on Wednesday, adding that “tremendous growth” in the U.S. will cover the costs of Social Security. “We’ll be paying into Social Security through the general fund.”But aides to the president on Thursday sought to walk back Trump’s comments. White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Trump meant to say he would seek forgiveness of employee payroll tax payments that he had already ordered deferred for the rest of the year.

(AP) — President Donald Trump on Thursday attacked Joe Biden for calling on governors to mandate that all Americans wear masks for the next three months, accusing the Democratic presidential candidate of politicizing an issue Trump himself has used for political gain in recent months. Trump claimed Biden has been wrong about the coronavirus pandemic at every turn, “ignoring the scientific evidence and putting left-wing politics before facts and evidence." Trump went on to falsely say that Biden was advocating for the president to use executive power to institute a nationwide mask mandate and that Biden was in favor of “locking all Americans in their basements for months on end.”“To Joe, I would say stop playing politics with the virus," Trump said at the White House press briefing. Biden did not call for an executive order, but did at an earlier campaign event call for the institution of "a mask mandate nationwide, starting immediately.” Biden clarified, however, that it should be left up to the governors to make mask-wearing mandatory. He said nothing about keeping Americans indoors, but has argued that economic reopenings in states have been rushed and without proper guidance from the federal government to keep Americans safe.

“If we don’t make a deal, that means they don’t get the money,” Trump told host Maria Bartiromo. He’s pairing the tough Postal Service stance in congressional negotiations with an increasingly robust mail-in -voting legal fight in states that could decide the election. That followed legal maneuvers in battleground Pennsylvania, where the campaign hopes to force changes to how the state collects and counts mail-in ballots. ADVERTISEMENTSkip................................................................Democrats have pushed for a total of $10 billion for the Postal Service in talks with Republicans on the COVID-19 response bill. Judy Beard, legislative and political director for the American Postal Workers Union, said postal workers are up to the task of delivering mail-in ballots this year.

Presidential candidate Joe Biden is calling for a nationwide protective mask mandate, citing health experts' predictions that it could save 40,000 lives from coronavirus over the next three months. "Wearing the mask is less about you contracting the virus," Biden said. He urges Americans to wear masks but has opposed the idea of a national requirement and declined to wear one for months. Read on for more developments today, along with helpful information and data on the worldwide health crisis. Virus tests sports programs as schools prepare to reopenVirus by the numbers: These charts show you how, where the virus spreads

The Biden campaign didn’t participate at all in the Arizona Police Association decision or that of the National Association of Police Officers, which also endorsed Trump, Winsky said. Trump spoke to the national organization, a national group of police unions, which subsequently endorsed him for president. “I think what turned the tide there is that they didn’t participate whatsoever,” Winsky said of the Biden campaign. Of course, police unions traditionally support conservative politicians, perhaps more so during this period of protest and controversy over police behavior. Essentially, folks, they’re letting the inmates run the asylum.”Of course, the president the unions are endorsing, who is attempting to win re-election as a law-and-order candidate, has been accused regularly and credibly of engaging in lawlessness himself.

Presidential candidate Joe Biden is calling for a nationwide protective mask mandate, citing health experts' predictions that it could save 40,000 lives from coronavirus over the next three months. "Wearing the mask is less about you contracting the virus," Biden said. President Donald Trump on Wednesday said at a press briefing that his administration was sending 125 million reusable masks to school districts across the nation. He urges Americans to wear masks but has opposed the idea of a national requirement and declined to wear one for months. Read on for more developments today, along with helpful information and data on the worldwide health crisis.

Virginia would have to spend $45 million a week for its share of enhanced unemployment benefits under an executive order President Donald Trump signed last weekend, but the state could draw on other federal aid to cover its part of enhanced payment to people who lost work in the economic crisis. The executive order, issued after a breakdown in talks between Republicans and Democrats over a new COVID-19 relief package, requires participating states to pay 25% of the $400 weekly benefit, or $100 a week, for each eligible unemployment beneficiary. The state could use federal aid received under the CARES Act to cover its share, but that would diminish the amount of money the state has to pay for other critical needs related to the COVID-19 public health emergency. The state also could use the first $100 of regular state unemployment insurance, but that would reduce the additional benefit to $300 a week. Ralph Northam.

(Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)The United States Postal Service has possibly never been more important, or more embattled. Two days later, he said he wasn't sure the postal service had "enough time" to handle an influx of election mail. The delays at the postal service have led to widespread concerns that critical election mail will arrive late, disenfranchising voters. The postal service has traditionally treated election mail with priority, even if it's not sent first class. But USPS General Counsel Thomas Marshall implied in letters to election officials that marketing mail delivery standards would be enforced for election mail.

The Trump administration has for the first time confiscated vessels allegedly loaded with Iran fuel in violation of sanctions, U.S. officials said, as it steps up its campaign of maximum pressure against Tehran. Last month U.S. federal prosecutors filed suit to seize the four tankers of gasoline that Iran was sending to Venezuela, the latest move in the administration’s effort to stifle flows of goods and money helping to keep two of its top foes in power.

Or, let me say it the way Donald Trump would: He wouldn’t mind if I was dead. President Trump controlled all the levers of the Commander in Chief and all the overt and covert powers that come with the highest office in the country. There are reasons why there has never been an intimate portrait of Donald Trump, the man. I said I know Trump as a human being, not a cartoon character on television, and that means I know he’s full of contradictions. And hopefully this portion of your destiny will lead to a better Michael Cohen, a better Donald Trump, a better United States of America, and a better world.

Former Vice President Joe Biden reacted to President Donald Trump’s admission that he’s denying funding to the U.S. They just can’t have it.”Several hours later, the Biden campaign held a brief photo op Thursday afternoon in advance of a coronavirus briefing by public health experts to Biden and running mate Senator Kamala Harris. “President Trump today said that he opposes funding for the Postal Service, tying it to mail-in voting. “Pure Trump,” Biden said, as a staffer tried to hustle reporters from the room. “He doesn’t want an election,” Biden added, before the press left so he and Harris could be briefed.

MICHAEL Cohen has claimed President Donald Trump witnessed “golden showers in a sex club in Vegas” and accused him of "cheating" in the election - with help from Russia. In the book, written from Otisville Federal Prison, Cohen also admits he “ripped off” Trump’s business partners on his behalf. “Trump had colluded with the Russians, but not in the sophisticated ways imagined by his detractors,” Cohen said. Cohen also alleged that he “personally ran” a deal between Trump’s business interests and Russia. “He attempted to insinuate himself into the world of President Vladimir Putin and his coterie of corrupt billionaire oligarchs,” Cohen said.

Not the billionaire celebrity savior of the country or lying lunatic, not the tabloid tycoon or self-anointed Chosen One, not the avatar @realdonaldtrump of Twitter fame, but the real real Donald Trump—the man very, very, very few people know. If that sounds overly dramatic, consider the powers Trump possessed and imagine how you might feel if he threatened you personally. Trump’s theory of life, business and politics revolved around threats and the prospect of destruction—financial, electoral, personal, physical—as a weapon. I knew how he worked because I had frequently been the one screaming threats on his behalf as Trump’s fixer and designated thug. For weeks, walking the streets of Manhattan, I was convinced that someone was going to ram me with their car.

"Every single American should be wearing a mask when they're outside for the next three months at a minimum," Mr Biden said. "Wearing a mask is going to get our kids back to school sooner and safer." Download the new Independent Premium app Sharing the full story, not just the headlinesThe call came after Mr Biden and Ms Harris were briefed by health officials from several US health agencies. Mr Biden called on mask sceptics to consider their responsibility to others. Daily coronavirus briefing No hype, just the advice and analysis you need Enter your email address Continue Continue Please enter an email address Email address is invalid Fill out this field Email address is invalid Email already exists.

President Donald Trump says he has heard Democratic running mate Kamala Harris "doesn't qualify" to serve as US vice-president, amplifying a fringe legal theory critics decry as racist. Ms Harris was born to a Jamaican father and Indian mother in Oakland, California, on 20 October 1964. But a constitutional law professor has questioned her eligibility. For years, Mr Trump promoted a false "birther" theory that President Barack Obama was not born in the US.

Image copyright AFP Image caption JetBlue relaunched US commercial flights to Cuba in August 2016The US administration has suspended all private charter flights between the United States and Cuba, to increase economic pressure on Havana. The suspension of charter flights comes into force on 13 October, the birthday of the late Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro. Authorised US charter flights to Cuba for medical emergency purposes or for search and rescue will still be permitted. US commercial flights to Cuba resumed in August 2016 for the first time in more than 50 years. In May the US Transportation Department imposed a cap on charter flights to Cuba at 3,600 per year.

Harry and Meghan bought their dream California home from a Russian oligarch who allegedly threatened to chop up his wife. Miss Sulkess, 30, told the Daily Mail last night: 'I keep reading articles which say that Harry and Meghan have 'quietly' bought this house. AdvertisementThe stunning estate has everything Harry and Meghan and their son, Archie, one, could ever need. From Moscow, Miss Fedoseeva said last night: 'I am in fear of my life and the safety of my loved ones. Miss Sulkess, a former PA to the actress Kate Bosworth, had set up a film company, 12 Productions Limited, with Miss Fedoseeva and they were making a film together.

Joe Biden's campaign announced Thursday that it brought in $34.2 million in donor dollars since unveiling Sen. Kamala Harris as the vice presidential pick. Joe Biden's (left) campaign has brought in $34.2 million since announcing that Sen. Kamala Harris (right) would be his running mate on the Democratic ticketA man holds a homemade Biden-Harris sign outside Joe Biden and Kamala Harris' event Wednesday in Wilmington, Delaware. A little after 4 p.m. Tuesday the Biden campaign announced Harris as his running mate via a text message to the former vice president's supporters. In the days leading up to the announcement of Harris, Biden was suspected to have narrowed the field down to Harris, California Rep. Karen Bass and former U.N. Amb. He welcomed Harris and her husband Douglas Emhoff to the campaign as 'honorary Bidens' and spoke endearingly about his new running mate's friendship with his late son Beau.

President Donald Trump on Thursday hinted he could fire FBI director Christopher Wray over his claim the nation's top cop and his agency is covering up their role in the Russia probe. President Trump has repeatedly argued that then President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden ordered the investigation as the two were in the White House when it started. Horowitz report found that the decision the FBI made to investigate the campaign had not motivated by political bias. Durham, meanwhile, is completing a separate report into how the FBI's Russia investigation developed at the direction of Barr. It was eventually taken over by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, whose investigation cleared the Trump campaign of any collusion but came to no conclusion as to whether President Trump tried to hamper the special counsel's probe.

This week on the podcast:— The leaders of Russia and Turkey meet in Moscow on Thursday in a bid to de-escalate fighting in Syria which has brought the two countries to the brink of direct military confrontation. Financial Times Bureau Chief Henry Foy joins us in the studio to discuss what is at stake for both countries. The episode was recorded and edited at CM Records Studio in central Moscow. Read More:Russia’s Syria gamble under pressure as Turkey attacks in IdlibHawks say Sanders will be weak on Russia. But Putin should fear a President Bernie

The big picture: Black women especially, but also Black men, Hispanics and Democrats and independents across the board say they are more likely to vote for Biden with Harris on the ticket, according to a new Axios-SurveyMonkey poll. White men, white non-college-grads and 65+ voters are the least impressed with her addition to the ticket, the survey finds. This suggests those voters are relieved that Biden chose Harris rather than some of the other women Biden had considered. But Harris also is the least known, with 27% of respondents saying they don't yet know enough about her to form an opinion. Among just Democrats, her net favorable rating (+65) is about the same as Biden's (+67)White respondents overall said Harris makes them slightly less likely to vote for Biden (-7), but that includes Republican and independent voters who prefer Trump to Biden anyhow.

ADWashington is the latest example of cities where CBP deployed surveillance aircraft in the skies in recent months to monitor demonstrations. ADThe agency asked CBP to share live video feeds from the plane so the Secret Service could track protesters’ movements near the White House and around the city. “In support of its protective mission, the U.S. Secret Service routinely requests interagency support from federal partners through formal ‘request for assistance’ letters,” Milhoan said in a statement. In 2014, an injured Iraq War combat veteran was able to jump over the White House fence, get past multiple officers and run inside the White House. As the Secret Service began planning for the following weekend, officials reached out to CBP, the newly obtained records show.

(CNN) The Justice Department accused Yale University of discriminating against Asian American and White applicants in its undergraduate admissions process. "Yale rejects scores of Asian American and white applicants each year based on their race," disfavoring applicants from those races compared to African American applicants with similar academic credentials, the Justice Department alleged in a statement Thursday. The announcement, the culmination of a two-year civil rights investigation spurred by a complaint by Asian-American groups, represents the latest move by the Trump administration to undermine affirmative action policies that have bolstered diversity within higher education for decades. The school's admissions process, the Justice Department said, is a violation of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, and Yale must stop the use of race or national origin in its upcoming admissions cycle or get sign-off on a plan that continues to use it from the department, officials told the school. In a statement, a Yale spokeswoman said the school "categorically denies this allegation" and called it a "meritless" and "hasty" determination.

Trump quickly called on a different reporter for another question. President Donald Trump quickly moved past a reporter's question on whether he regretted lying throughout his first term in office at a press conference on Thursday. After Dáte clarified that he was referring to the lies Trump has told, the president quickly looked for a different reporter to call upon. In June 2020 alone, Trump made 721 false claims, according to The Post's roundup. In the past 14 months, he's made an average of 23 false claims a day, the newspaper reported.

Michael Cohen is moving forward with his tell-all memoir about President Donald Trump, weeks after a judge ruled that his being sent back to prison was a retaliatory act over the book. In the foreword, Cohen describes Trump as a "mob boss" who "wouldn’t mind if I was dead." According to Cohen, his history with Trump gives him unique insight into how the president thinks. Rather, Cohen writes Trump did collude with Russia, "but not in the sophisticated ways imaged by his detractors." Cohen was sent back to prison in Otisville, N.Y. after he refused the conditions of his home confinement.

Michael Cohen published a first look at his book about Donald Trump on Thursday, revealing several bombshell claims, including that he witnessed a 'golden showers' incident. In the first part of his book, which was published to DisloyalTheBook.com on Thursday afternoon, Cohen claimed that Trump has 'no real friends.' How Trump works: Trump’s theory of life, business and politics revolved around threats and the prospect of destruction—financial, electoral, personal, physical—as a weapon. Cohen says: 'Trump had colluded with the Russians, but not in the sophisticated ways imagined by his detractors. 'Favorable ruling yesterday by the Court as I am close to completion of my book…' Cohen wrote of Trump's niece Mary Trump being able to publish her critical book about her uncle.

Health authorities across the world have warned of its potentially lethal side effects. Across the globe, the story is the same: Federal and municipal governments, along with individual lawmakers, are promoting a variety of bogus cures and treatments for COVID-19. (The World Health Organization said that in June that three studies which claimed to show that ivermectin was effective as a coronavirus treatment were all highly flawed. Once world leaders couldn’t deny or pray the virus away anymore, the bogus cures started to boom. The global trade in denialism and bogus treatments hasn’t escaped the notice of the World Health Organization.

Moderate Republicans fretted over its potential to hurt their party’s image, while more conservative lawmakers carefully sought to harness its grass-roots energy. That is a description of the Tea Party movement, which emerged in 2009 from the right-wing fringes and proceeded to become a major, enduring force in American conservatism. But it could just as easily be a description of QAnon, the pro-Trump conspiracy theory that has emerged as a possible inheritor to the Tea Party’s mantle as the most potent grass-roots force in right-wing politics. Ms. Greene has publicly supported QAnon, appearing on QAnon shows and espousing the movement’s unfounded belief that President Trump is on the verge of breaking up a shadowy cabal of Satan-worshiping pedophiles. Other QAnon-affiliated candidates have won primaries at the federal and state level, though few in districts as conservative as Ms. Greene’s.

An important element of the deal for the UAE is the expectation that its citizens would be able to visit the Al-Aksa mosque in Jerusalem.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the deal “full, formal peace” with “one of the strongest countries in the world.”“Together we can bring a wonderful future. Trump put sovereignty into his peace plan because I asked for it,” Netanyahu said. “But in the first place I said again and again that we would only implement sovereignty in coordination with the US. The administration felt that the opportunity for Israel to normalize ties with the UAE was a “better choice.”“In the long term, this will solidify security,” one American official said. Annexation would be a bloody blow to the course of peace, which is why I oppose it now and would oppose it as president.”

(Reuters) - The U.S. government has for the first time seized vessels allegedly loaded with Iranian fuel in violation of sanctions imposed by the Trump administration, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, citing U.S. officials. U.S. prosecutors filed a lawsuit last month to seize the gasoline aboard four tankers that Iran is trying to ship to Venezuela, the latest attempt by the Trump administration to increase economic pressure on the two U.S. foes. The lawsuit aimed to stop the flow of revenues from oil sales to Iran, which Washington has sanctioned over its nuclear program, ballistic missiles, and influence across the Middle East. Tehran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. The report, citing one official, said the vessels had been taken over without the use of military force, but did not provide any details.

Unable to postpone the election he seems poised to lose, Donald Trump has been working to derail the mail-in voting many Americans will rely on to safely cast ballots this fall in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. The effort is astonishingly corrupt and anti-democratic, but it’s also pretty much all he’s got going for him in his uphill reelection campaign. The coronavirus crisis continues to roil the nation, and his attempts to play it down have been embarrassingly unconvincing. “It’s going to be going away,” Trump told Bartiromo Thursday. Meanwhile, he’s struggling to find a compelling argument against Kamala Harris, Joe Biden’s running mate, and has instead resorted to ugly racist and misogynistic attacks.

Five months since the World Health Organization declared coronavirus a pandemic, most wealthy nations have brought their health crises under relative control. According to Politico, the Trump administration is growing increasingly confident in their response—“feeling like they’re finally getting a handle on how to fight the disease,” the outlet reported Thursday. “President Trump has led a historic, whole-of-America coronavirus response,” deputy press secretary Sarah Matthews told the publication. “It’s going to be going away,” Trump told Fox Business. Last month, Mark Meadows, the White House chief of staff, called Dr. Anthony Fauci “irresponsible” for comparing the coronavirus pandemic to the Spanish flu.

This may not have been every girl’s dream wedding, but for the bride, Katie Waldman, it was perfect. Stephen, 34, and Katie, 28, had fallen in love—as young people do—while figuring out how to separate children from their parents at the border. Now, thanks to Katie, Stephen was officially off the market. No, this was the “perfect day,” Katie tweeted, and Stephen Miller, “the perfect man.”To those in the public who didn’t know much about the bride, the whole thing was amazing. Not only had Stephen found a human woman to marry, but Katie, as the pictures showed, was pretty, with a warm, vivacious smile.

In the less than 72 hours since Joe Biden chose Kamala Harris as his running mate, Fox News has unloaded on the California senator. (Trump later called Harris a “mad woman” when phoning into Fox Business on Thursday). Elsewhere on the network, others argued the opposite: that Harris was only chosen because she is a Black woman. She checks all the boxes for the left, so I think she’s going to be a net plus for him.” Another Fox News guest, Leo Terrell, deployed the same line. “Kamala Harris was selected for two reasons: because she’s a woman and because of her race,” he said.

When Joe Biden chose Kamala Harris as his history-making running mate, Donald Trump wasted no time in drafting a response, labelling the senator “phony and nasty.” Given the president’s rhetorical flourishes, Trumpworld’s response to Harris was always going to be toxic. But it reached a new tenor just the second day after her candidacy was announced, with Trump campaign legal advisor Jenna Ellis floating the conspiracy theory that Harris was not born in the United States. “It’s an open question, and one I think Harris should answer so the American people know for sure she is eligible,” she told ABC News. (It is not an open question; Harris was born in Oakland, California.) More even than Trump, though, the conversation around Harris will be shaped by how the media analyzes criticism directed at her.

We hate to break this to his ardent supporters, but:Kanye West is not actually running for President. He, quite literally, has no path to 270 electoral votes and, just as a matter of fact, cannot amass the number of votes needed to defeat Joe Biden and Donald Trump. Instead, at this point, it seems impossible to deny that Kanye is running purely to take away votes from Biden and make sure that his good pal, Trump, is re-elected. According to a new article in Forbes, West talks on a near-daily basis to Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and an official White House advisor. This has prompted speculation that the artist is trying to siphon Black votes from Biden to assist Trump.

While some of the world’s greatest minds are constantly plagued by self-doubt, there is at least one person who spends each day ensconced in masturbatory kudos: President Donald J. Trump. Very poor morning TV ratings for MSDNC’s Morning Joe, headed by a complete Psycho named Joe Scarborough and his ditzy airhead wife, Mika, and also @CNN, headed by complete unknowns. Congratulations to @foxandfriends on dominating the mornings (thank you President Trump!). By now, the president thanking himself in the third person has become a fairly common occurrence. Whatever the reason, Trump does tend to slip some self-gratitude into a significant number of his tweets.

Last week, President Trump escalated his crusade against popular apps TikTok and WeChat, issuing orders that will ban the apps in the United States if they’re not sold by their Chinese-owned parent companies within 45 days. While TikTok parent ByteDance is in talks for a $50 billion sale to Microsoft, WeChat is a different beast. It’s a crucial marketing platform for U.S. companies, whose business could suffer if their pipeline into the world’s second-biggest economy is cut off. All feared losing access to the lucrative China market if they could no longer advertise or accept payments through WeChat. And some U.S. companies within the sports and entertainment industry are worried the WeChat ban could hurt partnerships with Tencent’s other arms.

First, over the weekend we learned that Twitter is supposedly interested in acquiring TikTok. Also, Twitter's market cap is roughly $30 billion, on a good day. There is almost no chance, however, that Twitter could outbid Microsoft, whose market cap is north of $1.5 trillion. The thing that makes TikTok so desirable is that it has the most valuable of assets: a large and engaged audience. Though the companies pursuing TikTok may value that audience for different reasons, make no mistake, they're after the audience, not the dance videos.

However, to me this feels like a sell-off of the “healthy correction in a bull market” variety. Gold is priced in dollars and so they have an inverse relationship; a fall in the dollar makes gold cheaper in other currencies. Livermore concludes: “In a bull market your game is to buy and hold until you believe that the bull market is near its end”. The euro in particular looks like it’s begun a new bull market against the dollar. It all says this bull market is young and points to higher prices down the road.

It's a dramatic spike in fears about voting from the 2018 midterm election when only 15% of voters said they anticipated difficulties. But a majority of Biden supporters, 58%, said they prefer to vote by mail in the presidential election. In a sign of the high stakes for Democrats, the poll found Biden supporters would be far more "angry" if their candidate loses. Sixty-one percent of Biden supporters said they would be "angry" if their candidate loses, compared with 37% of Trump supporters who said they would be "angry" if Trump loses. Thirty-seven percent of Biden supporters said they would be "disappointed" if Biden lost while 59% of Trump supporters said they would be "disappointed."

Michael BalsamoThe Associated PressWASHINGTON (AP) — A Justice Department investigation has found Yale University is illegally discriminating against Asian American and white applicants, in violation of federal civil rights law, officials said Thursday. The Justice Department had previously filed court papers siding with Asian American groups who had levied similar allegations against Harvard University. The two-year investigation concluded that Yale “rejects scores of Asian American and white applicants each year based on their race, whom it otherwise would admit,” the Justice Department said. And it's perfectly legalThe Justice Department has demanded that Yale immediately stop and agree not to use race or national origin for upcoming admissions. In the Harvard case, the Justice Department had argued that the university went too far in its use of race, but the judge disagreed.

Mental health struggles are rising. Coronavirus is taking a toll on our mental healthThe COVID-19 pandemic is having a big impact on the mental health of Americans amid economic uncertainty, increasing isolation and the fear of health risks. More than 40% of respondents in the survey reported an adverse mental health condition and 11% reported having seriously considered suicide. Real quickOne injured after bullet rips into US Air Force helicopter over VirginiaA U.S. Air Force helicopter on a routine training mission was shot at in Virginia on Monday, causing an injury to one of the craft's crew members. The Air Force UH-1N Huey helicopter was about 1,000 feet above ground and heading for the Manassas Regional Airport when it was struck by a bullet, an Air Force official said.

The employees' legal challenge to Trump's executive order will be separate from a pending lawsuit from the company that owns the app, though both will argue that the order is unconstitutional, said Mike Godwin, an internet policy lawyer representing the employees. The order would prohibit "any transaction by any person" with TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance. The looming ban has annoyed TikTok users, some of them Trump supporters like Pam Graef of Metairie, Louisiana. She said Trump won't lose her vote over this, but she doesn't understand all the fuss about the app's Chinese ownership. Godwin said the employees' legal challenge will be focused on worker rights, not on the national security claims underlying Trump's order.

WASHINGTON—President Trump picked a White House adviser and former banker to serve as one of five commissioners at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the agency that regulates the nation’s vast derivatives markets. Mr. Trump nominated Robert Benedict Bowes, a senior adviser on health and insurance in the White House Office of Personnel Management, to a five-year term at the CFTC. Mr. Bowes would replace outgoing Republican commissioner Brian D. Quintenz, who said earlier this year that he plans to step down by the end...

In a major escalation of the Trump administration’s effort to challenge race-based admissions policies at elite universities, the Justice Department on Thursday accused Yale University of discriminating against Asian-American and white applicants, violating civil rights law. The finding came after a two-year investigation, the department said. It marked the second time that the administration has sought to curtail the use of affirmative action by an Ivy League school, after it publicly backed Asian-American students in 2018 who accused Harvard in a lawsuit of systematically discriminating against them. “There is no such thing as a nice form of race discrimination,” Eric Dreiband, the assistant attorney general for the civil rights division, said in a statement announcing the department’s move against Yale. Some conservative groups have long opposed the practice, and a handful of states have banned affirmative action policies at public universities.

It been more than four months since Uncle Sam doled out $1,200 stimulus checks to help Americans cope with the crippling effects of COVID-19 on the US economy. With cases continuing to surge across the country and millions of Americans still out of work, lawmakers are in discussions for a second round of checks. Here’s everything we know so far about the potential for another round of checks:Democrats and Republicans agree the checks are necessaryLeaders from both parties agree that Americans are hurting and in need of financial assistance. Senate Republicans unveiled a proposal for about $1 trillion in stimulus spending. Democrats also want non-citizens with IRS-issued taxpayer numbers to be eligible for stimulus checks, a proposal that has been a non-starter with Republicans.

Yes, Trump supporters are more fervent in their support — but they’re no more likely to say they will certainly stick with Trump. Only a fifth of Trump supporters say that it’s Biden driving their support for the president. If Biden wins, three-quarters of Biden supporters say they’ll feel relieved as opposed to excited. Only a bit over a third of Trump supporters say they’d be angry. Six-in-10 Biden supporters say they’d be angry.

Shannon Bream, host of FOX News @ Night on the FOX News Channel returns with a new "Livin' the Bream" podcast. This week, Shannon sits down with Madeleine Westerhout, former Personal Secretary to President Trump and former Director of Oval Office Operations. Madeleine discusses her new book, Off The Record: My Dream Job at the White House, How I Lost It, and What I Learned. Madeleine explains the lapse of judgement that cost her the job at the White House, the journey she had to take in forgiving herself, and how working for President Trump changed her perception of him as a leader. Follow Shannon on Twitter: @ShannonBream

Presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden slammed President Trump on Thursday after the president announced he opposed funding for the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) in the latest economic stimulus package. “But if they don't get those two items, that means you can't have universal mail-in voting because they're not equipped to have it," he added. The majority of the country, including 34 states and 120 million voters are allowed to request mail-in voting ballots. Postal Service.

Graham’s comments come amid several congressional probes into the origins of the Russia investigation, and as Durham conducts a similar investigation. Earlier this week, Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Chairman Ron Johnson, R-Wis., subpoenaed the FBI and Wray for documents related to his panel's Russia probe. “Bill Barr can go down as the greatest attorney general in the history of our country, or he can go down as an average guy," Trump said. The president said the probe will lead investigators to the top of the former Democratic adminsistraion. Last month, Graham said he “absolutely” will call former FBI Director James Comey and former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe to testify before his panel as part of its ongoing investigation into the origins of the Russia probe.

Presumptive Democratic vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris does not appear to have “any core convictions,” former House Oversight Committee Chair Trey Gowdy told “Outnumbered Overtime” Thursday. “The American people will allow you to change your mind,” Gowdy told host Harris Faulkner. But Harris, six months ago, she thought she would make a better president than Joe Biden." KAMALA HARRIS’ FLIP-FLOPS BACK UNDER A MICROSCOPE AFTER VP SELECTION“It just instructs this notion that she doesn’t have any core convictions aside from her personal ambition," Gowdy said. "Six months ago, she believed [Kavanaugh accuser] Dr. Christine Blasey Ford before she ever opened her mouth.

Polling on the 2020 presidential race is even more off-base than it was in 2016, Lara Trump, President Trump's daughter-in-law and campaign adviser, told "Bill Hemmer Reports" Thursday. The current RealClearPolitics polling average shows presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden leading Trump in the battleground state of Pennsylvania by 6.4%. Nationally, the RealClearPolitics polling average has Biden leading Trump by 7.5%"It is not even called the silent majority anymore ... it's called the silenced majority," Lara Trump told host John Roberts. As you in remember 2016, the polls were very, very inaccurate when it came to President Trump," she added. Both Biden and his running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., are "empty vessels" for a far-left agenda, Lara Trump argued.

Trump rejects Biden's call for national mask mandate, yet urges Americans to wear themPresident Donald Trump rejected former Vice President Joe Biden's call for a national mask mandate during a press briefing at the White House on Thursday.

President Donald Trump holds a press briefing on Thursday as his rival, presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden, calls for a nationwide mask mandate in order to combat the raging coronavirus pandemic. "Every single American should be wearing a mask when they're outside for the next three months at a minimum," Biden said at a press appearance in Wilmington, Delaware. "Every governor should mandate mandatory mask wearing, the estimates by the experts are that it will save over 40,000 lives in the next three months. Meanwhile, the latest coronavirus relief bill remains stalled in Congress. Over the weekend Trump signed four executive orders that extend unemployment benefits, provide a payroll tax holiday, defer student loan payments through 2020 and extend federal eviction protections.

The Senate is officially adjourned through Labor Day despite not coming to an agreement on its next coronavirus stimulus package. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said the two sides would not strike a deal until Republicans added $1 trillion in aid to their bill. Meanwhile, around 28 million Americans remain unemployed and many of the relief provisions from the first stimulus package have dried up. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said that if some kind of deal is reached while the Senate is on recess, members will return to Washington, D.C. for a vote. As the Senate breaks, here's where things stand on various stimulus issues.

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Middle East analysts and commentators described the Israel- United Arab Emirates deal as - variously - a groundbreaking and historic accord, or a face saving announcement for leaders seeking a way out of their problems. A man takes a picture as the municipality building is lit in the United Arab Emirates national flag following the announcement of a deal to normalise relations between the Jewish state and the United Arab Emirates, in Tel Aviv, Israel August 13, 2020. May you never be sold out by your “friends.”- Aaron David Miller, senior Fellow at Carnegie Endowment, to Reuters via email: (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) “Netanyahu, UAE, and Trump Administration are making a virtue out of necessity. “Netanyahu said the annexation plan was still on the table,” he wrote on Facebook. A full normalization of ties between the UAE and Israel in return for freezing the annexation plan and not for cancelling it.”

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Middle East analysts and commentators described the Israel- United Arab Emirates deal as - variously - a groundbreaking and historic accord, or a face saving announcement for leaders seeking a way out of their problems. May you never be sold out by your “friends.”- Aaron David Miller, senior Fellow at Carnegie Endowment, to Reuters via email: (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) “Netanyahu, UAE, and Trump Administration are making a virtue out of necessity. Israel is looking beyond the bilateral dimension of this accord. “Netanyahu said the annexation plan was still on the table,” he wrote on Facebook. A full normalization of ties between the UAE and Israel in return for freezing the annexation plan and not for cancelling it.”

FILE PHOTO: Professor Angela Davis speaks at a rally calling on Congress to censure President Donald Trump on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., April 30, 2019. “We can’t forget that she did not oppose the death penalty and we can’t forget some of the real problems that are associated with her career as a prosecutor,” said Davis, referring to Harris’ role as California’s attorney general. “But... it’s a feminist approach to be able to work with those contradictions. “I think it makes the ticket a lot more palatable, that’s for sure,” Davis said. Davis, a Black American, was a social activist in the 1960s who was sacked from her post as a philosophy professor at UCLA for being a Communist.

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Chinese tech giant ByteDance censored content it perceived as critical of the Chinese government on its news aggregator app in Indonesia from 2018 to mid-2020, six people with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters. Logos of Bytedance, the China-based company which owns the short video app TikTok, or Douyin, are seen on a strap of an employee card, in Beijing, China August 13, 2020. REUTERS/Tingshu WangThe sources said that local moderators were instructed by a team from ByteDance’s Beijing headquarters to delete articles seen as “negative” about Chinese authorities on the Baca Berita (BaBe) app. “If ByteDance will censor BaBe in Indonesia, what’s to stop it from censoring TikTok in the United States?” Hawley said, when asked to comment on the Reuters story. ByteDance bought Indonesian news aggregator BaBe in 2018 after TikTok was briefly banned in the country for showing “pornography, inappropriate content and blasphemy”, according to officials.

LUBBOCK, Texas (Reuters) - Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Thursday sought to reassure parents he is doing all he can to keep students safe as most schools in the state prepare to reopen next week. How Abbott handles the pandemic and the reopening of schools could have a big impact on how voters cast ballots in November. Abbott defended his mandate giving local school boards the right to determine if and when schools reopen, curbing the power of local health officials to intervene and order schools closed if COVID-19 outbreaks occur. The Texas governor said schools are ready and argued that in-person classes would not be a significant spreader of the virus if schools follow basic safety precautions. “The ways that COVID-19 will most likely spread in the school setting is in gatherings after school is over,” Abbott told a press conference after meeting with local authorities in Lubbock.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration on Thursday rolled back regulations aimed at reducing emissions of the potent greenhouse gas methane from oil and gas operations, its latest move to unwind environmental rules ahead of November’s presidential election. Recent scientific reports highlight the major role methane emissions play in worsening climate change. hereThe new rules remove methane control requirements for the production and processing of oil and natural gas as well as curbs on emissions from transmission and storage. The EPA retained a rule issued in 2012 that limits volatile organic compounds that cause smog, which it says already reduces methane emissions. “But we understand that this rule has drawn diverse viewpoints across our industry.”The API said existing VOC regulations have led to methane emissions falling 60% from 2011-2018.

FILE PHOTO: A woman holds a small bottle labeled with a "Vaccine COVID-19" sticker and a medical syringe in this illustration taken April 10, 2020. U.S. late-stage vaccine trials launched so far aim to recruit up to 30,000 people. President Donald Trump said last week it was possible the United States would have a coronavirus vaccine before the Nov. 3 election, a more optimistic forecast on timing than anything suggested by his own White House health experts. The U.S. government has helped finance the development of several vaccines and therapies through the program aimed at accelerating access to medicines to fight COVID-19. U.S. public health officials last month charged a group of independent scientists and ethicists with developing guidelines to determine who should get the first doses of a vaccine, once one becomes available.

LUBBOCK, Texas (Reuters) - Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Thursday sought to reassure parents he is doing all he can to keep students safe as most schools in the state prepare to reopen next week. How Abbott handles the pandemic and the reopening of schools could have a big impact on how voters cast ballots in November. Abbott defended his mandate giving local school boards the right to determine if and when schools reopen, curbing the power of local health officials to intervene and order schools closed if COVID-19 outbreaks occur. The Texas governor said schools are ready and argued that in-person classes would not be a significant spreader of the virus if schools follow basic safety precautions. “The ways that COVID-19 will most likely spread in the school setting is in gatherings after school is over,” Abbott told a press conference after meeting with local authorities in Lubbock.

A Yale spokesperson said DOJ reached its determination before allowing the university to provide all information it had requested. “Had the Department fully received and fairly weighed this information, it would have concluded that Yale’s practices absolutely comply with decades of Supreme Court precedent,” university spokesperson Karen Peart said in a statement. “We are proud of Yale’s admissions practices, and we will not change them on the basis of such a meritless, hasty accusation." Key context: The initial investigation, by both the departments of Justice and Education, stems from a 2016 complaint the Asian American Coalition for Education filed against Yale, Brown and Dartmouth. What's next: The affirmative action case is widely considered to be the Supreme Court’s next opening to potentially ban the policy.

But it’s Wuco’s time hosting “The Frank Wuco Show” from 2011 to 2013 that has gotten most of the attention. Earlier in his career, Wuco also worked as an adviser to parts of the military about how Islamic terrorists thought. As part of that, he created a jihadist alter-ego named “Fuad Wasul,” an identity he used to dress up in Islamic garb. From September 2017 to April 2019, she was deputy director of congressional and public affairs at the Farm Credit Administration. Members of CEO Pack’s senior leadership team have never even met the people who are lodging attacks against them.

* Pandemic: "Officials across the United States reported at least 1,470 deaths on Wednesday, the highest single-day total yet in August, according to a New York Times database, and a reflection of the continued toll of the early-summer case surge in Sun Belt states." * Belarus: "On Thursday, thousands of women, many dressed in white and carrying flowers, turned out in the streets across Belarus for a second day of protests. They're reacting to a violent crackdown on anti-government demonstrations triggered by a weekend election widely viewed as fraudulent." * This sounds quite a bit like what Trump asked for: "The U.S. is cutting back on coronavirus testing. Nationally, the number of tests performed each day is about 17% lower than it was at the end of July, and testing is also declining in hard-hit states."

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Justice Department investigation has found Yale University is illegally discriminating against Asian American and white applicants, in violation of federal civil rights law, officials said Thursday. The Justice Department had previously filed court papers siding with Asian American groups who had levied similar allegations against Harvard University. The two-year investigation concluded that Yale “rejects scores of Asian American and white applicants each year based on their race, whom it otherwise would admit,” the Justice Department said. “Yale’s race discrimination imposes undue and unlawful penalties on racially-disfavored applicants, including in particular Asian American and White applicants,” Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband, who heads the department’s civil rights division, wrote in a letter to the college’s attorneys. The Justice Department has demanded that Yale immediately stop and agree not to use race or national origin for upcoming admissions.

Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Robert Redfield, speaks during a White House Coronavirus Task Force briefing at the Department of Education, in Washington on July 8, 2020. Trump on Wednesday said he would furnish 125 million reusable masks to school districts, while continuing to push for in-person classes after previously threatening to slash federal funding for those districts that fail to reopen. Full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak"We got to open up," Trump said during a White House briefing. "We got to open up our schools and open up our businesses. Redfield, however, remains hopeful that potential vaccines that have shown promise in early trials will become available by the late fall or early winter.

(AP) — Louisiana will accept President Donald Trump’s partial extension of federal unemployment aid amid the coronavirus pandemic , though without increasing the state’s payout to jobless workers, Gov. The state has submitted its paperwork to federal officials to provide an extra $300 in weekly federal unemployment benefits to Louisiana’s residents. That will boost the maximum unemployment benefits available in Louisiana to $547 a week, with the state and federal payments combined, once the federal dollars start flowing to the state. But Edwards said the $300 federal unemployment payments will be retroactive to Aug. 1. Congress approved $600 weekly federal unemployment payments, on top of what states pay in unemployment assistance, but that enhanced benefit expired at the end of July.

The Trump administration has for the first time confiscated vessels allegedly loaded with Iranian fuel in violation of sanctions, U.S. officials said, as it steps up its campaign of maximum pressure against Tehran. Last month, U.S. federal prosecutors filed suit to seize four tankers’ worth of gasoline Iran was sailing to Venezuela, the latest salvo in the administration’s effort to stifle flows of goods and money that are helping to keep two of its top foes in power.

WASHINGTON—President Trump picked a White House adviser and former banker to serve as one of five commissioners at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the agency that regulates the nation’s vast derivatives markets. Mr. Trump nominated Robert Benedict Bowes, a senior adviser on health and insurance in the White House Office of Personnel Management, to a five-year term at the CFTC. Mr. Bowes would replace outgoing Republican commissioner Brian D. Quintenz, who said earlier this year that he plans to step down by the end of October. If Mr. Quintenz, whose statutory term ended in April, departs before a replacement is confirmed by the Senate, the commission would be split evenly between Republicans and Democrats. Mr. Bowes holds a bachelor’s degree in finance and economics from Indiana University, the White House said.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Even before last week’s intelligence assessment on foreign election interference, Republican Sen. Ron Johnson was facing criticism from Democrats that his investigation of presidential candidate Joe Biden and Ukraine was politically motivated and advancing Russian interests. Johnson suggested he was not willing to unequivocally trust the assessment without seeing the underlying intelligence. Evanina said Russia disapproved of Biden because of his role in shaping Obama administration policies supporting Ukraine and opposing Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Johnson, meanwhile, announced this week a subpoena for the FBI for documents in its investigation into the Trump campaign and Russia. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a Trump ally and chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has for months scrutinized the Russia investigation.

But lingering questions about fiscal stimulus for an economy that is still reeling from the effects of the pandemic, held bullish investors in check. That fiscal stimulus is super important.”Jaffee, herself a value investor, is carefully watching the market’s attempt to rotate toward value stocks. “We had one of the longest economic recoveries in a generation but investors never really believed in it. “The equity market, in the U.S. and elsewhere is taking comfort from the fact that economic data show resilience to spikes in virus infections. And while the number of U.S. cases has remained high, investors appeared to focus instead on a slowdown in the number of new infections.

Epic Games filed a lawsuit against Apple after the iPhone maker removed its popular Fortnite title from its App Store because it violated its policies regarding in-app payments. Earlier Thursday, closely held Epic launched a payment system that bypasses the fees Apple and Google charge developers to place apps in their respective stores. It only launched Fortnite on Google Play this year. Apple said it would make every effort to work with Epic to resolve the issue and return Fortnite to the store. Epic has been thrust into the geopolitical turmoil between the U.S. and China because Chinese tech company Tencent Holdings owns a 40% stake.

That’s a boiled-down reason why a recent spectacular run in Indian pharmaceutical stocks will likely fizzle out. Companies like Sun Pharmaceutical Industries (ticker: 524715.India), Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories (RDY), Divi’s Laboratories (532488.India), and Cipla (500087.India) have turned India into the world’s generic drugs powerhouse. More importantly, pharmaceutical multinationals will move to cut their dependence on China and diversify, Pasupuleti predicts. “This is the China Plus One theme.” Dalton is still being selective in its Indian pharma bets. That should bring the Indian pharma stocks back to back to earth.

Trump also claimed anew — falsely — that Democrats were pushing for universal mail-in voting and predicted without providing evidence that mail-in voting would lead to massive voter fraud in the November election. Key Words: Trump blasts Democratic demands for postal-service money, saying mail-in voting would be ‘fraudulent’Biden, responding during a meeting in Delaware on the coronavirus, told reporters the comments were, “Pure Trump. That figure, which would include money to help with election mail, is down from a $25 billion plan in a House-passed coronavirus measure. Judy Beard, legislative and political director for the American Postal Workers Union, said postal workers are up to the task of delivering mail-in ballots this year. Postal Service to hinder Americans from voting.

"Stop playing politics with the virus," Trump said. Biden wants to "mandate to law-abiding citizens to order over 300 million American citizens to wear a mask... Trump referred to a further call by Biden to increase social-distancing measures and enforce lockdowns as "unscientific" and regressive." Trump also suggested that Biden's proposal for mask-wearing isn't one that a U.S. president can unilaterally institute or enforce. He said instead of a broad rule he has "urged Americans to wear a mask and we have emphasized that this is a patriotic thing to do."

That’s a boiled-down reason why a recent spectacular run in Indian pharmaceutical stocks will likely fizzle out. Companies like Sun Pharmaceutical Industries (ticker: 524715.India), Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories (RDY), Divi’s Laboratories (532488.India), and Cipla (500087.India) have turned India into the world’s generic drugs powerhouse. More importantly, pharmaceutical multinationals will move to cut their dependence on China and diversify, Pasupuleti predicts. “This is the China Plus One theme.” Dalton is still being selective in its Indian pharma bets. That should bring the Indian pharma stocks back to back to earth.

Text sizeEpic Games filed a lawsuit against Apple after the iPhone maker removed its popular Fortnite title from its App Store because it violated its policies regarding in-app payments. Earlier Thursday, closely held Epic launched a payment system that bypasses the fees Apple and Google charge developers to place apps in their respective stores. It only launched Fortnite on Google Play this year. Apple said it would make every effort to work with Epic to resolve the issue and return Fortnite to the store. Epic has been thrust into the geopolitical turmoil between the U.S. and China because Chinese tech company Tencent Holdings owns a 40% stake.

President Donald Trump’s campaign sent out an eyebrow-raising email on Wednesday attacking Sen. Kamala Harris, who was just selected by Democrat Joe Biden to be his 2020 running mate. The subject line was “Kamala is HORRIBLE” and calls her “the meanest, most horrible, most disrespectful,” among other things. Latest Trump email on Kamala Harris pic.twitter.com/64WQaBusqJ — Steadman™ (@AsteadWesley) August 13, 2020“I cannot believe Joe Biden would pick her as his running mate,” the message continued. It opens: "Kamala Harris is the meanest, most horrible, most disgraceful, MOST LIBERAL of anyone in the U.S. Senate..." Good to see the campaign is off to such a civil start! All the history you have to work with and you come up with Sleepy Joe and this desperate email.

A former top federal student loan official in the Trump administration says that the system he oversaw needs to be abolished and replaced. A. Wayne Johnson, who is now running as a Republican for a Senate seat in Georgia after resigning in November 2019, wrote a letter urging the Senate to consider key reforms to the student loan machinery amid stimulus package negotiations amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. (Credit: A. Wayne Johnson) More‘The American Dream ... turned into a Great American Nightmare’Although there are signs of the economy getting back on its feet, as the number of new unemployment insurance claims dip below 1 million, many borrowers are still holding substantial levels of student loan debt. Johnson’s suggestion of easing bankruptcy laws may help those struggling financially to file for a bankruptcy discharge more easily, given that the current process is complex. His suggestion to expunge student loan information from credit bureaus may be welcomed by consumer advocates.

Kamala Harris’s unsparing questioning of Brett Kavanaugh when the then D.C. And now that Harris is the presumptive Democratic nominee for vice president, Trump has repeatedly attacked her approach to the Kavanaugh hearings. “She was extraordinarily nasty to Kavanaugh — Judge Kavanaugh then, now Justice Kavanaugh,” Trump told reporters on Tuesday during a briefing at the White House, not long after Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, announced Harris as his running mate. She was the angriest of the group, and they were all angry.”Sen. Kamala Harris during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh responds to a question from Harris as he testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

WASHINGTON — Kamala Harris didn't wait long to test out her new role as lead attacker for Joe Biden's presidential campaign. As part of a series of callbacks to his two-term tenure as President Barack Obama's vice president, he consolidated their "hope and change" promise into a one-word explanation of how the Biden-Harris campaign defines America: "possibilities." The balance Harris must strike — and one supporters say she's capable of finding — is hammering Trump while helping Biden with two tasks key to his electoral prospects: mobilizing Black voters and persuading suburban women of all backgrounds to pick him over Trump. Tavia Galonski, a Democratic state representative in Ohio, said Harris connects well with suburban voters, particularly women who identify with her. Harris acknowledged the protests in a passage in her speech that served the dual purpose of commending coalition politics and slamming Trump.

Joe Biden and his new running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), held their first joint appearance Wednesday at a Delaware high school, Stephen Colbert said on Wednesday's Late Show. He found Biden's line that "whining is what Donald Trump does best" a bit unfair. Oddly, "one person Trump thinks Harris was particularly 'nasty' to is her new running mate." "I mean of all people, Donald Trump should totally understand how you can be with a woman who's publicly humiliated you." The Late Late Show's James Corden showed Harris slamming Trump at her joint event with Biden.

Joseph Williams, a Black south sider, father of five and community organizer, found himself at a nexus on Sunday when he saw a crowd gathering in his neighborhood after the latest police shooting. Then they put him in the police car like he was the one that did something wrong,” Williams told the Guardian. “When you look at how the system was built, it was never built for our communities to really be successful. Since March, Chicago’s unemployment rate has grown to 15.6%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. “If there is going to be one Chicago, make it one Chicago,” he said.

In the weeks since President Donald Trump put schools at the center of his push to jump-start the economy, hundreds of districts have reversed course on plans to reopen classrooms. Indeed, as the president has pushed for schools to reopen, key constituencies — parents and educators — have largely moved in the other direction. A recent Washington Post poll found that parents disapprove of Trump’s handling of school reopening by a two-thirds majority. But even conservatives who said they agreed with the president’s focus on reopening schools say he has been a poor spokesman for the cause. Swieciki has filed for a medical exemption that he hopes will allow him to work from home if the city’s schools reopen for in-person instruction in September.

The European Union said Thursday that the Trump administration’s decision to maintain 15% tariffs on Airbus aircraft and 25% tariffs on other European goods did not worsen the now 16-year long trade dispute with Boeing, as both sides seek to put an end to over a decade of political grandstanding. Continue Reading Below“The Commission acknowledges the decision of the US not to exacerbate the ongoing aircraft dispute by increasing tariffs on European products,” a European Commission spokesperson said in a statement, according to Reuters. The statement added that putting an end to the row now was crucial, as the aviation has suffered a severe downturn amid the coronavirus pandemic. Lighthizer said existing 15% tariffs on Airbus aircraft and 25% tariffs on other European goods would stay in place, as the EU has not taken enough action to come into compliance with the World Trade Organization. “Airbus profoundly regrets that, despite Europe’s recent actions to achieve full compliance, USTR has decided to maintain tariffs on Airbus aircraft — especially at a time when aviation and other sectors are going through an unprecedented crisis,” Airbus spokesman Clay McConnell said in a statement.

As a confirmed stimulus deal has lagged behind the expected deadline, President Trump has said he believes the delay comes from the Democratic Party pushing for funding for mail-in voting, and has vowed to block funding for it. Yahoo Finance’s Jess Smith and Rick Newman join The Final Round to discuss the details.

U.S.-China trade talks will likely resume this weekend with discussions of lower tariffs and President Trump's order effectively banning TikTok, Former Deputy National Security Adviser KT McFarland told Fox Business Network's “Varney & Co.”Continue Reading Below“First, it will be about the phase one trade deal that the United States and China agreed to [in January],” she said. “The tariff war was merely Trump ... saying, ‘Ok, now we have equal tariffs. Let's get the tariffs back down so that it's reciprocal.’”GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HEREMcFarland added that talks will include a “tough” conversation about Trump’s ban of TikTok and WeChat, which is due to take effect in September. “China bans Google, Facebook, WeChat, so they already ban us there. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS

Former acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell on Thursday said that presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden and running mate Kamala Harris wanted to make Washington D.C. the “capital of the world” when it comes to how U.S. money is spent abroad. Continue Reading Below“The clear fact is that the Biden/Harris team want Washington to be the capital of the world and Donald Trump wants Washington to be the capital of the United States and fight for the American people,” Grenell, a former U.S. ambassador to Germany, said on “Cavuto: Coast to Coast.”BIDEN TWEETS THAT OBAMA WH LEFT TRUMP 'PLAYBOOK' ON PANDEMICS, GRENELL RESPONDSGrenell was drawing a contrast between the Trump administration’s “America First” approach to international issues and the more internationalist approach carried out by the Obama administration and that he believes will continue under a potential Biden administration. He said that that applies not only to relations, but also how taxpayer money is spent. “We should be clear we will always help but we will always have strings,” he said. GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE“Germany is the largest economy in Europe, it has a surplus, maybe we shouldnt be footing the bill for the Germans when they're not paying their bill at NATO,” he said.

President Trump plans to implement a payroll tax cut, and potentially eliminate the levy, which he said will save families a meaningful amount of money. If Trump wins reelection, he said he will have those obligations forgiven entirely, essentially rendering the policy a payroll tax cut. On Wednesday, he went a step further adding that he would eliminate the payroll tax entirely next year if he is still president. TRUMP’S PAYROLL TAX HOLIDAY WON’T HURT SOCIAL SECURITY, MNUCHIN SAYSThe payroll tax is paid separately from federal income taxes and funds Social Security and Medicare. Trump has proposed implementing payroll tax deferrals for employees whose biweekly wages are less than $4,000, on a pre-tax basis.

The United States Postal Service has possibly never been more important, or more embattled. Two days later, he said he wasn’t sure the postal service had “enough time” to handle an influx of election mail. The delays at the postal service have led to widespread concerns that critical election mail will arrive late, disenfranchising voters. The postal service has traditionally treated election mail with priority, even if it’s not sent first class. But USPS General Counsel Thomas Marshall implied in letters to election officials that marketing mail delivery standards would be enforced for election mail.

A Justice Department investigation has found Yale University is illegally discriminating against Asian American and white applicants, in violation of federal civil rights law, officials said Thursday. The Justice Department had previously filed court papers siding with Asian American groups who had levied similar allegations against Harvard University. The two-year investigation concluded that Yale “rejects scores of Asian American and white applicants each year based on their race, whom it otherwise would admit,” the Justice Department said. Advertisement“Yale’s race discrimination imposes undue and unlawful penalties on racially-disfavored applicants, including in particular Asian American and White applicants,” Assistant Atty. The Justice Department has demanded that Yale immediately stop and agree not to use race or national origin for upcoming admissions.

The hub is Facebook’s latest push to expand access to voting information ahead of the 2020 election. Election Day is Nov. 3, but mail-in voting and early voting will be possible for weeks sooner. Trump routinely condemns voting by mail, falsely labeling it as corrupt, in a relentless attempt to politicize the method. “It really was not a political decision, to be honest,” said Emily Dalton Smith, the head of social impact at Facebook. It just came from the principle of what is right for our community.”Trump frequently uses his Facebook page, where he has 28.7 million followers, to falsely attack voting by mail.

For so many women, especially Black women, these personal attacks on Harris’s sanity, temperament, and character land with familiar pain. It’s a racist American playbook always kept handy to puff up white supremacy and, if the target is a woman, white male supremacy. For weeks, Harris was roasted for her political ambition, because only in women is ambition regarded as a character flaw. The president is especially unnerved by fierce Black women, and he reserves for them a particular enmity. And he will soon learn that in a nation designed to break Black women, we’ve forged our spines with steel.

AdvertisementAnd Harris has already begun her point-by-point prosecution of the incumbent president, a role traditionally left to vice-presidential candidates and one for which Harris is uniquely suited. He has called Harris “nasty” any number of times, this week adding that she’d be a “disaster” for the Democrats, and in an interview on Fox Business Network he called Harris “sort of a madwoman,” insisting, all facts to the contrary, that during the Kavanaugh hearings she was “the angriest” of his questioners. Meanwhile, Harris, in her Wilmington debut, struck an upbeat tone, reaching out to those she called “the heroes of our time. But Harris has a long, proud history of not shying away from a good fight. She also has the tenacity and the street smarts to make this a very good fight indeed.

When he took the job a month ago, manager Bill Stepien stated, “our goal is clear — to win each day we have left until election day. If you look back on it, there wasn’t a single day that President Trump “won” over his Democratic opponent Joe Biden all summer. Even if a Trump supporter wanted to argue that Trump won on some marginal weekend day, there is no evidence that it has changed the polls. This wrong track number has been above 70 percent in the Monmouth poll of adults nationwide all summer. In fact, if there was a credible vaccine released before Election Day, Trump’s reelection chances could turn around in an instant.

The Justice Department had previously filed court papers siding with Asian American groups who had levied similar allegations against Harvard University. WASHINGTON (AP) — A Justice Department investigation has found Yale University is illegally discriminating against Asian American and white applicants, in violation of federal civil rights law, officials said Thursday. AdvertisementThe two-year investigation concluded that Yale “rejects scores of Asian American and white applicants each year based on their race, whom it otherwise would admit,” the Justice Department said. The Justice Department has demanded that Yale immediately stop and agree not to use race or national origin for upcoming admissions. In the Harvard case, the Justice Department had argued that the university went too far in its use of race, but the judge disagreed.

Trump was talking nonsense on Fox News when it dawned on me that this isn’t even fun anymore. AdvertisementThank God for Trump’s favorite Roman Catholic bishop, Tom Tobin of Providence. When Patrick Kennedy was a Rhode Island congressman, Tobin said he should be denied Communion because Kennedy supported abortion rights. Apparently, Tobin believes Biden is not a “real” Catholic because Biden supports abortion rights. In Bishop Tobin’s case, going forward, he might want to consider WWJT instead: What Would Jesus Tweet.

The agreement makes the UAE the third Arab country, after Egypt and Jordan, to have full diplomatic ties with Israel. But the UAE, like most of the Arab world, long rejected diplomatic ties with Israel in the absence of a peace deal establishing a Palestinian state on lands captured by Israel in 1967. Israel and the UAE are among Trump’s few close international allies, and Thursday’s deal may have been seen as an election gift. He’s going to be in the history books.”Lee reported from Bled, Slovenia, and Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Associated Press writers Tia Goldenberg in Jerusalem, Elana Schor and Aamer Madhani in Washington, and Aya Batrawy in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed.

CLICK HERE if you’re having trouble viewing media on a mobile device. Our news organization’s editorial board’s take: Selecting the Bay Area native breaks racial barriers and adds a tough debater and social justice advocate to the party’s 2020 ticket. Russia clears coronavirus vaccine; Putin says his daughter got itRussian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday announced that the country had cleared a coronavirus vaccine and said that one of his daughters had already been inoculated with the new treatment. Scientists there and abroad expressed skepticism over the rushed treatment, which the country is touting before so-called Phase 3 trials that last for months and involve thousands of people. … The SEC, ACC and Big 12 are, at least for the moment, planning to move forward along the daunting road to the regular season.”For more political cartoons, CLICK HERE.

I’m a Democrat, I did not vote for Donald Trump, and I think recent history has proven I made a wise decision. I hope you too see that, whether you are Republican or Democrat, and especially if you are on Social Security. Donald Trump has many hotels and country clubs and pays huge amounts in payroll taxes, It’s these taxes, as well as your own, that fund Social Security. It’s my opinion that Republicans have been after Social Security since the day it was conceived in the New Deal. Another foolish vote for Trump will put a nail in the coffin of another program that really “Made America Great” long ago.

President Donald Trump attends a news conference in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2020, in Washington. Trump also falsely stated that Democrats were pushing for universal mail-in voting and made the unfounded claim that mail-in voting would lead to massive voter fraud in the November election. Postal Service and election security ahead of the November election. “They want $25 billion — billion — for the post office,” he said, adding that, without it, the Postal Service won’t be equipped to handle the influx of mail-in ballots. Dems seek $10B for USPSDemocrats have pushed for $10 billion for the Postal Service in talks with Republicans on a huge COVID-19 response bill.

Postal Service of money in order to make it harder to process an expected surge of mail-in ballots, which he worries could cost him the election. “If we don’t make a deal, that means they don’t get the money,” Trump told host Maria Bartiromo. He’s pairing the tough Postal Service stance in congressional negotiations with an increasingly robust mail-in -voting legal fight in states that could decide the election. That followed legal maneuvers in battleground Pennsylvania, where the campaign hopes to force changes to how the state collects and counts mail-in ballots. Judy Beard, legislative and political director for the American Postal Workers Union, said postal workers are up to the task of delivering mail-in ballots this year.

He had a successful business career in China before launching Hong Kong’s Apple Daily newspaper in 1995 and becoming an outspoken advocate for democracy and a free press. Hong Kong has been a beacon of hope in the region for decades. Most recently the response from China was a new national security law to clamp down on dissent. China had already sanctioned or blacklisted two other Republican senators (Marco Rubio of Florida and Ted Cruz of Texas) and a Republican congressman (Christopher Smith of New Jersey). We hope they keep using their voice for the oppressed and voiceless in Hong Kong and elsewhere.

WASHINGTON – A bipartisan deal for a new coronavirus stimulus package appeared hopelessly out of reach on Thursday, with congressional Democrats blaming Republicans, Republicans blaming Democrats and President Donald Trump suggesting the talks are doomed. "I want you to see how vast our differences are," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said at a news conference Thursday. "The Democrats have abandoned the American people over the simple subject of politics," he said at a White House news conference. Other White House officials have similarly echoed an equally grim outlook for the future of another stimulus bill. Some vulnerable House Democrats already are pushing back by publicly slamming both sides' leaders.

CHICAGO — Two words summed up Tamani Jayasinghe's exuberance for the first Indian American and Black woman to run for vice president: "Kamala Aunty." That title of respect that goes beyond family in Asian circles immediately came to mind when Joe Biden announced Kamala Harris as his running mate. The Asian American experience is one that is complicated and nuanced and robust," said Jayasinghe, who works in financial communications in New York. Harris, the daughter of a Jamaican father and an Indian mother, often focuses on her identity as a Black woman. The first Indian American congresswoman, she said Asians also celebrated Harris as a Black woman.

“ “Just as the SEALs surmounted obstacles to bring Osama bin Laden to justice, so too would the Martin County School system find a way to provide parents with a meaningful choice of in-person instruction or continued distance learning.” ”That was Florida Gov. Read more:More and more Americans don’t want Trump fully reopening schools yetOthers used the odd juxtaposition of killing a mass-murdering terrorist with reopening schools during a pandemic that has killed more than 166,000 Americans as a means to mock the Republican governor. Sorting out how and when to reopen schools as coronavirus cases continue to climb nationwide is a complicated issue. Many parents struggled to work from home while also home schooling their kids when the pandemic first shut down schools in the spring. One school in Georgia’s Cherokee County has ordered more than 900 students and staff to quarantine after 59 people tested positive.

Mr Cohen also makes reference to "golden showers in a sex club in Vegas," without specifically stating that the Mr Trump took part in such acts, and "catch and kill conspiracies to silence Trump's clandestine lovers." "Apart from his wife and children, I knew Trump better than anyone else did," Mr Cohen writes in the foreword to the book 'Disloyal,' which was teased online on Thursday. While the book itself has not yet been released, the foreword contains several damning allegations against the president. Mr Cohen claims that his former boss "had colluded with the Russians, but not in the sophisticated ways imagined by his detractors." Mr Cohen also references sex acts in the release but does not say whether Mr Trump took part.

Hillary Clinton shut down Donald Trump's latest rant about her with a two-word tweet that has since gone viral. The President bashed Secretary Clinton - his rival during the 2016 election - during a Fox News interview on Tuesday. Mr Trump once again brought up Ms Clinton during a rambling response to a question about Joe Biden's running mate, Kamala Harris, which also veered into an attack on the media and Russian collusion. Ms Wilkie wrote: "Missing from Trump’s response to a softball question on @KamalaHarris’ past remarks: any mention of Kamala Harris. Among the thousands of responses, one Twitter user asked: “did Trump forget he’s running against Biden again?”“Are you going to throw Kamala a housewarming party?

Bo Derek revealed why she and John Corbett have never decided to get married amid their romance of 18 years. Longtime love: Bo Derek revealed why she and John Corbett have never decided to get married amid their romance of 18 years; pictured together in 2018Before she met her current beau she thought she would never find love again, having lost her husband John Derek to heart failure in 1998. However she explained that when she met Corbett she felt 'just an attraction, a comfort. Although John Derek directed several of her films - including Tarzan, The Ape Man and Bolero - it was Blake Edwards who directed 10 which made her a star. John Derek was 30 years Bo's senior and became smitten with her when she was 16 years old acting in his film Fantasies in Greece.

The U.S. Justice Department seized $2million from more than 300 cryptocurrency accounts linked to overseas terror organizations, it announced Thursday. The department said three Middle East terrorist groups used cryptocurrencies and social media to finance their operations and raise funds for their terror campaigns. As well as seizing the $2million-worth of cryptocurrency and the 300 cryptocurrency accounts, US authorities also took over four websites and four Facebook pages linked with the fundraising activities. The Trump administration said the groups used the accounts to solicit donations for their causes. The seized funds are now expected to be turned over to a fund for victims of terrorist attacks.

There were plenty of surprises in store for the 50,000 revelers who flocked to Fisherman's Wharf to see flamboyant California Democrat Willie Brown sworn in as San Francisco's first black mayor. Vice Presidential nominee Kamala Harris dated San Francisco's first black mayor Wilile Brown in the 1990s, while he was still married but separated from his wife. For all their differences, however, the ex-couple maintained an enduring bond: 'Willie and Blanche Brown have never divorced. 'Columnist Herb Caen all but predicted two days after the election that Brown would wed Kamala Harris, his constant companion throughout the campaign. 'I refuse to design my campaign around criticizing Willie Brown,' she told SF Weekly.

A Justice Department investigation has found Yale University illegally discriminated against Asian American and white applicants, in violation of federal civil rights law, officials said. The two-year investigation concluded that Yale 'rejects scores of Asian American and white applicants each year based on their race, whom it otherwise would admit,' the Justice Department said. AdvertisementThe investigation concluded that Asian American and white students have 'only one-tenth to one-fourth of the likelihood of admission as African American applicants with comparable academic credentials,' the Justice Department said. The investigation also found that Yale uses race as a factor in multiple steps of the admissions process and that Yale 'racially balances its classes.' Over the previous 15 years, he said, the number of Asian American students in Yale's incoming classes grew from 14 per cent to 22 per cent.

Michael Cohen published a first look at his book about Donald Trump on Thursday, revealing several bombshell claims, including that he witnessed a 'golden showers' incident. In the peek at his memoir 'Disloyal,' Cohen reveals the 'mob boss' mentality of the president in his foreword, which he titled 'THE REAL REAL DONALD TRUMP.' In the first part of his book, which was published to DisloyalTheBook.com on Thursday afternoon, Cohen claimed that Trump has 'no real friends.' Cohen says: 'Trump had colluded with the Russians, but not in the sophisticated ways imagined by his detractors. 'Favorable ruling yesterday by the Court as I am close to completion of my book…' Cohen wrote of Trump's niece Mary Trump being able to publish her critical book about her uncle.

Trump "should be a frontrunner for the Nobel Peace Prize," the advisor, Robert O'Brien, told reporters. "It will take some time in this environment but it wouldn't surprise me that the president is eventually nominated." But success in the notoriously intractable Middle East with the first Israeli-Arab peace deal in a quarter century is a good way to answer critics. In this case, even Biden got on board, saying the UAE and Israel made "a historic step to bridge the deep divides of the Middle East." Also, as to be expected in the Middle East, the big announcement obscures more complex questions.

US President Donald Trump's original plan in January had given the green light for Israel to annex parts of the West Bank territory and Jewish settlements there that are considered illegal under international law. For now, annexation appears to be on ice -- the US, Israeli and UAE leaders said they had agreed "Israel will suspend declaring sovereignty" over Palestinian West Bank areas. Israel seized control of the West Bank, including east Jerusalem, in the Six-Day War of 1967 and has occupied it ever since. The day after Trump's announcement, protests flared in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip and Palestinian demonstrators clashed with Israeli security forces in the West Bank. Apart from the US, no country had publicly backed the annexation plans.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) -- President Donald Trump's re-election campaign has sued two Democratic-leaning Iowa counties that are making it easy to vote by mail during the coronavirus pandemic, seeking to invalidate tens of thousands of voters' absentee ballot applications. The Trump campaign, the Republican National Committee and other GOP groups filed the lawsuits against elections officials in Linn and Johnson counties. At issue are absentee ballot request forms that the counties are sending to registered voters with personal information already filled in. The GOP lawsuits argue that the auditors are violating a state directive by prepopulating the forms and that any ballots cast in response to the mailings may be subject to legal challenge. By RYAN J. FOLEY

Biden called on governors of all 50 states to "institute a mask mandate nationwide, starting immediately" as a way to halt the virus's spread and save tens of thousands of lives. Be a patriot," Biden, with his newly named running mate Kamala Harris nearby and wearing a face covering, told reporters near his home in Delaware. The panel included former surgeon general Vivek Murthy, who has been an advisor to Biden throughout the coronavirus crisis. Biden and Harris then entered a session on the pandemic's impact on businesses and employment in the world's largest economy. Democrats widely accuse Trump of mishandling the US response to a pandemic that has claimed more than 166,000 lives nationwide.

Teachers unions have shown themselves as being more concerned with political agendas and posturing than offering students a fulfilling learning experience, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos told "The Ingraham Angle" Wednesday. DeVos told guest host Mike Huckabee that she was glad to see Democratic Govs. "We have seen all too many districts and all too many schools across the country not actually addressing the needs of students and anticipating school in the fall," DeVos said. "We all want to ensure students and teachers are safe when they are in school again, but those things can be done and can be clearly accomplished. Scholarship Opportunity Program, and these are what teachers unions are demanding in order for kids to go back to school."

As other labor unions have shrunk in recent years, membership in police unions has remained high. But unlike other labor unions, they represent workers with the state-sanctioned power to use deadly force. Scott Walker destroyed collective bargaining rights for his state’s public sector unions in 2011, he left police unions mostly unscathed. That helps explain why these union members are so often caught making racist comments. Across the country, millions of other union members have joined protests to make similar demands.

"It's crazy to roll back this rule," warned Howarth, who last year published a study on North American gas production and methane emissions. "The idea that the oil and gas industry will control these emissions on their own, without strong standards and enforcement, doesn't pass the laugh test." In Texas alone, drillers waste 1.4 million tonnes of methane gas each year—enough to supply every home in Dallas and Houston combined. Natural gas companies don't want to waste natural gas, and they supported the Obama-era rule and were planning accordingly. "EPA must prioritize our health and safety over the profits of oil and gas companies," she added, "and we will hold them accountable in court."

The United States Postal Service is deactivating mail-sorting machines at processing centers across the US. At least 19 sorting machines, which can process 35,000 pieces of mail per hour, have been dismantled and removed in recent weeks, postal workers told Motherboard. At least 19 mail-sorting machines, which can process up to 35,000 pieces of mail per hour, have been removed without any explanation, postal workers told Motherboard. On Thursday, Trump told Fox Business that he would withhold funding from the USPS to harm mail-in voting. Postal workers told Motherboard that while it wasn't unusual for mail-sorting machines to be deactivated or moved among facilities, the timing coincided with Trump's push to destabilize the USPS before the election.

Postal Service of money in order to make it harder to process an expected surge of mail-in ballots, which he worries could cost him the election. He’s pairing the tough Postal Service stance in congressional negotiations with an increasingly robust mail-in -voting legal fight in states that could decide the election. That followed legal maneuvers in battleground Pennsylvania, where the campaign hopes to force changes to how the state collects and counts mail-in ballots. That figure, which would include money to help with election mail, is down from a $25 billion plan in a House-passed coronavirus measure. Judy Beard, legislative and political director for the American Postal Workers Union, said postal workers are up to the task of delivering mail-in ballots this year.

President Donald J. Trump, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, and Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the United Arab Emirates spoke today and agreed to the full normalization of relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. The United States, Israel and the United Arab Emirates are confident that additional diplomatic breakthroughs with other nations are possible, and will work together to achieve this goal. The United Arab Emirates and Israel will immediately expand and accelerate cooperation regarding the treatment of and the development of a vaccine for the coronavirus. Israel and the United Arab Emirates will join with the United States to launch a Strategic Agenda for the Middle East to expand diplomatic, trade, and security cooperation. Today’s agreement will lead to better lives for the peoples of the United Arab Emirates, Israel, and the region.

Moscow (CNN) Russian officials in Moscow tell CNN they have offered "unprecedented cooperation" with Operation Warp Speed (OWS), the US multi-agency body set up to accelerate access to effective Covid-19 vaccines and treatments. White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Thursday that President Donald Trump has been briefed on the new Russian vaccine. Other US officials told CNN the Russian vaccine is considered so half-baked in the United States that it hadn't even piqued US interest in a serious way before the rollout. "There's no way in hell the US tries this (Russian vaccine) on monkeys, let alone people," one US government public health official said. Russia says US firms interestedRussian officials tell CNN that Russia is open to sharing information about the vaccine and that it would allow US pharmaceutical companies to produce the Russian vaccine on American soil.

Facebook announced on Thursday a new online resource for voters that's intended to facilitate voting by mail and limit the spread of election-related disinformation ahead of the November presidential election. The company's new Voting Information Center, to be launched on Facebook and Instagram, is intended as a "one-stop-shop," according to Facebook, where Americans can register to vote, check voting information, and sign up as poll workers. Facebook previously announced a goal of registering more than four million new voters ahead of Election Day. After the election, Oxford University researchers estimated that 126 million Facebook users and 20 million Instagram users were reached by such content. "We want to make sure people have access to the latest, authoritative information about preliminary results on and after election night."

Volenec wanted to hear a town-hall discussion led by Sonny Perdue, Donald Trump’s Secretary of Agriculture, to learn how the Administration planned to address the economic crisis gripping Wisconsin’s family dairy farmers. I’m basically paying myself living expenses now.”Five years ago, the price of milk fell precipitously, accelerating the long unravelling of rural Wisconsin. “Dairy farmers are working on their fifth year of low milk prices. Many banks have stopped loaning them money.” Wisconsin has seven thousand dairy farms, roughly half the number that it had a decade ago. “Trump can’t win a second term unless he racks up enormous margins in rural Wisconsin.”For Volenec, Trump’s appeal vanished almost immediately.

WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)—In a blistering takedown of Joe Biden’s running mate, Donald Trump on Thursday accused Senator Kamala Harris of maliciously speaking in complete sentences. Blasting her penchant for hewing to the rules of grammar, Trump said, “A lot of people are saying, mean, nasty, disrespectful. To a new level, like you wouldn’t believe.”“Sad,” he said. “Sick and sad.”Trump also was contemptuous of Biden, noting, “Sleepy Joe—something’s going on.”“Quite frankly,” he added. In his most withering criticism, Trump suggested that Harris’s stubborn insistence on making subjects agree with verbs was an insult to every American voter.

Some were in red regions, some were purplish-blue—but every last one of them centered on the local post office. All of which is to say that I really hate what the Republicans are trying to do to the post office. Not only that but the Postal Service almost tripled the postage for mailing ballots to voters. The Postal Service, though, is the most popular government agency in the country, with a ninety-one-per-cent favorability rating, and it’s equally popular among Democrats and Republicans. No one else does that; it’s why, even though the Postal Service ekes out an operating profit most years, it is saddled with a huge deficit.

Jotaka Eaddy, a political strategist and former adviser to the N.A.A.C.P., organized a collective of Black women around the hashtag #winwithblackwomen. “Black women represent sixteen million voters in this election,” she told me. There hasn’t been for forty years a pathway to Democratic victory without the work of Black women. She’s the first Black woman and first Asian woman to be on a major-party ticket. As a Black Presidential candidate, Harris didn’t have space to talk about her evolution on race and criminal justice.

Wednesday’s rollout of the Joe Biden-Kamala Harris Democratic ticket was a COVID-19 hybrid. On the basis of this joint appearance, the Biden-Harris ticket looked like a well-balanced one, whose principals could complement each other effectively during the run-up to the election. And the selection of Harris has already brought some brio to the Biden campaign. In the remarks that Biden and Harris delivered, they stuck squarely to this template. But on the third day of the Biden-Harris ticket, Team Biden has reason to be encouraged.

ET 2020 Election Live Updates: Trump Admits Postal Service Needs Billions for Mail-In Voting The president has opposed giving the post office more money. Later, speaking directly to Mr. Biden, he added, “To Joe I would say: Stop playing politics with the virus. Playing the attack dog is fairly standard fare for vice-presidential picks, and Ms. Harris is well suited to the role. But on Thursday, Mr. Trump floated the idea that Mr. Barr might not be doing enough. In an interview on the Fox Business Network, Mr. Trump suggested that Mr. Barr and the F.B.I.

The last time that seasonally adjusted first-time unemployment claims were below 1 million was on March 14Number of Americans Applying for First-Time Unemployment Dips Below 1M for First Time Since MarchFor the first time since mid-March, the number of Americans filing for first-time unemployment benefits has fallen below 1 million. The number of seasonally adjusted insured unemployment claims totaled 15.5 million for the week ending Aug. 1, down more than 600,000 from the previous week. “The number of people filing for unemployment insurance, both regular and [Pandemic Unemployment Assistance] benefits, continues to steadily decline as layoffs abate. Over the weekend, President Donald Trump also signed off on an additional $400 in unemployment benefits to be given to those still jobless. The new measure comes after the $600 in weekly additional unemployment benefits included in the CARES Act expired on July 31st.

Harris and Beau "spoke on the phone practically every day" when they were the attorney generals of California and DelawareKamala Harris took a moment during her first appearance with running mate Joe Biden to pay tribute to the presidential candidate's late son, Beau Biden. Harris, 55, was friends with Beau when they were both attorneys general in California and Delaware, respectively. "And let me tell you about Beau Biden," she continued. Image zoom From left: Beau Biden and Kamala Harris Kamala Harris/TwitterThe former vice president and his wife, Former Second Lady Dr. Jill Biden, have had Beau on their mind throughout 2020. Beau had survived the 1972 car accident that killed his mother — Biden's first wife, Neilia Hunter — and the couple's 1-year-old daughter, Naomi.

According to the California secretary of state's website, Trump donated $6,000 to Harris' campaign for California attorney general, prior to her becoming a senator. Ivanka Trump, who serves as one of her father's senior advisers, also funded Harris' campaign, donating $2,000 in 2014. Harris served terms as California's attorney general before she was elected to Congress in 2016. Image zoom Sen. Kamala Harris Alexander Drago-Pool/GettyThe Trumps' campaign contributions were first reported last year while Harris was a contender in the Democratic presidential primary. Later Tuesday, he told reporters that, during the Democratic primary campaign, Harris had been "disrespectful" and "nasty" to Biden.

The president has a history of tagging his adversaries with derogatory and sometimes racist nicknamesBiden Team Asked Vice Presidential Finalists What They Thought Their Trump Nickname Would BeThe Democratic Party's 2020 ticket is all but finalized — save for the ceremony — after former Vice President Joe Biden named Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate on Tuesday. Among the lengthy and, at times, arduous interview procedures was a question specifically tailored to the 2020 election, the Post reported: "What do you think Donald Trump’s nickname for you would be?" Image zoom From left: Joe Biden and Kamala Harris on Wednesday after he named her his running mate OLIVIER DOULIERY/Getty ImagesTrump, 74, criticized Harris immediately after she was announced as Biden's pick on Tuesday. In Harris' first speech since joining the Biden ticket, she said Wednesday that of all potential epithets she prefers "vice president." "The co-chairs described her as having an impressive balance of the presence to take on President Trump and knowledge of the issues," the Post reported.

After Frederiksen said in 2019 that it would be "absurd" to entertain the idea of Denmark selling Greenland to the United States, Trump postponed his two-day state visit to Denmark last summer and shot back with his own response to Frederiksen's comment. “I looked forward to going, but I thought that the prime minister’s statement that it was absurd — that it was an absurd idea — was nasty,” he told reporters on Aug. 21, 2019, on the White House South Lawn. All she had to do is say, ‘No, we wouldn’t be interested.’”The president continued, “I think it’s a good idea because Denmark is losing $700 million a year with it. But all they had to do was say, ‘No, we’d rather not do that, we’d rather not talk about that.’ Don’t say, ‘What an absurd idea that is,’ because she’s not talking to me. She’s talking to the United States of America."

Coronavirus hits already struggling US farmers: 'We've stopped saying it can't get worse'Added: 13.08.2020 18:21 | 4 views | 0 commentsSource: dailycaller.comFarm trade groups are lobbying the Trump administration to provide financial aid for farmers enduring price drops amid the coronavirus pandemic. More in www.cnbc.com »

Trump pick to run Voice of America, other U.S. global media is carrying out 'purge': DemocratAdded: 13.08.2020 21:10 | 11 views | 0 commentsRep. Eliot Engel accused the administration of trying to turn the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which runs the Voice of America, into a Trump mouthpiece.

DOJ accuses Yale of discriminating against white and Asian American applicantsAdded: 13.08.2020 22:06 | 9 views | 0 commentsSource: www.freedomfightersforamerica.comThe letter, which came after a two year investigation, is a major escalation of the Trump administration's attacks on affirmative action. More in www.nbcnews.com »

Relief talks stumble again as Trump asserts a deal is ‘not going to happen’Added: 13.08.2020 19:19 | 13 views | 0 commentsA conversation between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin led to another round of finger-pointing over negotiations on coronavirus aid.

Added: 13.08.2020 17:18 | 14 views | 0 commentsThe secretary of state confirmed Wednesday that he issued a stern warning to Russia in mid-July. But both before and after that, President Trump was still dismissing the reports as "fake news" and a "hoax."

Kamala Harris came out swinging for voters that Trump has been targeting hardestAdded: 13.08.2020 17:13 | 15 views | 0 commentsSource: www.cnbc.comHarris used most of her time to focus on how the Trump administration has harmed Americans broadly, through his response to the coronavirus and matters of race. More in www.washingtonpost.com »

Added: 29.07.2020 14:09 | 12 views | 0 commentsTrump's reelection campaign and campaign committee are accused of hiding nearly $170 million in spending to vendors and Trump relations by funneling money through firms led by Brad Parscale and campaign officials.

Added: 29.07.2020 16:29 | 6 views | 0 commentsMore chaos on the streets of Portland as peaceful protests turn violent overnight as federal agents unleash a massive response. President Trump is preparing to send at least 100 agents to Portland and other cities. Carter Evans has the latest.

Added: 29.07.2020 16:29 | 13 views | 0 commentsPresident Trump's national security adviser Robert O’Brien is in quarantine after testing positive for the coronavirus. This comes as Mr. Trump touts progress in the race for a vaccine during a trip to battleground state North Carolina. Ben Tracy reports.

Donald Trump claims 2020 election results may not be known for 'years'Added: 13.08.2020 17:22 | 6 views | 0 commentsDonald Trump has claimed that the 2020 presidential election results may not be known for "years", a week after he called for a delay to the 2020 election.

What's going on with TikTok? Added: 13.08.2020 14:20 | 22 views | 0 commentsMicrosoft confirmed it wants to acquire TikTok after President Trump threatened to ban the app.

Brexit victory: Trump to remove trade tariffs on UK – as France and Germany foot the billAdded: 13.08.2020 11:57 | 17 views | 0 commentsDONALD TRUMP will remove a number of trade tariffs on UK goods, adding the equivalent amount onto France and Germany's bill.

Kim Jong-un’s relationship with Donald Trump is like a ‘fantasy film’ - bizarre claimAdded: 13.08.2020 18:23 | 12 views | 0 commentsKIM JONG-UN described his relationship with US President Donald Trump in glowing terms, a new book has claimed.

Former White House aide Bolton says Trump not 'fit' to be presidentAdded: 18.06.2020 19:47 | 4 views | 0 commentsFormer top White House aide John Bolton delivered a damning indictment of his former boss, saying Donald Trump's behavior in office and dealings with foreign leaders showed he was unfit to be president of the United States.

Added: 18.06.2020 19:47 | 11 views | 0 commentsU.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Thursday revelations in a book by a former top White House aide show President Donald Trump is unfit and unprepared to be president and Democrats will continue oversight of the Republican president's behavior.

Added: 18.06.2020 19:30 | 11 views | 0 commentsThe U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday dealt President Donald Trump a major setback on his hardline immigration policies, blocking his bid to end a program that protects from deportation hundreds of thousands of immigrants - often called "Dreamers" - who entered the United States illegally as children.

Lara Trump argues polls 'even more inaccurate now' than in 2016, says 'silent majority' is 'silenced majority'Added: 13.08.2020 22:03 | 8 views | 0 commentsPolling on the 2020 presidential race is even more off-base than it was in 2016, Lara Trump, President Trump's daughter-in-law and campaign adviser, told "Bill Hemmer Reports" Thursday.

Added: 13.08.2020 19:39 | 14 views | 0 commentsThe only way to guarantee Trump doesn't ignore election results is a Biden win so decisive it's apparent on election night.

Added: 13.08.2020 20:26 | 9 views | 0 commentsShe thought she knew him, and she still thinks she knows him well. At least, better than most. But almost a year ago, President Trump's one-time executive assistant was doing exactly what millions of others have done at least once: Puzzling over a Trump tweet.

Added: 13.08.2020 20:29 | 9 views | 0 commentsIsrael and the United Arab Emirates reached an agreement to work toward fully normalized relations, a potentially historic breakthrough that U.S. President Donald Trump said will facilitate peace in the Mideast.

Added: 13.08.2020 21:51 | 9 views | 0 commentsThe Trump Administration wants to change the definition of a showerhead to let more water flow, addressing a pet peeve of the president who complains he isn't getting wet enough.

The US government thinks the military could help whip the country’s 5G industry into shape. Michael Kratsios, the acting undersecretary of defense for research and engineering, Thursday laid out a plan to turn US military bases into sandboxes for 5G experimentation. He also described a vision for advancing US military use of 5G, microelectronics, and artificial intelligence technology to counter one big threat—China. Kratsios, who also serves as the US government's chief technology officer and as an adviser to President Trump on technology matters, says using military bases to test 5G will help companies surmount usual regulatory requirements. Companies will be invited to experiment with software for managing 5G networks as well as specific applications using 5G such as augmented reality.

The promotion is a one-day-only affair on Aug. 20, which is seven days from now. It's inspired by the founding of AMC Theatres, which started in 1920 when the Dubinsky Brothers established a single movie screen in Kansas City, Mo. The Aug. 20 promotion for AMC is just part of the first phase of reopening plans. The company expects to reopen as much as two-thirds of its more than 600 theater locations in the U.S. by Sept. 3. AMC also has plans after Aug. 20 to bring back certain movies to theaters at the price of $5 movie tickets.

New York's Attorney General regularly takes on the scariest, most intimidating bad guys like it's her job—because, you know, it is her job. In a statement, the NRA called the lawsuit a "premeditated attack...on Second Amendment freedoms." The NRA has been registered as a not-for-profit charitable organization in the state of New York, and for decades, has gone unchecked. It's unfortunate, but in that time, they have diverted millions upon millions of dollars from their charitable mission. The NRA failed to adhere and comply with the law, it failed to honor its purpose and its mission, while executives looted the not-for-profit of millions upon millions of dollars.

But Trump’s North Korea peace drive, like the Wicked Witch of the East from the Wizard of Oz, is not merely dead, but “really most sincerely dead.” We are only a few days past the two-year anniversary of the first Trump-Kim meeting, though it feels like a lifetime ago. Remember that the Trump administration allegedly had plans to manage or prevent each one? Longtime Korea-watcher Scott Snyder points out that while the U.S. may have moved on, North Korea decidedly has not. For decades, North Korea has resorted to taking very aggressive, targeted actions to re-focus the attention of Washington and the world on its capabilities and demands. With Trump facing a difficult reelection fight and various domestic crises, his administration is in no position to carefully negotiate a deal with North Korea.

Journalist Bob Woodward has obtained "25 personal letters exchanged" between President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un for his new book, "Rage," publisher Simon & Schuster revealed on Wednesday. Details: In the letters, "Kim describes the bond between the two leaders as out of a 'fantasy film,' as the two leaders engage in an extraordinary diplomatic minuet," according to a description of the book posted on Amazon. — Excerpt from Simon & Schuster's description of "Rage"Of note: The legendary Washington Post reporter's second book on Trump's presidency is due to be released on Sept. 15 — seven weeks before Election Day. The big picture: Trump revealed in January that Woodward had interviewed him for the book, after having expressed regret that he didn't sit down with him for the WashPost associate editor's first one, "Fear." Go deeper: Bob Woodward's journey — from "a joke" to "very, very good"

Then Harris gave a rousing speech (although there didn’t seem to be any physical audience members, for obvious reasons), a worthy introduction to her vice-presidential candidacy. If the speech is any indication, Harris will serve as the charismatic, well-spoken, level-headed counterpart to Biden, whose campaign has been marred by occasional gaffes. Here are the highlights of Harris’s speech (you can read the full transcript here). In particular, she emphasized his catastrophic mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic and the economic devastation that’s come in its wake. And let me just tell you about Beau Biden.

How would you even begin to explain that–by being part of the shaping. How would you even begin to explain that--by being part of the shaping. pic.twitter.com/EaTooBQz1B — United States Space Force (@SpaceForceDoD) August 12, 2020The Space Force was formed by President Trump in December 2019 as a military service branch within the Department of the Air Force. Still, Space Force admits the tweet was a blunder. pic.twitter.com/CbqmuYftmo — United States Space Force (@SpaceForceDoD) August 10, 2020Stay in touch.

The uncertainty in our current 2020 forecast, conversely, stems mostly from the fact that there’s still a long way to go until the election. Take what happens if we lie to our model and tell it that the election is going to be held today. But I’d summarize the uncertainty factor about November by borrowing Donald Rumsfeld’s famous distinction between known knowns, known unknowns, and unknown unknowns. electoral votes, for example. Again, it’s a known unknown but probably not a game-changer.

If Trump’s older white base mostly votes in person, it may help him build an early lead. Well, because if they comply, he is likely to take an early lead in Election Night returns that will only slowly erode as disproportionately Democratic mail ballots drift in after being authenticated and then tabulated. Asked how they intend to vote, 80 percent of Trump supporters say they will vote in person (either on Election Day or earlier) and only 17 percent will vote by mail. If these numbers are even close to reality, since in-person votes are generally counted before mail ballots, Trump will be in a position to take an early lead nationally and in most battleground states. Issues which a higher percentage of Trump supporters deemed “very important” included “violent crime” (74 percent), “Supreme Court appointments” (61 percent), “immigration” (61 percent), “gun policy” (60 percent), and “abortion” (46 percent).

Here’s is everything we know about the process, as reported by the Washington Post, the Associated Press, USA Today, NBC News, and Politico. Eleven women made it to the final roundA total of 11 politicians made it to the final round of the selection process, with Biden doing a one-on-one interview with each candidate. The Biden campaign reportedly prepped announcement strategies for each candidate, including logos. After the attorneys had scoured each candidate’s background, Biden consulted with his wife, Jill Biden, and sister, Valerie Biden Owens. According to USA Today, Biden called the California senator on Zoom around 2:45 p.m., while the decision was made public at 4:14 p.m.“You ready to go to work?” Biden asked Harris.

Photo: Sarah Silbiger/Getty ImagesIf you are wondering why coronavirus stimulus talks between congressional Democrats and the White House are no longer getting much coverage, it’s because there really isn’t anything to cover. They are, to be sure, under a lot of pressure from a reported 20 Senate Republicans who don’t want any stimulus legislation at all. The November election is ultimately the deadline for a stimulus deal, particularly for Trump and Republicans who are fighting an uphill battle against what’s looking like another Democratic wave. And Americans expecting a second $1,200 stimulus check — one of the few items on which the two parties are not at all far apart — could grow very impatient. We’ll see how long Republicans continue to call Democratic proposals “ridiculous.”

Photo: Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty ImagesThe United Arab Emirates established full diplomatic ties with Israel Thursday, becoming the first Gulf Arab nation to normalize relations with Jerusalem. Since its founding in 1971, the UAE had withheld recognition from Israel due to its occupation of Palestinian territories. But in 2020, the Emirati leadership has more use for warm relations with Israel than they do for the Palestinian cause. The UAE and Israel are both wealthy nations with a shared interest in countering Iranian regional influence. Note: Israel did not commit to abandoning its claims of sovereignty over the Palestinian lands that the Trump administration unilaterally awarded it.

Postal Service because Democrats are seeking to expand mail-in voting during the coronavirus pandemic, making explicit the reason he has declined to approve $25 billion in emergency funding for the cash-strapped agency. He added: “If they don’t get those two items, that means you can’t have universal mail-in voting, because they’re not equipped.”Here’s the video:Trump this morning why he won’t fund US Postal Service. Slow mail service could serve the president’s purposes in two ways. Second, even if mail ballots aren’t actually invalidated, the later they are received, the longer it will take to count them. Postal Service — who, by spectacular coincidence, just happens to be a top Trump fundraiser.

The people who should most want to see a new relief deal made are President Trump and his advisers, for their future employment is at stake. A record 76 percent of Americans are now eligible to vote by mail. But as White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow blithely told CNBC today, voting rights are just not the Trump administration’s jam. We should be plain about it: If Kudlow and this administration believe that voting rights are an issue that is even negotiable, let alone something that is “not our game,” then we should all openly recognize the truth. And that is what this president and his White House are.

It's a dramatic spike in fears about voting from the 2018 midterm election when only 15% of voters said they anticipated difficulties. Sixty percent of Democrats said they believe voting will be difficult in November, compared with 40% who said it would be easy. In a sign of the high stakes for Democrats, the poll found Biden supporters would be far more "angry" if their candidate loses. Sixty-one percent of Biden supporters said they would be "angry" if their candidate loses, compared with 37% of Trump supporters who said they would be "angry" if Trump loses. Thirty-seven percent of Biden supporters said they would be "disappointed" if Biden lost while 59% of Trump supporters said they would be "disappointed."

Trump pet peeve could wash away showerhead rulesThe Trump Administration wants to change the definition of a showerhead to let more water flow, addressing a pet peeve of the president who complains he isn't getting wet enough. (Aug 13)AP

Florida voting rights advocates, operatives from both parties, elections analysts and the state’s supervisors of elections consider it a non-issue. Voting rights groups and the state of Florida settled a lawsuit last month over concerns that "structural racism" existed in the voting system. Another poll, conducted by the University of Florida in late July, suggests the partisan divide on mail voting may be growing. The president's continued criticism of voting by mail is harmful and is an attempt to suppress voting, he said. Gruters, the Florida GOP chair, said the Democratic Party's emphasis on voting by mail can't match the enthusiasm Florida GOP voters have for Trump.

WASHINGTON – A bipartisan deal for a new coronavirus stimulus package appeared hopelessly out of reach on Thursday, with congressional Democrats blaming Republicans, Republicans blaming Democrats and President Donald Trump suggesting the talks are doomed. “I want you to see how vast our differences are,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said at a news conference Thursday. After weeks of talks, the negotiations have only seemed to worsen despite the expiration of a number of vital programs. Some vulnerable House Democrats already are pushing back by publicly slamming both sides' leaders. Paycheck Protection Program expired:The future of the small business rescue plan is in limbo as stimulus talks stall

A big drop in people seeking or receiving benefits in the past two weeks after the end of a $600 federal stipend hints the answer might be yes. A handful of studies, including one by Yale, assert the federal stipend has had virtually no impact on whether people go back to work. Mary Daly, president of the San Francisco Federal Reserve, also downplayed the role of the federal stipend on unemployment in a “digital town hall” on Tuesday. The federal stipend hasn’t been renewed partly because Republicans argued it was keeping workers from returning to their jobs. We could be choking off the recovery.”He suggested a still-generous, if smaller, federal stipend of $400 a month as a way to bridge the divide in Washington.

WASHINGTON—A government body charged with enforcing the rule that restricts political activity by federal employees has advised that President Trump may make his speech accepting the Republican Party nomination from the White House, though rules would still apply to his employees. The Office of Special Counsel, which oversees the 1939 Hatch Act, sent the opinion Wednesday to a congressional committee seeking guidance. Mr. Trump has said his Aug. 27 acceptance speech will come from the White House or the historic Gettysburg...

American Airlines is planning to drop flights to up to 30 smaller US cities if a federal requirement to continue those flights expires at the end of next month, an airline official familiar with the matter said Thursday. American agreed to keep serving those smaller cities as a condition of receiving $5.8 billion in federal payroll help this spring. The move by American could put more pressure on Congress and the White House to give passenger airlines another $25 billion for labor costs. Airline unions and the airlines, which are struggling with a steep downturn in revenue as the pandemic undercuts air travel, are lobbying Congress for the money. The American Airlines official did not detail which cities could lose service, but the changes could appear in schedules as early as next week.

Trump’s efforts to undercut Biden and to amplify a message aimed beyond encouraging his own base haven’t had noticeable effect. And since he said earlier this year that he sees mail-in voting as beneficial to Democrats, it’s not hard to figure out the play here. Trump’s opposition to mail-in voting is usually not explicitly predicated on impeding Democrats but, instead, on the false claim that expanded mail-in voting will lead to rampant voter fraud. Now, he’s reportedly settled on two possible locations for the speech: the White House or the national park at Gettysburg, Pa. Part of Trump’s efforts to undercut Biden included a focus on lawlessness in some cities that occasionally spun out of racial-justice protests.

Perhaps Trump forgot that just the other day he was praising voting by mail in Florida. That is why many state and local Republican groups are pulling their hair out in response to Trump’s anti-absentee vote rhetoric. Asked about Trump’s comments at her news conference on Thursday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said that Trump is “afraid of the American people. If seniors or others need help doing this, volunteers must be organized to drive them to drop-off locations. Third, states and localities need to be pressured to create ballot drop boxes in multiple locations, near shopping areas and other accessible places.

The convention system began to wane in importance as states moved to primaries to select delegates and as television allowed candidates to speak directly to voters. Since then, insiders have used the convention system to regain control over the nomination process. A ranked-choice primary system would also not have forced Buttigieg and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar to drop out on the eve of Super Tuesday as the frightened establishment was forced to consolidate behind former vice president Joe Biden. We would instead have had a genuine contest wherein the majority of Democratic voters, not insider shenanigans, would have produced the nominee. It’s time to replace it with a democratic system that works.

The UAE approached the Trump administration and offered formal peace with Israel in return for no annexation. While that edge has been essential for meeting Israeli security and deterrence needs, peace was also built into the calculus. The United States provided Egypt advanced weaponry after President Anwar Sadat made peace with Israel. While this is certainly true, normalization should also signal to Palestinians that others are not going to wait for them. It stopped Israeli annexation, which would have likely ended the hope for two states.

Conservative radio host Mark Levin said “Kamala Harris is not an African American . Yet now, a few conservatives are weirdly determined to turn that upside down, to say that Harris has insufficient Black blood to be truly Black. ADADEven if conservatives drop the birtherism angle, the fact that some of them went there so quickly tells us something important. In many ways, Harris represents just the kind of America that seems to fill Trump and many of his supporters with anger and fear. She’s a walking demonstration of why America’s history as a magnet for immigrants makes us the most dynamic country in the world.

With talks on a new coronavirus relief bill essentially dead, the Senate on Thursday adjourned through Labor Day. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said senators would be called back to vote in the event of a breakthrough on the matter. McConnell and Pelosi engaged in another round of finger-pointing Thursday about who was to blame for the inaction. “Republicans have been waiting and trying to pass bipartisan relief literally for weeks,” McConnell said on the floor before adjourning the chamber. Asked when she might next talk to Mnuchin, Pelosi replied, “I don’t know.

Singer Meredith Brooks criticized Joe Biden’s running mate Kamala Harris for siding with him after previously supporting his sexual assault accusers like Tara Reade. “I thought she believed #Tara @ReadeAlexandra So now it’s ok since he’s making her his running mate? Reade's sexual assault allegation against Biden was made public this past March. In April 2019, Reade was one of eight women who came forward with allegations of inappropriate touching by the former senator and vice president. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPBrooks is not the first celebrity to speak out against Harris for agreeing to be Biden’s running mate in the 2020 election against Donald Trump and Mike Pence.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday accused President Trump of being “afraid of the American people” in his pushback against funding for universal mail-in ballots as part of a new round of economic stimulus. "They want $3.5 billion for something that's fraudulent ... for the mail-in votes, universal mail-in ballots. Trump added: "But if they don't get those two items, then they can't have mail-in ballots." Trump has long railed against the practice, saying it will lead to widespread fraud, a claim that Democrats have dismissed. They argue that mail-in voting is necessary due to the risk of the spread of coronavirus.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Wednesday that the league’s decision to tackle social justice issues during its season restart in Orlando was “unavoidable” given the current climate in the country. TRUMP SAYS NBA, MEDIA ARE 'BOUGHT OUT' BY CHINAThe league made social justice causes a key tenet of its plans to resume play inside the bubble at Walt Disney World resort. Dozens of NBA players have knelt during the national anthem to raise awareness of racial injustice and police brutality following the death of George Floyd while in police custody in Minneapolis. “You ever notice, they always say, ‘Russia, Russia, Russia,’ they don’t mention ‘China, China, China,’ because most of these people, like you look at the NBA, they’re bought off by China,” Trump said. Silver said he believes NBA fans are able to separate the social justice messaging from on-court play.

The U.S. budget deficit climbed to a record $2.81 trillion in the first 10 months of the fiscal year, a record high, the Treasury Department said Wednesday. That was the lowest monthly figure since the coronavirus pandemic brought the nation's economy to a grinding halt in mid-March. The deficit for fiscal 2020 is projected to hit $3.7 trillion, a record, according to a projection from the Congressional Budget Office. The current record for a fiscal year deficit is $1.41 trillion, set in 2009. The report comes amid a weeks-long stalemate between Congress and the Trump administration over another coronavirus spending package.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday addressed the historic deal between his country and the United Arab Emirates, calling it "the greatest advancement towards peace between Israel and the Arab world in the last 26 years." Egypt signed a peace agreement in 1979, while Jordan signed one in 1994. After decades of Israel seen as an enemy, today many many countries see Israel as a strategic ally for stability advancement and for peace." CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APPThursday's deal was finalized during a call between Trump, Netanyahu and Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed. Historic Peace Agreement between our two GREAT friends, Israel and the United Arab Emirates," Trump tweeted.

Before Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were on the same presidential ticket, they were battling to win the Democratic primary and, in some instances, things got heated. HARRIS CRITICIZES BIDEN'S STANCE ON BUSING AT FIRST DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY DEBATEIn what became her most memorable debate moment, Harris challenged Biden's opposition to federally mandated busing when he was in the Senate, telling him she benefited from the program to integrate schools. HARRIS BLASTS BIDEN FOR HYDE AMENDMENT FLIP-FLOPHarris called Biden's past support for the Hyde Amendment "unacceptable" at a Democratic primary debate, citing her role as a former prosecutor who tried rape and child molestation cases. Harris pressed him, asking why it took him so long to change his position on the Hyde Amendment. Harris was pressed on this and said it was right for Biden to apologize

College students told a Campus Reform correspondent they approved of President Trump's recent executive actions deferring student loan payments and payroll tax collection -- believing that such moves were being touted by presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden. One student told Neret that deferring student loan payments "sounds like a good idea," while another called it "amazing." WHAT'S IN TRUMP'S FOUR CORONAVIRUS RELIEF EXECUTIVE ORDERS? Responses varied after Neret revealed the deferrals were ordered by Trump as part of a series of coronavirus relief executive actions last weekend. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP"I'm really not all about President Trump, but the part of funding schools to giving us money while in this crisis ... it did help," she added.

Trump administration needs to be consistent in its China policy: FiorinaFormer HP CEO Carly Fiorina discusses doing business with China and how the Trump administration has been dealing with it.

(CNN) A new poll from Pew Research Center finds that 49% of registered voters expect voting in the November elections to be difficult, a vast increase from the midterm elections two years ago as President Donald Trump attacks mail-in voting. The poll was conducted while Trump was criticizing mail-in voting but before he said on Thursday that he opposes funding for the US Postal Service because he doesn't want to see it used for mail-in voting in November. Trump's attacks on mail-in voting and USPS are being slammed as an attempt to manipulate the system for political gain, as he could benefit from voter suppression among communities who vote by mail. It shows 50% of voters expect voting in November to be easy. Significantly more voters who plan to vote for former Vice President Joe Biden in November expect voting to be difficult (60%) than those who plan to support Trump (35%).

The second rule of politics -- or maybe just an addendum to the first rule -- should be: Never compare anything to the mission that led to the death of Osama bin Laden. "Martin County Superintendent Laurie Gaylord told me she viewed re-opening her schools as a mission akin to a Navy SEAL operation. Just as the SEALs surmounted obstacles to bring Osama bin Laden to justice, so too would the Martin County School system find a way to provide parents with a meaningful choice of in-person instruction or continued distance learning. But none of this is in any way comparable to a group of Navy SEALs killing bin Laden. But even Trump didn't go as far as to compare the effort to offer in-person learning to the operation to kill bin Laden.

That's why you would have expected Trump and his campaign to roll out a carefully-crafted reaction the moment Biden made the announcement. The news has thrown Trump visibly off balance, and sent his campaign flailing just as badly. The Trump campaign lifted that stirring quote , verbatim, and sent it out in a fundraising appeal. Another fundraising email warned that, "Joe Biden and Kamala Harris Would Destroy America." But there is no reasonable excuse for why the Trump campaign was unprepared for the Harris announcement.

FILE PHOTO: A person holds a smartphone with the TikTok logo displayed in this picture illustration taken Nov. 7, 2019. REUTERS/Dado RuvicWASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two U.S. Republican senators on Thursday asked the Federal Trade Commission for an investigation of video-sharing app TikTok’s consumer data collection and processing practices. The senators sought specific answers from the FTC related to a Wall Street Journal report that described TikTok’s undisclosed collection and transmission of data from millions of U.S. consumers until November 2019. A company spokeswoman said the current TikTok app does not collect MAC addresses. “As the Wall Street Journal points out, the TikTok app is not unique in the amount of information it collects, compared to other mobile apps; however the assertions made in the article misrepresent our intentions for using encryption.”

(Reuters) - The potential COVID-19 vaccines backed by the Trump administration’s Operation Warp Speed program are unlikely to receive a green light from regulators any earlier than November or December of this year, given the time needed for a large-scale clinical trial, National Institutes of Health director Francis Collins said in a call with reporters on Thursday. Collins said he thinks that testing a vaccine in at least 10,000 people could potentially give enough evidence of safety and efficacy to clear it for wider use. The late-stage vaccine trials launched so far in the U.S. aim to recruit up to 30,000 people.

FILE PHOTO: The messenger app WeChat is seen among U.S. flags in this illustration picture taken August 7, 2020. WeChat users in the United States rushed to install the app before it could disappear from the app stores. Signal app downloads in U.S. and China app stores separately jumped by 30% and 90%. WeChat users have also turned to another Tencent-owned chat app, QQ, as the ban did not specifically cover this product. Its downloads in the United States have tripled in the past week, Sensor Tower data showed.

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Chinese tech giant ByteDance censored content it perceived as critical of the Chinese government on its news aggregator app in Indonesia from 2018 to mid-2020, six people with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters. Logos of Bytedance, the China-based company which owns the short video app TikTok, or Douyin, are seen on a strap of an employee card, in Beijing, China August 13, 2020. REUTERS/Tingshu WangThe sources said that local moderators were instructed by a team from ByteDance’s Beijing headquarters to delete articles seen as “negative” about Chinese authorities on the Baca Berita (BaBe) app. Indonesia, a country of 270 million where over half the population is under 30, is one of ByteDance’s fastest-growing markets. ByteDance bought Indonesian news aggregator BaBe in 2018 after TikTok was briefly banned in the country for showing “pornography, inappropriate content and blasphemy”, according to officials.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration on Thursday will roll back regulations aimed at reducing emissions of the potent greenhouse gas methane from oil and gas operations, its latest move to unwind environmental rules ahead of November’s presidential election. During a visit to election swing state Pennsylvania, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler will formally rescind 2016 Obama administration limits on oil and gas industry emissions of methane, a move criticized by environmentalists when initially proposed last August. The EPA is expected to retain some of the rules issued in 2012 that control methane emissions and also limit those of so-called volatile organic compounds (VOC) that cause smog. “But we understand that this rule has drawn diverse viewpoints across our industry.”The API said existing VOC regulations have led to methane emissions falling 60% from 2011-2018. Kevin Dietsch/Pool via REUTERS/File PhotoEnvironmental groups said the move comes as scientific reports highlight the major role methane emissions play in worsening climate change.

REUTERS/Kevin LamarqueUnder the accord, which U.S. President Donald Trump helped broker, Israel agreed to suspend its planned annexation of areas of the occupied West Bank. It also firms up opposition to regional power Iran, which the UAE, Israel and the United States view as the main threat in the conflict-riven Middle East. But the UAE, along with most other Arab nations, did not recognise Israel and had no formal diplomatic or economic relations with it until now. Delegations from Israel and the United Arab Emirates will meet in the coming weeks to sign agreements regarding investment, tourism, direct flights, security, telecommunications and other issues, the joint statement said. Slideshow (4 Images)“Now that the ice has been broken, I expect more Arab and Muslim countries will follow the United Arab Emirates’ lead,” Trump added.

Israeli also said it would suspend annexing areas of the occupied West Bank as it had been planning to do. “After 49 years,” Trump added, “Israel and the United Arab Emirates will fully normalize their diplomatic relations. Two of the Republican president’s primary Middle East endeavors have sputtered in the past year. Echoing comments by Trump, Kushner told reporters in a conference call that other countries in the region may now come forward to strike a similar deal with Israel. “Israel was thinking about applying Israeli sovereignty and Israeli law to different areas of the West Bank.

FILE PHOTO: The messenger app WeChat is seen next to its logo in this illustration picture taken August 7, 2020. WeChat users in the United States rushed to install the app before it could disappear from the app stores. Signal app downloads in U.S. and China app stores separately jumped by 30% and 90%. WeChat users have also turned to another Tencent-owned chat app, QQ, as the ban did not specifically cover this product. Its downloads in the United States have tripled in the past week, Sensor Tower data showed.

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel talked of “history” and Palestinians of “betrayal” after Thursday’s surprise announcement of a deal to normalise relations between the Jewish state and the United Arab Emirates. A television screen shows U.S. President Donald Trump as Palestinians follow the news on UAE 's agreement with Israel on normalising relations, in Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank August 13, 2020. “The Palestinian leadership rejects and denounces the UAE, Israeli and U.S. trilateral, surprising, announcement,” said Abbas’s spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank. Reading a statement on Palestinian television, Abu Rudeineh said the leadership regarded the UAE’s move as “a betrayal”. But for many Palestinians and Arabs in other countries, the word has overwhelmingly negative connotations.

Postal Service and election infrastructure in a new coronavirus relief bill, in a bid to block more Americans from voting by mail during the pandemic. “The items are the post office and the $3.5 billion for mail-in voting,” Trump told Fox Business Network, saying Democrats want to give the post office $25 billion. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Thursday said the Republican-controlled Senate was leaving Washington until September, unless there was a coronavirus relief agreement that required a vote. Trump has also criticized state efforts to make voting by mail more widely available, saying without evidence it could lead to widespread fraud. Evidence shows mail voting is as secure as any other method.

Israeli also said it would suspend annexing areas of the occupied West Bank as it had been planning to do. “After 49 years,” Trump added, “Israel and the United Arab Emirates will fully normalize their diplomatic relations. Two of the Republican president’s primary Middle East endeavors have sputtered in the past year. Echoing comments by Trump, Kushner told reporters in a conference call that other countries in the region may now come forward to strike a similar deal with Israel. “Israel was thinking about applying Israeli sovereignty and Israeli law to different areas of the West Bank.

FILE PHOTO: White House economic advisor Larry Kudlow addresses a press briefing on the U.S. economy and new U.S. employment and unemployment numbers in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, U.S., July 2, 2020. REUTERS/Tom BrennerWASHINGTON (Reuters) - White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow on Thursday said the Trump administration is satified with progress on Phase One of the U.S. trade deal with China. “On trade, we are engaged and thus far (U.S. Trade Representative) Lighthizer is satisfied with the progress,” Kudlow said in an interview with Fox News.

Joe Biden chose Kamala Harris as his running mate because she’s popular with suburban women and has shown “she can take on Donald Trump and Mike Pence,” among other things, according to internal Biden campaign talking points obtained by HuffPost. The documents were distributed to delegates this week ahead of the Democratic National Convention, which is set to begin on Monday. They outline how to promote Harris, how to describe her relationship with Biden and hint at why he chose her as his running mate. Another talking point details how she was a “tough questioner” in Judiciary Committee hearings, likely referring to her widely publicized takedown of Brett Kavanaugh during his Supreme Court confirmation hearings. Trump and right-wing media have wasted no time attacking Harris since Biden announced her as his pick to be his vice president on Tuesday.

(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump declared Thursday that he opposes additional funding for the U.S. Postal Service, acknowledging that his position would starve the agency of money Democrats say it needs to process an anticipated surge in mail-in ballots during the coronavirus pandemic. Democrats have pushed for $10 billion in all for the Postal Service in talks with Republicans on a huge COVID-19 response bill. That figure, which would include money to help with election mail, is down from a $25 billion plan in a House-passed coronavirus measure. Judy Beard, legislative and political director for the American Postal Workers Union, said postal workers are up to the task of delivering mail-in ballots this year.

Joe Biden on Thursday called on governors across the U.S. to issue mask-wearing mandates to stem the spread of COVID-19. The event with Harris was their second public appearance together this week after Biden announced on Tuesday that he had chosen his running mate. This site is protected by recaptchaThough Biden has previously called for nationwide mask-wearing mandates, that he would use his second ever event with Harris to reiterate the message underscores the role the pandemic is likely to pay in his campaign. He said his team of medical experts had advised him that nationwide mask mandates could save "over 40,000 lives" over the next three months. Prior to their remarks, Biden and Harris were briefed privately on the pandemic by a group of public health experts and doctors.

Yesterday, in an interview with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Pompeo publicly confirmed last week's reporting. Soon after, the American president added that the bounty controversy is "all a made up Fake News Media Hoax started to slander me [and] the Republican Party." Two weeks ago, Trump went on to concede he "never" broached the subject with Russian President Vladimir Putin, in part because the intelligence about the bounties -- intel he suggested last month didn't exist -- "never reached my desk." The questions for Trump are simple: "What's the real reason you didn't bring this up with Putin?" and "Why does your own team disagree with your assessment about the controversy being 'made up' and a 'hoax'"?

WASHINGTON — The man appointed by President Donald Trump to lead the U.S. global media agency suspended seven senior managers at the organization late Wednesday in a move that a senior House Democrat called a bid to "purge" government-funded media outlets. Pack has said previously that he intended to uphold the principles of editorial independence at the Voice of America and the other international broadcasters overseen by his agency. Pack replaced the boards mostly with political appointees of the Trump administration, and named himself as chairman. One of the concerns raised by lawmakers centers on the legal status of dozens of foreign nationals working as journalists at VOA. Last week, the Office of Personnel Management said it had stripped USAGM of its authority to conduct and adjudicate background investigations for its employees.

Tony Evers said Thursday that he expects President Donald Trump and his entourage to wear masks indoors and social distance when Trump visits Oshkosh for a rally next week. Evers, a Democrat, issued a statewide mask mandate in July to combat rising coronavirus infections. The governor told reporters during a teleconference on Thursday that he expects Trump and others to wear masks Monday when they’re inside buildings and stay 6 feet apart. Evers is scheduled to speak Wednesday at the convention. He said everyone will wear masks and social distance, but he didn’t think an audience would be physically present except for reporters.

Jaquenette Ferguson from Oxon Hill, Md., gestures as she gets her picture taken beside a portrait of the late Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., near the East Front Steps of the U.S. the Capitol, Tuesday, July 28, 2020, in Washington. Seven candidates qualified Friday for the Sept. 29 election, but declining to run is replacement Democratic nominee Nikema Williams, a state senator and chair of the state Democratic Party. They both said they’re holding their fire for the Nov. 3 general election, which will decide a full two-year term. Lewis was the youngest and last survivor of the Big Six civil rights activists, led by the late Martin Luther King Jr. The district is overwhelmingly Democratic and Lewis rarely faced any serious challenge in his 17 terms.

FILE - This Sept. 9, 2016 photo shows Harkness Tower on the campus of Yale University in New Haven, Conn. A Justice Department investigation has found Yale University is illegally discriminating against Asian-American and white applications, in violation of federal civil rights law, officials said Thursday, Aug. 13, 2020. (AP Photo/Beth J. Harpaz, File)WASHINGTON (AP) — A Justice Department investigation has found Yale University is illegally discriminating against Asian American and white applicants, in violation of federal civil rights law, officials said Thursday. The Justice Department had previously filed court papers siding with Asian American groups who had levied similar allegations against Harvard University. The two-year investigation concluded that Yale “rejects scores of Asian American and white applicants each year based on their race, whom it otherwise would admit,” the Justice Department said. The Justice Department has demanded that Yale immediately stop and agree not to use race or national origin for upcoming admissions.

FILE - In this Aug. 14, 2019, file photo former Fed Chair Janet Yellen speaks with FOX Business Network guest anchor Jon Hilsenrath in the Fox Washington bureau in Washington. Former Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen was among a team of advisers who briefed Joe Biden on Thursday, Aug. 13, 2020, about the economic fallout from the coronavirus. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)FILE - In this Aug. 14, 2019, file photo former Fed Chair Janet Yellen speaks with FOX Business Network guest anchor Jon Hilsenrath in the Fox Washington bureau in Washington. Former Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen was among a team of advisers who briefed Joe Biden on Thursday, Aug. 13, 2020, about the economic fallout from the coronavirus. (AP) — Former Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen was among a team of advisers who briefed Joe Biden on Thursday about the economic fallout from the coronavirus.

Department Of Justice Seizes Bitcoin, Websites From Terror GroupsEnlarge this image toggle caption Department of Justice Department of JusticeThe Justice Department has seized millions of dollars' worth of cryptocurrency from terrorist organizations, according to court documents that were unsealed Thursday, in what the government called its "largest-ever seizure of cryptocurrency in the terrorism context." The Trump administration also said it seized several websites tied to an ISIS scheme to sell fraudulent face masks to the public during this pandemic. The government seized the websites involved, and says it is investigating whether the fraud resulted in any funds being sent to support terror efforts; the websites may also have been used for money laundering, the administration suggests. But, the Justice Department wrote in the newly unsealed court documents, "it is possible to determine the identity of an individual involved in a [bitcoin] transaction through several different tools that are available to law enforcement." Software that looks for "clusters" of transactions could then identify other bitcoin possessed by the same individual, according to the filing.

For Microsoft Corp. Chief Executive Satya Nadella, completing an acquisition of TikTok’s U.S. business could pose a new challenge: How to reshape a just-bought business quickly, without damaging its successful formula. Mr. Nadella typically has taken a light-touch approach in Microsoft’s biggest acquisitions. “This is not about changing the core of LinkedIn,” Mr. Nadella said at the time of the takeover. The administration’s position is that TikTok poses an economic and national-security threat to U.S. interests. TikTok disputes it poses such a risk and said it would challenge the order.

WASHINGTON—President Trump this week tapped a new coronavirus adviser whose views on the pandemic closely align with his own. Scott Atlas, who spoke at Wednesday’s coronavirus briefing at the White House, is a radiologist, a senior fellow at the conservative Hoover Institution of Stanford University and a frequent Fox News commentator. He previously served as chief of neuroradiology at the Stanford University Medical Center and has previously advised Republican presidential candidates on health care, including Mitt Romney...

Israel and the United Arab Emirates moved Thursday to establish formal diplomatic ties, after Israel agreed to halt plans to annex parts of the West Bank. The deal was reached with U.S. backing, and President Trump has hailed it as historic. Here is a look at what the pact involves and what it means for the broader Middle East. What did Israel and the United Arab Emirates commit to?

Facebook, Google and Twitter have discussed with federal officials how they can prevent the spread of misinformation in the days before and after the election. President Trump’s repeated attacks on the security of voting by mail are the biggest issue, said several current and former officials from some intelligence agencies. Some current officials working on election security said they consider such messaging from the president to be a more significant threat than efforts by foreign countries to undermine the election’s integrity. Facebook is thinking about how to handle posts in the period between people voting and the results being announced. Experts in both election security and foreign disinformation said Moscow’s efforts to sow division and undermine faith in U.S. democracy have continued and evolved since 2016.

A big drop in people seeking benefits in the past two weeks after the end of a $600 federal stipend hints the answer might be yes. A handful of studies, including one by Yale, assert the federal stipend has had virtually no impact on whether people go back to work. Mary Daly, president of the San Francisco Federal Reserve, also downplayed the role of the federal stipend on unemployment in a “digital town hall” on Tuesday. The federal stipend hasn’t been renewed partly because Republicans argued it was keeping workers from returning to their jobs. We could be choking off the recovery.”He suggested a still-generous, if smaller, federal stipend of $400 a month as a way to bridge the divide in Washington.

Sure, Herman Cain freaked out Twitter on Wednesday, but that’s to be expected when you post a tweet two weeks after your death. He was diagnosed with the illness a week after attending a rally for President Donald Trump in Tulsa, Oklahoma. So it was quite a shock for many Twitter users when Cain’s Twitter account posted a tweet attacking Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. https://t.co/hf1rHGTcgD — Amanda Marcotte (@AmandaMarcotte) August 13, 2020Others wondered when the Trump campaign would take advantage of Cain’s Twitter resurrection. Related...Herman Cain, 2012 GOP Presidential Candidate And Businessman, Dies At Age 74Herman Cain Remains Hospitalized 1 Month After COVID-19 DiagnosisEx-RNC Chair Confronts Reality Of Herman Cain’s DeathThis article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

The claim: President Donald Trump and Ivanka Trump donated money to past Kamala Harris campaigns. Another claim asserts President Donald Trump and his daughter Ivanka, while private citizens, donated to Kamala Harris' past attorney general campaigns. Story continuesFact check: Kamala Harris quote about 'vengeance' is fake, created by satire websiteIn this Oct. 2, 2019, file photo, then -Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., listens during a gun safety forum in Las Vegas. President Donald Trump and his daughter Ivanka Trump donated to Kamala Harris' campaigns for California attorney general , which she instead donated to a nonprofit. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: Donald Trump did donate to Kamala Harris' past campaigns

The Trump administration said the groups used the accounts to solicit donations for their causes, including through a bogus scam that officials say purported to sell protective gear for the coronavirus pandemic. Officials described it as the largest-ever seizure of digital currency funds related to terrorism. The seized funds are expected to be turned over to a fund for victims of terrorist attacks. Law enforcement officials ultimately seized more than 150 cryptocurrency accounts that they say laundered funds to accounts operated by the al-Qassam Brigades. The department also identified a scheme that officials say was orchestrated by an IS associate who manages certain hacking operations for the group.

Nature gave us the coronavirus, but the conspiracy theories, myths, and outright lies that accompany it are all manufactured by people, and have killed, maimed, and hospitalized thousands, a new study finds. There’s a worldwide “infodemic,” the international team of researchers said, an overwhelming flow of information about the coronavirus. People with conspiracy mentalities and who follow conspiracy theories are more likely to reject any advice that comes from a place of authority, a separate study found. “Misinformation fueled by rumors, stigma, and conspiracy theories can have potentially serious implications on the individual and community if prioritized over evidence-based guidelines,” researchers said in the study. “Health agencies must track misinformation associated with the COVID-19 in real time, and engage local communities and government stakeholders to debunk misinformation.”

Joe Biden is calling for a nationwide protective-mask mandate, citing health experts’ predictions that it could save 40,000 lives from the coronavirus over the next three months. ”Wearing the mask is less about you contracting the virus,” Biden said. “It’s about preventing other people from getting sick.”The Democratic presidential candidate also responded to those who pushed back against such mandates. Step up, do the right thing.”Advertisement“Every single American should be wearing a mask when they’re outside for the next three months at a minimum — every governor should mandate mandatory mask wearing,” Biden said. He has said Americans should wear masks but has opposed the idea of a national requirement, and declined to wear one for months.

AdvertisementContrary to what his supporters say, my resistance to President Trump is not a question of being unable to accept a defeat. I can’t think of anyone who has made me, the white housewife, feel less safe than Donald Trump. Indeed, based on the elation that emanated from Trumpland Tuesday night, it seems as if Biden’s choice could hinder the ticket. Ronald B Campbell Jr.NatickHarris is a good candidate — periodNeither the color of her skin nor her gender makes Kamala Harris a good candidate. She is a good candidate.

”Wearing the mask is less about you contracting the virus,” Biden said. (AP) — Joe Biden is calling for a nationwide protective mask mandate, citing health experts’ predictions that it could save 40,000 lives from coronavirus over the next three months. Step up, do the right thing.”“Every single American should be wearing a mask when they’re outside for the next three months at a minimum — every governor should mandate mandatory mask wearing," Biden declared. He urges Americans to wear masks but has opposed the idea of a national requirement and declined to wear one for months. Biden and running mate California Sen. Kamala Harris spoke briefly Thursday in the same Wilmington hotel ballroom where they held a virtual fundraiser after appearing together as running mates for the first time Wednesday.

School districts and the state’s teachers unions have pressed the Baker administration to come up with benchmarks to guide public school reopening decisions, and on Wednesday it finally did just that. AdvertisementMany of the state’s school districts are already finalizing plans for the fall. And the state and school districts ought to view that as unacceptable. Elementary school kids are also the cohort hardest to teach remotely, as countless parents and teachers can attest. Districts have no perfect options, and there are risks to the health and education of school kids no matter what course superintendents choose.

It’s true that the number of jobs in Pennsylvania grew between Trump’s inauguration and February of this year. We don’t set out here to determine who deserves credit for that growth. Regardless, Pence is talking about jobs figures prior to the pandemic. He doesn’t just get to stop the clock in February because it provides a more favorable picture. Using the most recent data, Pennsylvania has 600,000 fewer jobs than when Trump took office, and manufacturing jobs are down as well.

The National Bureau of Economic Research found 68% on UI were making more with unemployment with the federal supplement. A central part of the stalemate between the White House and Democrats in Congress over a new coronavirus relief bill is what to do about enhanced federal unemployment benefits. In contrast, most states base unemployment benefits on a percentage of previous earnings, rather than a fixed amount, the study noted. Moreover, a June 2020 analysis by the Chicago Federal Reserve says those who receive unemployment benefits are more likely to look for another job more intensively than those who have used up their unemployment benefits. Indeed, researchers found in this analysis once unemployed individuals exhaust their benefits, their search effort decreases.

— Joe Biden is calling for a nationwide protective mask mandate, citing health experts’ predictions that it could save 40,000 lives from coronavirus over the next three months. ”Wearing the mask is less about you contracting the virus,” Biden said. “It’s about preventing other people from getting sick.”The Democratic presidential candidate also responded to those who push back against such mandates. Step up, do the right thing.”“Every single American should be wearing a mask when they’re outside for the next three months at a minimum — every governor should mandate mandatory mask wearing,” Biden declared. He urges Americans to wear masks but has opposed the idea of a national requirement and declined to wear one for months.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Justice Department investigation has found Yale University is illegally discriminating against Asian American and white applicants, in violation of federal civil rights law, officials said Thursday. Yale denied the allegation, calling it “meritless” and “hasty.”The findings detailed in a letter to the college’s attorneys Thursday mark the latest action by the Trump administration aimed at rooting out discrimination in the college application process, following complaints from students about the application process at some Ivy League colleges. The Justice Department had previously filed court papers siding with Asian American groups who had levied similar allegations against Harvard University. The two-year investigation concluded that Yale “rejects scores of Asian American and white applicants each year based on their race, whom it otherwise would admit,” the Justice Department said. The investigation stemmed from a 2016 complaint against Yale, Brown and Dartmouth.

FILE - This Aug. 28, 2019, file photo shows the Adelanto U.S. Immigration and Enforcement Processing Center operated by GEO Group, Inc. (GEO) a Florida-based company specializing in privatized corrections in Adelanto, Calif. Speaking to investors last week, the founder of the private prison company GEO Group, which has been donating large sums to President Donald Trump and Republican candidates, predicted his company would rebound after the November election.

The vice president’s visit comes three days after one of the most powerful weather events in Iowa history Monday. Damage EstimatesDamage was still being calculated, but about 10 million of the state’s 23 million acres of corn and soybean crops were affected, according to the Iowa Department of Agriculture. Trump and Pence will need to rally every vote in Iowa, even as it struggles with multiple disasters. Trump has reserved more than $6 million in campaign ads in Iowa in the general election. The president won Iowa by nine points in 2016 but now leads by just two points in a Monmouth University Poll published last week.

The Senate left Washington, D.C., on Thursday until September — the latest sign that a deal on a fifth coronavirus relief package is, at least, weeks away. But with talks stalemated, senators argue there is little reason for them to keep holding daily, roughly 1 1/2-hour sessions. “Basically, not much new movement,” said Sen. Roy Blunt Roy Dean BluntDavis: The Hall of Shame for GOP senators who remain silent on Donald Trump Skepticism grows over Friday deadline for coronavirus deal GOP expects Senate to be in session next week without coronavirus deal MORE (R-Mo.) ADVERTISEMENTVulnerable incumbents in both parties have sent warning signals this week to leadership that they need to cut a deal. “And, you know, I think he's done what he can do with the Senate GOP.

The president has not held back in his own attacks on Ms Harris since her selection as Mr Biden's running mate. Mr Trump also tried to drive a wedge between Ms Harris and Mr Biden on Twitter. Mr Trump wrote. During a Fox Business interview, the president attacked Ms Harris for her questioning of current Supreme Court Justice Bret Kavanaugh during his confirmation hearings. In response to Mr Trump's attacks, Mr Biden called for his supporters to rally around Ms Harris.

One prominent member of that team has been Ms Harris’ younger sister, Maya Harris, who has been dubbed “Bobby Kennedy” – referencing the late politician’s relationship with brother John F Kennedy before becoming a political force himself. At the age of 29, she took over Lincoln Law School and became one of the nation’s youngest law school deans ever. Decades of the younger Ms Harris’ career was spent advocating for criminal justice reform and educational equity for all. Although in the public eye with the assistance of her politically prominent sister, there are aspects of the younger Ms Harris’ life that she has kept relatively private. So incredibly proud of you, sis,” the younger Ms Harris wrote following the vice president announcement.

Joe Biden announced Thursday that he believed Americans should be wearing masks outside their homes until after the November presidential election to blunt the death toll of the coronavirus. 'Every single American should be wearing a mask when they're outside for the next three months, at a minimum,' Biden said during brief remarks in Wilmington, Delaware. 'Again when I occasionally get confronted with a person in public about wearing a mask I say, "Look, this is America, be a patriot. President Donald Trump has politicized mask-wearing over the past four months as COVID-19 continues to spread and kill Americans. The Associated Press reported in May that Trump feared wearing a mask would 'send the wrong message.'

Seventy-one people tested positive for COVID-19 after attending an event at a winery in northwestern Ohio as experts raise alarm about such gatherings fueling the rampant spread of the virus in rural Midwestern communities. Seventy-one people tested positive for COVID-19 after attending an event the Leisure Time Winery (pictured) in Napoleon, Ohio, last month. A similar trend has emerged in rural counties in Illinois, including Cass, Iroquis, Coles and Saline. Rural counties in Illinois - including Cass, Iroquis, Coles and Saline - have started to see higher rates of coronavirus. The map above shows counties with high rates in yellowIn Wisconsin, case rates in several rural counties are now on par with those in metropolitan areas.

The 1,499 deaths reported on Wednesday marked the largest daily increase since mid-May. 'We haven't done a good job of getting [coronavirus vaccine] information out there.' Meanwhile, the number of cases in Florida continue to trend downward following a huge summer spike across the Sunbelt states. The state reported 8,183 cases on Wednesday, down from the record 15,000 in mid-July. Arizona currently leads the nation with pediatric coronavirus cases, according to a new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

He also charges that mail-in ballots lead to rampant fraud, although no evidence supports that. By choking off fresh funding, Trump appeared intent on sabotaging the process and making his warnings a self-fulfilling prophesy. They want $25 billion, billion, for the Post Office. AdvertisementTrump has claimed, perplexingly, that “absentee” voting is fine while mail-in voting is not, even though they are the same thing. “So, therefore, they don’t have the money to do the universal mail-in voting.

MORE, who was appointed by Attorney General William Barr to review the origins of the Russia probe. Graham's statement comes as Wray has come under criticism from several GOP lawmakers, including top Trump allies, in recent months. We have an election coming up," Trump said. Johnson subpoenaed the FBI for documents, under broad authorization he got from Republicans on the Homeland Security panel in June, saying he had "run out of patience." Graham sent a letter to Wray this week about a 2018 briefing involving a controversial research dossier from 2016 compiled on then-candidate Donald Trump that the FBI provided to the Senate Intelligence Committee, which Graham is not a member of.

President Donald Trump said Thursday he opposed emergency funding for election operations and the Postal Service because it could allow more people to vote by mail. “They want $3.5 billion for something that will turn out to be fraudulent, that’s election money basically,” Trump said of congressional Democrats. “They want $25 billion, billion, for the post office. [Election officials ‘prepare for the worst’ as congressional aid talks stall]“Now, if we don’t make a deal, that means they don’t get the money. That means they can’t have universal mail-in voting, they just can’t have it,” Trump said Thursday.

“It’s a galvanizing moment, a solidarity moment for HBCUs and African American Greek organizations,” said Tennessee State University President Glenda Glover. “These organizations were all at the forefront of providing an outlet for African Americans to excel,” Glover says of AKA and other organizations at HBCUs. “This is what our founders had in mind.”Star Jones and Sen. Kamala Harris at the Black Enterprise Women of Power Summit in Las Vegas in 2019. But Kimbrough agrees with Glover that the Harris announcement represents a milestone everyone affiliated with these organizations and HBCUs should take to heart. Advertisement“For years, HBCUs have faced questions of if we’re ‘relevant.’ It was nonsense then, it’s nonsense now,” Howard University Executive Vice President Tashni-Ann Dubroy said.

"I hope they're not going to be politically correct," Mr Trump said. I wish he was more forthcoming," Mr Trump said, claiming that someone in his administration or an outside adviser hand-picked Mr Wray. Mr Trump's morning accusations were his latest attempt to revive his "Obamagate" conspiracy theory. Mr Biden and other senior Obama administration officials have denied any wrongdoing. "We are in a battle for the soul of this nation," the presumptive Democratic nominee tweeted a couple hours after Mr Trump's interview.

The Trump administration on Thursday weakened Obama-era regulations designed to reduce climate-warming methane gas emissions from oil and gas fields. "As with Covid-19, the Trump administration is ignoring science to gut oil and gas methane pollution safeguards," said Lauren Pagel, policy director at Earthworks, which tracks methane leaks at oil and gas sites. Biden has vowed to require "aggressive" methane pollution regulations for oil and gas companies. "Unfortunately, methane emissions are increasing rapidly and the oil and gas industry is clearly part of the problem," Howarth said. "The decision by the Trump administration to rescind regulations on methane emissions is dangerously reckless," he added.

Trump also tweeted a lengthy joint statement between the US, UAE and Israel, calling the agreement to "full normalization of relations" between Israel and the UAE a "historic diplomatic breakthrough." Asked whether it was right to characterize the UAE agreement as stopping annexation, Netanyahu said: "We received a request to wait temporarily from President Trump. But officials from the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) rejected the agreement to establish bilateral relations between the UAE and Israel on Thursday, a message echoed by Palestinian militant group Hamas. Last week when an interagency delegation traveled to the UAE, a peace agreement with Israel was not discussed, the officials ?said. World reactsEgyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi welcomed the UAE and Israel agreement towards establishing bilateral relations on Thursday.

Not only will Little James be forced to “transition” into a girl named “Luna,” but his lucky father gets to pay $5K per month for the privilege! Younger and his ex-wife Dr. Georgulas, a say in medical, psychological, and psychiatric decisions for James and Jude. Now, Georgulas – who supports subjecting James to a gender “transition” – will be in charge of those decisions. According to the “Save James” Facebook page, “a special evidentiary hearing is scheduled for September,” to review the current orders. Please pray for James and his family, that this demented and sickening order may eventually be overturned in September.

Consumers will have to pay more to refinance their mortgages after Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac announced that they are raising fees for lenders on the loans. In a letter to lenders, Fannie Mae specifically cited "market and economic uncertainty resulting in higher risk and costs." "Requiring Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to charge a 0.5% fee on refinance mortgages they purchase will raise interest rates on families trying to make ends meet in these challenging times." Mortgage refinances have been surging for months, as interest rates continue to set record lows almost weekly. The increase in fees was only levied on mortgage refinances, not on loans used to purchase a home.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel are to establish diplomatic ties in a deal halting the planned annexation of occupied land sought by the Palestinians. It also firms up opposition to regional power Iran, which the UAE, Israel and the US view as the main threat in the region. The Hamas militant group, which wants to destroy Israel, accused the UAE of stabbing the Palestinians in the back. Yes - it's true that for some time, quietly in the background the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel have warmed their relations. Well - for decades the price Arabs have asked from Israel for the normalisation of relations has been a Palestinian State.

All three of those states had sued the Trump administration over the public charge rule. Get Breaking News Delivered to Your InboxWednesday's order is a temporary victory for the Trump administration and its public charge policy, the most sweeping restriction on legal immigration in recent years. The high court denied their request but left open the possibility for the states to pursue relief in lower courts. Daniels also halted in July the State Department version of the public charge rule, which applies to people abroad applying for immigrant visas. The rules require officers to determine if prospective immigrants are likely to become a "public charge" by analyzing their wealth, age, educational skills, English language proficiency, health and other factors.

More than 900 front-line health care workers have died of COVID-19, according to an interactive database unveiled Tuesday by The Guardian and KHN. Explore Our Database KHN and The Guardian are tracking health care workers who died from COVID-19 and writing about their lives and what happened in their final days. Read Their StoriesIt is the most comprehensive accounting of U.S. health care workers’ deaths in the country. Further investigations found that health workers who contracted the coronavirus and their families now struggle to access death and other benefits in the workers’ compensation system. Our reporting has also examined the deaths of 19 health care workers under age 30 who died from COVID-19.

WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a Republican National Committee challenge to Rhode Island's move to waive a requirement that two witnesses or a notary validate a voter's signature on mailed-in ballots. Common Cause Rhode Island, the League of Women Voters of Rhode Island and others sued to extend the rule change. Rhode Island is set to mail absentee ballots this week for its September primary. The RNC pointed to a case in Alabama where the Supreme Court blocked a lower court ruling that sided with voters who had sued against a similar witness requirement. In that case, the state defended the requirement, but in Rhode Island, state officials backed the change, the Supreme Court noted in its order denying the Republican request.

WASHINGTON – White House adviser Jared Kushner said Thursday he spoke recently with rapper Kanye West – but not about any plan to have West run for president in order to help father-in-law Donald Trump win re-election. Democrats have also cited local news reports that Republican operatives have helped West's aides put together ballot petitions in Wisconsin, Colorado and other states. More:Kanye West announces he's running for president in 2020; Mark Cuban, Elon Musk tweet supportMore:Kanye West calls out President Trump in new rap; Trump brushes off rapper's run in interviewTrump and members of his re-election team have denied collusion with West and his makeshift presidential campaign. Kushner and West have described each other as friends, and worked together on criminal justice issues. West, who announced his candidacy by tweet on July 4, has said both supportive and not-so-supportive things about Trump over the years.

IOWA CITY, Iowa –President Donald Trump's campaign and several national Republican political committees are suing auditors in two Iowa counties who they accuse of having gone "rogue" in issuing absentee ballot request forms ahead of November's election. The suit asks the courts to invalidate these absentee ballot requests, requiring voters to resubmit before an Oct. 24 deadline in order to receive their absentee ballot. This summer, state Republicans have gone as far as to add additional oversight over fellow Republican Secretary of State Paul Pate's emergency election powers to make sure absentee request forms meet the party's expectations. The lawsuit specifically relates to what kind of information can be included on absentee ballot request forms sent to active registered voters. On July 1, the council rejected a push from the Legislature's Democrats to have ballot request forms mailed out to registered voters.

“Every single American should be wearing a mask when they’re outside for the next three months at a minimum," Biden said. Some 34 states have mandatory mask orders, according to AARP, an advocacy group for older Americans. But mask orders have become political lightning rods across the country. In Georgia, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and a dozen other local jurisdictions ordered people to wear masks in public places. In Florida, Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods told his employees they will not wear masks at work and visitors can’t wear masks in his offices.

WILMINGTON — Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and his running mate Sen. Kamala Harris will deliver their convention speeches at the Chase Center in Wilmington next week, the Biden campaign said Thursday. In the days leading up to the Democratic National Convention, there has been speculation about where the former vice president will deliver the biggest speech of his political career. Harris, 55, is the first Black and South Asian American woman to be on a major party's ticket for vice president. She was among a handful of Black women being considered for vice president. More:When Kamala Harris faced political heat, Joe Biden's son Beau had her backHarris has had ties to the Biden family for years.

While bad information about the virus is a problem for everyone, it can pose a particular threat to communities of people of color who alreadyface worse outcomes from the virus. Other studies also show Latinos in some areas are also twice as likely to die from the illness. Added to this already dangerous mix is a higher level of distrust in authority among Latinos — as is the case for other minority communities — that is helping fuel the spread of misinformation about the virus. That forces some Latinos who need information in Spanish to rely on less-trusted sources like social media. “They keep sending the message.”Feliú-Mójer says it’s just as important to control rumors as it is to control the virus.

The Trump Administration will require the Chinese government-backed Confucius Institutes to register their US headquarters as a foreign mission, the State Department announced Thursday. The Chinese government-backed Confucius Institutes operate 550 Chinese culture and language programs in colleges and universities, including 75 in the US. Last year, a Senate Intelligence subcommittee decried the institutes given that their funding come “with strings that can compromise academic freedom.”The foreign mission designation will require the institute’s Washington DC headquarters, also known as the Confucius Institute US Center, declare all its personnel and property to US authorities. The institutes not only operate programs for college-aged students, they also have K-12 classroom instruction. US officials had accused China at the time cracking down against free speech and suppressing information about the magnitude of the pandemic.

TikTok and its US employees are planning to take President Trump’s administration to court over his sweeping order to ban the popular video app, according to a lawyer preparing one of the lawsuits. The TikTok order would take effect in September, but it remains unclear what it will mean for the apps’ 100 million US users, many of them teenagers or young adults who use it to post and watch short-form videos. The order would prohibit “any transaction by any person” with TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance. The looming ban has annoyed TikTok users, some of them Trump supporters like Pam Graef of Metairie, Louisiana. Godwin said the employees’ legal challenge will be focused on worker rights, not on the national security claims underlying Trump’s order.

National security adviser Robert O’Brien said Thursday that President Trump should be the front-runner for the Nobel Peace Prize because of his work in the Middle East and the agreement announced Thursday between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. “When you step back and take a look at what this president has done on the peace front, and it wouldn’t surprise me, it’ll take some time in this environment, but it wouldn’t surprise me if the president’s eventually nominated for a Nobel Prize,” O’Brien said during the White House press briefing. “Today’s work is an example of why he would be rightly considered and should be a front-runner for the Nobel Peace Prize,” he added. “And today, we have the Abraham Accords … at last peace between the UAE and Israel,” O’Brien said. “What I have said is the president is often known as the greatest deal maker and he wrote the book ‘The Art of the Deal.’ He’s considered a great, great deal maker, which he is.

It is another example of how the president has tried to appoint himself as the gatekeeper in chief with his divisive and narrow attempt to define what is truly American. Republicans have shifted from trying to determine who is authentically American to determining who is authentically Black. More importantly, any attempt to question a single aspect of Harris’s pedigree fails to see the bigger picture. Someone who is neither a minority nor a college graduate might relate to being raised by a single mother. The slur “Phony Kamala” tells us far more about Trump than it does about Harris.

The documents provide the latest account of the shooting that occurred Monday evening outside the White House grounds as President Trump was holding a nationally televised news conference. Myron Berryman, 51, was charged with one count of assault on a police officer and has been hospitalized since the incident. ADNo weapon was found after Berryman was shot, according to the charging documents. Dorsey said Berryman was initially charged with a felony, but now faces a misdemeanor charge. ADWhen Berryman reached the officer, he “appeared to make a comment” according to the documents.

All elected Republicans who regard this as an effective political strategy have officially lost whatever marbles they retained. Were you aware that the Knights of Columbus opposed marriage equality when you joined the organization? The full Senate eventually repudiated Harris’s attempt to apply a religious test for office. And for conservatives who want to support an alternative to Trump, it isn’t just a perception problem. But if the goal is (as Harris has said) a “mandate,” then some outreach to and reassurance of religious people is in order.

But what about White House adviser and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner speaking with West? And, given the expense of running campaigns, it seems likely if not guaranteed that West running for office — and expending much more than $2,800 — would violate that law. ADAD“Any expenditure made by Kanye West in cooperation, consultation or concert with — or at the request or suggestion of — Kushner, an agent of the Trump campaign, would be considered an in-kind contribution from the Kanye West campaign to the Trump campaign,” Ryan said. But if anything is done tied to what Kushner or the Trump campaign asked, that’s when this ventures into troubled waters. ADAD“The law doesn’t regulate or restrict or prohibit the non-spending of money or the discouragement of spending money,” Ryan said.

The majority of the jobs lost as a result of the coronavirus pandemic were likely temporary, the Trump administration estimated in a new report released Thursday. As of July, there were 16.3 million laid-off workers and the unemployment rate was at 10.2%, the Labor Department said. But according to a report from the White House Council of Economic Advisers, about 80% of those job losses will not be permanent -- thanks to the $2.2 trillion aid package that Congress signed into law at the end of March. Negotiators are trying to bridge the gulf between a $1 trillion aid package put forward by Senate Republicans at the end of July, and the roughly $3 trillion legislation passed by House Democrats in May. The Trump administration rejected an offer by Pelosi last week to meet in the middle on a $2 trillion price tag.

Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., dismissed the idea that President Trump's coronavirus response was hindered due to Congress pushing impeachment. She was asked specifically about Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who said the government's attention was "diverted" because of impeachment. “It came up while we were tied down in the impeachment trial. And I think it diverted the attention of the government because everything every day was all about impeachment,” he said. MCCONNELL SAYS TRUMP IMPEACHMENT TRIAL 'DIVERTED THE ATTENTION' OF THE GOVERNMENT AS CORONAVIRUS ENTERED THE USHarris added on Wednesday that Trump wasn't acting as a president should during pandemics.

Postal Service and mail-in voting efforts. "But if they don't get those two items that means you can't have universal mail-in voting, because they're not equipped to have it." "If we don't make a deal, that means they don't get the money, that means they can't have universal mail-in voting. Trump's remarks to Fox Business expanded on his prior claims that mail-in voting is impossible if he doesn't approve the funding. Therefore, they can't do the universal mail-in vote," Trump said Wednesday during a White House press briefing.

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee former Vice President Joe Biden puts his mask back on after delivering remarks following a coronavirus briefing with health experts at the Hotel DuPont on August 13, 2020 in Wilmington, Delaware. WASHINGTON – Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, called for a nationwide mask mandate on Thursday, drawing a sharp contrast with President Donald Trump, who rarely wears a mask himself and opposes such mandates. "Every governor should mandate mandatory mask wearing, the estimates by the experts are that it will save over 40,000 lives in the next three months. "What real leadership looks like is Joe Biden, willing to speak up, sometimes telling us the stuff that we don't necessarily want to hear, but we need to know," said Harris. "And the need for this mandatory mask wearing will also be about what Joe has articulated, and what a Biden/Harris administration will do."

In contrast, Russian President Vladimir Putin called for Lukashenko to resume stalled integration plans to join Belarus and Russia into one country. Dim peace prospects in UkraineAnd more than six years later, the prospects for peace in eastern Ukraine are bleaker than ever. As for Putin, further military adventurism runs the risk of a backlash at home, especially if there is major loss of life on the Russian side. (Of course, he could hide any deaths, as Russia reportedly has done in eastern Ukraine .) The Belarus turmoil is yet another opportunity for Putin, and if history is any indication, then he will act decisively while the world is distracted.

Coronavirus Has Now Killed More Americans Than Vietnam WarEnlarge this image toggle caption John Nacion/NurPhoto via Getty Images John Nacion/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesIn not even three months since the first known U.S. deaths from COVID-19, more lives have now been lost to the coronavirus pandemic on U.S. soil than the 58,220 Americans who died over nearly two decades in Vietnam. Early Tuesday evening ET, the U.S. death toll reached 58,365, according to Johns Hopkins University. While the number of lives lost in the U.S. during the pandemic and the U.S. death toll in that war are roughly the same now, the death rate from the coronavirus in America is considerably higher. During 1968, the deadliest year for the U.S. in Vietnam, the death toll of 16,899 occurred at about half the pandemic's rate — 8.5 troops were killed for every 100,000 U.S. residents. The highest daily toll for Americans fighting in the Vietnam War was on Jan. 31, 1968, when 246 U.S. personnel were killed during the Tet Offensive.

(CNN) A federal judge in Pennsylvania told the Trump campaign and the Republican Party that they must produce evidence they have of vote-by-mail fraud in the state by Friday. The judge's order, in a high-profile case about vote-by-mail in the battleground state, essentially forces the Trump campaign to try to back up President Donald Trump's false claims about massive voter fraud in postal voting. The Trump campaign and Republicans had refused to do so. But with Thursday's court order, they must answer questions from the Democratic groups and turn over records of communications -- or say they have none. The Trump campaign has until Friday to respond, the judge said.

If a white man had a backstory like Harris', conservatives would openly consider him a formidable opponent and worthy of at least some respect. Then there are the criticisms of Harris — as with Hillary Clinton before her — as being too apt to change her mind. But women — and especially women of color — are often deemed untrustworthy compared to men, and Black women are supposedly even more untrustworthy than white women. (Black women also overwhelmingly voted against Trump in 2016.) (And, as a woman on the cusp of Gen X, Harris quite literally is a bridge between the Baby Boomer and millennial wings of the party.)

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Chinese tech giant ByteDance censored content it perceived as critical of the Chinese government on its news aggregator app in Indonesia from 2018 to mid-2020, six people with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters. FILE PHOTO: TikTok logos are seen on smartphones in front of a displayed ByteDance logo in this illustration taken November 27, 2019. Those guidelines, which are published on its website, do not mention China or the Chinese government. Indonesia, a country of 270 million where over half the population is under 30, is one of ByteDance’s fastest-growing markets. ByteDance bought Indonesian news aggregator BaBe in 2018 after TikTok was briefly banned in the country for showing “pornography, inappropriate content and blasphemy”, according to officials.

(Reuters) - Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden on Thursday called on all U.S. governors to mandate mask wearing to slow the spread of the coronavirus that has killed more than 165,000 people in the United States. “Every governor should mandate mandatory mask wearing.”He said that early delays in calling for masks led to unnecessary deaths. Public health officials agree that wearing masks in public slows the spread of the respiratory disease that has infected more than 5.2 million Americans. After introducing Harris’ personal story on Wednesday in their first joint appearance since picking his running mate, Biden quickly moved to talking about the urgency of the moment. Biden’s campaign said they collected $34.2 million on Tuesday and Wednesday after announcing Harris as the running mate, a record pace of fundraising.

FILE PHOTO: U.S. flags are seen near a TikTok logo in this illustration picture taken July 16, 2020. REUTERS/Florence LoWASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two U.S. Republican senators on Thursday asked the Federal Trade Commission for an investigation of video-sharing app TikTok’s consumer data collection and processing practices. The senators sought specific answers from the FTC related to a Wall Street Journal report that described TikTok’s undisclosed collection and transmission of data from millions of U.S. consumers until November 2019. The letter is the latest example of Washington’s mounting scrutiny of a Chinese-owned company over national security concerns. Under a Chinese law introduced in 2017, companies have an obligation to support and cooperate in China’s national intelligence work.

Investors, however, remained focused on the stimulus package talks, which broke down last week. “The stalemate over the stimulus package is troubling,” said Amo Sahota, executive director at currency advisory firm Klarity FX in San Francisco. Since the beginning of July, the euro has gained nearly 6% versus the dollar. “The market is moving to places that would give them a better return and more comfortable in buying the Australian dollar, euro, and even the pound.”The dollar also shrugged off better-than-expected U.S. jobless claims data. The offshore yuan rose to a five-month high, but last traded 0.3% lower at 6.9519 per U.S. dollar.

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel talked of “history” and Palestinians of being “blindsided” after Thursday’s surprise announcement of a deal to normalise relations between the Jewish state and the United Arab Emirates. A television screen shows U.S. President Donald Trump as Palestinians follow the news on UAE 's agreement with Israel on normalising relations, in Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank August 13, 2020. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas seemed to be taken by surprise by the Israel-UAE deal and was holding meetings with key aides. Asked if the Palestinian Authority or Palestine Liberation Organization were aware the deal was coming, Hanan Ashrawi, a veteran Palestinian negotiator, told Reuters: “No. He has deceived half a million residents of the area and hundreds of thousands of voters,” said David Elhayani, head of the Yesha Council of settlers.

REUTERS/Kevin LamarqueUnder the accord, which U.S. President Donald Trump helped broker, Israel agreed to suspend its planned annexation of areas of the occupied West Bank. It also firms up opposition to regional power Iran, which the UAE, Israel and the United States view as the main threat in the conflict-riven Middle East. But the UAE, along with most other Arab nations, did not recognise Israel and had no formal diplomatic or economic relations with it until now. “Now that the ice has been broken, I expect more Arab and Muslim countries will follow the United Arab Emirates’ lead,” Trump added. Guterres had urged Israel in June to abandon plans to annex settlements in the West Bank, warning that this threatened prospects for peace with the Palestinians.

(Reuters) - Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden on Thursday called on all U.S. governors to mandate mask wearing to slow the spread of the coronavirus that has killed more than 165,000 people in the United States. “Every governor should mandate mandatory mask wearing.”He said that early delays in calling for masks led to unnecessary deaths. After introducing Harris’ personal story on Wednesday in their first joint appearance since picking his running mate, Biden quickly moved to talking about the urgency of the moment. Biden’s campaign said they collected $34.2 million on Tuesday and Wednesday after announcing Harris as the running mate, a record pace of fundraising. The campaign is still unsure of how they will conduct future appearances, saying they intend to follow local public health guidance that continues to discourage large gatherings.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump will nominate Robert Benedict Bowes to serve as a commissioner of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, according to a White House statement issued on Thursday. The nomination of Bowes, a current Trump administration appointee at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, is subject to confirmation by the U.S. Senate before he can replace current commissioner Brian D. Quintenz for a five-year term.

Abir Sultan /Pool via REUTERSUnder the accord, which U.S. President Donald Trump helped broker, Israel agreed to suspend its planned annexation of areas of the occupied West Bank. It also firms up opposition to regional power Iran, which the UAE, Israel and the United States view as the main threat in the conflict-riven Middle East. But the UAE, along with most other Arab nations, did not recognise Israel and had no formal diplomatic or economic relations with it until now. “Now that the ice has been broken, I expect more Arab and Muslim countries will follow the United Arab Emirates’ lead,” Trump added. Guterres had urged Israel in June to abandon plans to annex settlements in the West Bank, warning that this threatened prospects for peace with the Palestinians.

FILE PHOTO: A person holds a smartphone with the TikTok logo displayed in this picture illustration taken Nov. 7, 2019. REUTERS/Dado RuvicWASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two U.S. Republican senators on Thursday asked the Federal Trade Commission for an investigation of video-sharing app TikTok’s consumer data collection and processing practices. The senators sought specific answers from the FTC related to a Wall Street Journal report that described TikTok’s undisclosed collection and transmission of data from millions of U.S. consumers until November 2019. The letter is the latest example of Washington’s mounting scrutiny of a Chinese-owned company over national security concerns. Under a Chinese law introduced in 2017, companies have an obligation to support and cooperate in China’s national intelligence work.

Investors, however, remained focused on the stimulus package talks, which broke down last week. “The stalemate over the stimulus package is troubling,” said Amo Sahota, executive director at currency advisory firm Klarity FX in San Francisco. “The market is moving to places that would give them a better return and more comfortable in buying the Australian dollar, euro, and even the pound.”The dollar also shrugged off better-than-expected U.S. jobless claims data. Against the yen, the dollar was flat at 106.91 yen JPY=EBS. The offshore yuan CNH=EBS rose to a five-month high, but last traded 0.3% lower at 6.9519 per U.S. dollar.

(Reuters) - Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden on Thursday called on all U.S. governors to mandate mask wearing to slow the spread of the coronavirus that has killed more than 165,000 people in the United States. “Every governor should mandate mandatory mask wearing.”He said that early delays in calling for masks led to unnecessary deaths. After introducing Harris’ personal story on Wednesday in their first joint appearance since picking his running mate, Biden quickly moved to talking about the urgency of the moment. Biden’s campaign said they collected $34.2 million on Tuesday and Wednesday after announcing Harris as the running mate, a record pace of fundraising. REUTERS/Carlos BarriaIn her debut appearance as Biden’s running mate on Wednesday, Harris delivered a rebuke of Trump’s leadership and highlighted the historic significance of her new role.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - White House adviser Jared Kushner on Thursday confirmed that he had met recently with entertainer Kanye West, who is seeking to get his name on ballots for the Nov. 3 U.S. presidential election. West posted a tweet late Tuesday night saying they discussed a book on empowering Black Americans. Biden served as vice president under President Barack Obama, the country’s first Black president. Harris is the first Black woman and the first Indian American to be part of a major-party presidential ticket. A West run for office could be seen as a maneuver to siphon some Black supporters away from Biden in the general election.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Hillary Clinton on Thursday said she hopes Senator Kamala Harris, the Democratic Party’s vice presidential nominee, and women running for political office in the future will receive “less sexist” media coverage than she did in 2016. Clinton, a Democrat, lost in the electoral college to U.S. President Donald Trump in 2016 despite receiving more votes than him nationwide. Clinton said she had talked with Harris and Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee who this week named Harris as his running mate, about their campaign. Clinton sidestepped a question from a reporter about whether she would serve in a Biden administration if he defeats Trump. “If you are asked to serve you should certainly consider that but let’s not go there until we actually win,” Clinton said.

West appeared to confirm that the meeting took place in a tweet posted Tuesday, writing that he and Kushner discussed the book “PowerNomics: The National Plan to Empower Black America” by Claud Anderson. West announced on Twitter last month that he was running for president and told Forbes in an interview that he was no longer a Trump supporter. In another interview with Forbes last week, West did not deny that his candidacy was intended to serve as a spoiler to presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s campaign. West’s quixotic White House bid has drawn scrutiny in recent weeks amid efforts by some Trump supporters and Republican operatives to help him organize and get on the ballot in battleground states. Kushner, too, has become mired in controversy among critics who argue his potential boosting of West’s campaign to benefit Trump could constitute an illegal act.

In Milwaukee, Barrett has also had to talk to anxious residents in his city about the differences between Operation Legend and what happened in Portland. The new agents assigned to a city under Operation Legend “can plug right in to the work that’s being done,” he says. The Operation Legend agents are sliding into “existing infrastructure of FBI, DEA, and ATF that’s already been on the ground here probably 60-plus years, maybe longer,” she says. That’s why Lucas thinks the President’s messaging about Operation Legend and his muddling of the law enforcement operation with federal agents’ crackdowns on protests in Portland and Washington, D.C. is the ultimate point. “It’s about cities and cities being out of control and Trump’s going to have something that helps, whether it helps or not.

Arizona Indigenous cold cases to be probed by new task forcePHOENIX (AP) — U.S. officials are opening an office in Arizona aimed at investigating cold cases involving Indigenous people who have been killed or are missing. The task force is part of an effort to address unsolved cases of violence against Native Americans, particularly women and girls. The institute also said in 2015 that more than one in three Native women had experienced violence. Other offices to investigate unsolved cases with Indigenous victims will be established in Alaska and Tennessee. The Arizona office will take on 239 cold cases, according to Tara Katuk Sweeney, the U.S.

UAE, Israel Move To Normalize Relations As Israel Halts Planned West Bank AnnexationsEnlarge this image toggle caption Doug Mills/Pool/Getty Images Doug Mills/Pool/Getty ImagesUpdated at 3:20 p.m. Egypt and Jordan are the only two Arab nations that currently have normal diplomatic relations with Israel. The UAE has had informal contact with Israel for some time, and relations have been improving. The new deal is a significant shift in relations between the UAE and Israel. Earlier this summer, while still committed to its plans for annexation, Israel announced a groundbreaking partnership with the UAE on the fight against the coronavirus.

Six months into the coronavirus pandemic, some people are on edge, while others are just plain confused. “You can get the COVID-19 virus in sunny, hot and humid weather. “There’s no evidence that eating garlic protects against infection with the COVID-19 virus,” the Mayo Clinic added. Another outlandish theory: “Avoiding exposure to or use of 5G networks doesn’t prevent infection with the COVID-19 virus. The COVID-19 virus is spreading in many countries that lack 5G mobile networks,” the organization said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that 40% of people with COVID-19 are actually asymptomatic, which makes it difficult for health professionals to trace transmission. ”One case study of the quarantined Italian town of Vò published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature in June revealed more than 40% of COVID-19 infections had no symptoms. Dispatches from a pandemic:Ireland says people must wear masks in stores to stop COVID-19 — but why did it take so long? As of Thursday, the U.S. has the world’s highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases (5,226,916) and deaths (166,623). People of color are more likely to work in frontline jobs that carry a greater risk of contracting COVID-19.

But now another moment could risk complicating years of progress for Asian Americans: The coronavirus pandemic. The median annual household income of Asian Americans is still the highest of the country per race, with $85,897 dollars, compared to $65,902 for Caucasian Americans, $41,511 for Black Americans, and $51,404 for Latino Americans. When 2020 began, one of her goals was to educate and advocate for Asian Americans to be part of the electoral process. Asian Americans firmly support gun control, according to the 2018 Asian American Voter Survey by APIAVote and AAPI Data. “For decades they thought about Asian Americans as the model minority, the perfect workers,” she said.

But now another moment could risk complicating years of progress for Asian Americans: The coronavirus pandemic. The median annual household income of Asian Americans is still the highest of the country per race, with $85,897 dollars, compared to $65,902 for Caucasian Americans, $41,511 for Black Americans, and $51,404 for Latino Americans. When 2020 began, one of her goals was to educate and advocate for Asian Americans to be part of the electoral process. Asian Americans firmly support gun control, according to the 2018 Asian American Voter Survey by APIAVote and AAPI Data. “For decades they thought about Asian Americans as the model minority, the perfect workers,” she said.

Barron’s spoke recently with tech entrepreneur and New York University marketing professor Scott Galloway about his views on a potential TikTok deal, and separately, the likelihood of antitrust action against U.S. tech giants. On why TikTok matters:Scott Galloway: There’s one stat that distills the power of TikTok, and that is supposedly people are spending more time on TikTok than on Instagram. On why TikTok has been successful:It feels as if it tapped into a certain level of joy. On U.S. concerns over TikTok being owned by China’s ByteDance:Any big Chinese company is effectively a loosely affiliated wing of the Chinese government. And whether you think they’ve done that legal or illegally, they’ve gotten to a point where the entire economy would benefit from the oxygenation of breaking these companies up.

Barron’s spoke recently with tech entrepreneur and New York University marketing professor Scott Galloway about his views on a potential TikTok deal, and separately, the likelihood of antitrust action against U.S. tech giants. On why TikTok matters:Scott Galloway: There’s one stat that distills the power of TikTok, and that is supposedly people are spending more time on TikTok than on Instagram. On why TikTok has been successful:It feels as if it tapped into a certain level of joy. On U.S. concerns over TikTok being owned by China’s ByteDance:Any big Chinese company is effectively a loosely affiliated wing of the Chinese government. And whether you think they’ve done that legal or illegally, they’ve gotten to a point where the entire economy would benefit from the oxygenation of breaking these companies up.

Mr Trump said his hair had to be "perfect"The US government has proposed changing the definition of a showerhead to allow increased water flow, following complaints from President Donald Trump about his hair routine. The Trump administration wants this limit to apply to each nozzle, rather than the overall fixture. The changes were proposed by the Department of Energy on Wednesday following complaints by Mr Trump at the White House last month. Video: Trump questions why he's not as popular as his coronavirus task force experts"So showerheads - you take a shower, the water doesn't come out. "If the president needs help finding a good shower, we can point him to some great consumer websites that help you identify a good showerhead that provides a dense soak and a good shower," he added.

President Trump turned again to racist attacks on Joe Biden’s housing policy Wednesday, with an appeal to “the suburban housewife” that sounds a jarringly out-of-touch note in 2020. “The ‘suburban housewife” will be voting for me,” wrote Trump on Twitter. “They want safety & are thrilled that I ended the long running program where low income housing would invade their neighborhood. Biden would reinstall it, in a bigger form, with [Sen. Cory] Booker in charge!”Last month Trump announced he was repealing the Obama-era Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule, which was intended to fight housing discrimination by strengthening implementation of the 1968 Fair Housing Act. Partially due to an uptick in immigrants, a Pew Research study in 2018 found that a third of suburban dwellers were nonwhite.

“Now, you have a, sort of a mad woman, I call her, because she was so angry and so — such hatred with Justice Kavanaugh,” Trump said. They’re all radical left, angry people, and they’re angry because I beat them.”On Tuesday, Trump described Harris’s treatment of Kavanaugh as “nasty.”“She was extraordinarily nasty,” he said. And I won’t forget that soon.”President Trump, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Kamala Harris. “AOC was a poor student,” Trump said. “Congratulations to @foxandfriends on dominating the mornings (thank you President Trump!

The agreement makes the UAE the third Arab country, after Egypt and Jordan, to have full diplomatic ties with Israel. But the UAE, like most of the Arab world, long rejected diplomatic ties with Israel in the absence of a peace deal establishing a Palestinian state on lands captured by Israel in 1967. Israel and the UAE are among Trump’s few close international allies, and Thursday’s deal may have been seen as an election gift. He’s going to be in the history books.”___Lee reported from Bled, Slovenia, and Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Associated Press writers Tia Goldenberg in Jerusalem, Elana Schor and Aamer Madhani in Washington, and Aya Batrawy in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed.

WASHINGTON - The Trump administration has filed a motion asking a court to dismiss a lawsuit against the president’s executive order targeting social media companies, calling it a “profound misunderstanding,” according to a copy of the motion seen by Reuters. The lawsuit by CDT argued Trump’s social media executive order violates the First Amendment rights of social media companies, will chill future online speech and reduce the ability of Americans to speak freely online. GOOGLE CEO DEFENDS US MILITARY SUPPORT, DOWNPLAYS WORK IN CHINAThe administration argues that the executive order only directs government agencies, and not private companies, to act. “It directs executive officials to take steps that could lead various agencies to examine ... allegations that large social media online platforms have displayed political bias in moderating content,” the motion said. The lawsuit reflects long-simmering tensions between the Trump administration and social media companies that have become key tools in Trump’s political arsenal.

Sen. Martha McSally, R-Ariz., introduced a resolution Thursday calling on China to repay U.S. bondholders more than $1.6 trillion of sovereign debt, including interest, that pre-dates the country's Communist government. “China has repeatedly failed to honor its obligations to America, taking American families’ money and jobs,” McSally said. We are holding China accountable for their debt and for unleashing the coronavirus on the world. Beijing maintains Taiwan is part of China, and under international law, successor governments are responsible for the debts of their predecessors. "What 2020 has made clear is that the status quo is not working when it comes to our relationship with China.”

The Trump administration said the groups used the accounts to solicit donations for their causes, including through a bogus scam that officials say purported to sell protective gear for the coronavirus pandemic. Officials described it as the largest-ever seizure of digital currency funds related to terrorism. The seized funds are expected to be turned over to a fund for victims of terrorist attacks. Law enforcement officials ultimately seized more than 150 cryptocurrency accounts that they say laundered funds to accounts operated by the al-Qassam Brigades. The department also identified a scheme that officials say was orchestrated by an IS associate who manages certain hacking operations for the group.

By Deb Riechan and Anthony Izaguirre | Associated PressWASHINGTON — President Donald Trump declared Thursday that he opposes additional funding for the U.S. Postal Service, acknowledging that his position would starve the agency of money Democrats say it needs to process an anticipated surge in mail-in ballots during the coronavirus pandemic. “They want $25 billion — billion — for the post office,” he said, adding that, without it, the Postal Service won’t be equipped to handle the influx of mail-in ballots. Democrats have pushed for $10 billion for the Postal Service in talks with Republicans on a huge COVID-19 response bill. Postal Service to hinder Americans from voting.

By Jeff Mason and Steve Holland | ReutersWASHINGTON – White House adviser Jared Kushner on Thursday confirmed that he had met recently with entertainer Kanye West, who is seeking to get his name on ballots for the Nov. 3 U.S. presidential election. Asked whether he had discussed the campaign with West, Kushner told reporters at the White House: “We had a general discussion, more about policy.”Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and an influential political adviser to the president, said he and West had known each other for some time and met when they both were in Colorado. West posted a tweet late Tuesday night saying they discussed a book on empowering Black Americans. Biden served as vice president under President Barack Obama, the country’s first Black president. A West run for office could be seen as a maneuver to siphon some Black supporters away from Biden in the general election.

WASHINGTON -- Texas Democrats and the Joe Biden campaign called on the state of Texas Thursday to slow efforts to reopen schools amid declining testing and a high number of cases of COVID-19 in the state. The event comes as Texas public schools start to open, mostly without in-person instruction, and as Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, weighs whether to devote the resources needed to try and nab Texas’ 38 electoral votes. Texas public schools have 5.5 million students and more than 350,000 teachers. During Thursday’s event, the Democrats pointed to Biden’s plan to reopen schools and railed against Trump and Abbott’s approach. Despite the concerns, Abbott continued to push to reopen Texas schools, while urging districts to follow state guidelines that he says will keep teachers and students safe.

Tony Evers has a message for President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence for their visits to Wisconsin next week: Bring a mask. The Trump campaign also plans a "Women for Trump" event in Wisconsin ahead of the convention, which Democrats scaled back because of the coronavirus pandemic. "If President Trump and Vice President Prence and the women for Trump and whoever else from the Republican side is coming to Wisconsin next week, they have to wear masks if they're in buildings," Evers said. The Marquette University Law School this week released a poll that found 69% of Wisconsin voters support mask requirements, but Republicans who control the Legislature have said they may eliminate Evers' mask order. "We have a president saying we should wear masks.

Increasingly, faculty and alumni are questioning the wisdom of doing so given recent increases in the number of cases. Groups at Reed College and Lewis & Clark College have sent letters to their respective college presidents urging them to back off plans to reopen. “We respectfully urge you to reconsider plans for in-person classes and activities on campus this fall.”All Oregon colleges shut down their campuses last spring and moved to online classes as part of Gov. A leader of the Oregon faculty senate said he supports the college’s tentative plan to reopen. As the number of infections surged this summer, at least two Oregon colleges -- Portland State University and the University of Portland -- dumped their plans to reopen.

— Joe Biden is calling for a nationwide protective mask mandate, citing health experts’ predictions that it could save 40,000 lives from coronavirus over the next three months. ”Wearing the mask is less about you contracting the virus,” Biden said. “It’s about preventing other people from getting sick.”The Democratic presidential candidate also responded to those who push back against such mandates. Step up, do the right thing.”“Every single American should be wearing a mask when they’re outside for the next three months at a minimum — every governor should mandate mandatory mask wearing," Biden declared. He urges Americans to wear masks but has opposed the idea of a national requirement and declined to wear one for months.

The letter comes amid growing concerns among Democrats in Congress over reported changes at the Postal Service causing a slowdown in mail delivery nationwide. A spokesman for the Postal Service did not respond to a request for comment. The Postal Service has “been very gracious with us” and has even offered to pick up those items in person, if needed, Buffa said. Peters, D-Bloomfield Township, has said DeJoy has refused to provide "real" answers about service delays and changes that could undermine the Postal Service. “If they don’t get those two items, that means you can’t have universal mail-in voting because they’re not equipped to have it.”Peters responded on Twitter, saying, "The Postal Service shouldn’t be political or partisan.

Jordan Fabian, Steve Matthews and Olivia RockemanBloombergPresident Donald Trump says America is leading the global economic and financial market recovery. Data show Europe’s stronger lockdowns likely contributed to its bigger GDP decline earlier, but may be helping it more recently. “The stock market’s rebound signals a V-shaped recovery,” Trump said. But credit-card spending data have been softening, likely due to the resurgence in Covid-19, he also said. The expiry of supplementary unemployment benefits in July also threatens to undermine a rebound in spending.

The peace deal that few saw coming had been gathering steam in plain sight. The adage of a foe of a foe becoming a friend has rarely been more apt. A less than full-throated rebuke followed from Arab states, which had drawn legitimacy for decades by being protectors of the Palestinians but which now had other priorities. The UAE’s lead position on a peace deal is unlikely to leave it isolated for long. While Israel celebrates, Palestinians are facing one of their most bitter reckonings.

Former Vice President Joe Biden on Thursday called for a nationwide mask mandate to help fight the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. TRUMP SAYS HE'S 'A BELIEVER IN MASKS,' BUT STOPS SHORT OF NATIONAL MANDATE IN CORONAVIRUS FIGHT"Let’s institute a mask mandate nationwide starting immediately and we will save lives. And pointing to the nation's death toll from the coronavirus, Biden said that "a lot of people are dying. President Trump has not called for a nationwide mandate. According to the poll, 40% of Americans approved of the job the president’s doing combating the coronavirus pandemic, with 57% giving him a thumbs down.

Trump pushes for schools to reopen as US sees deadliest Covid day since MayDonald Trump has vowed to push ahead with the reopening of America’s schools, despite the US suffering nearly 1,500 coronavirus-related deaths on Wednesday, the highest number in a single day for three months. Trump also threatened to divert federal funding away from schools if they didn’t reopen. “We got to open up,” Trump said on Wednesday. Different schools around the US have opted for various approaches, such as online learning or reduced in-person attendance. Florida, where Covid infections have recently surged, has so far only provided permission for two school districts to conduct remote learning.

Joe Biden’s Democratic presidential campaign raised $26m in the 24-hour period after he announced that Kamala Harris, the California senator, will be his running mate, a huge boost in funding for the ticket. The amount was seen as a sign of strength and momentum behind Biden’s campaign brought on by Harris’ arrival. During a virtual grassroots fundraiser, Biden said that 150,000 donors were first-time contributors. Harris is known as a successful fundraiser, and already helped raise millions of dollars for the Biden campaign before she was named as his running mate. Biden will formally accept the Democratic presidential nomination on Thursday night.

The president predicted that Ms Ocasio-Cortez will challenge - and defeat - Senator Chuck Schumer for his seat in the US Senate. And I think she'll win," Mr Trump said. Mr Schumer is the Senate minority leader and a close ally of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Mr Schumer is currently serving his fourth six-year term in the Senate after being re-elected in 2016. Daily coronavirus briefing No hype, just the advice and analysis you need Enter your email address Continue Continue Please enter an email address Email address is invalid Fill out this field Email address is invalid Email already exists.

White House adviser and Donald Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner confirmed a recent meeting with rapper Kanye West, but he said they had a “general conversation” about “policy” rather than the rapper’s presidential bid. Mr West once showed up in the Oval Office and delivered a confusing diatribe while wearing a “Make America Great Again” ballcap. Mr Trump sat statue-like behind the Resolute Desk while Mr West went on and on. Mr Trump trails Mr Biden in almost every swing state expected to decide the election. The race also is neck-and-neck in places that have been GOP strongholds for years, and which Mr Trump won in 2016.

The announcement makes the UAE the first Gulf Arab state to do so and only the third Arab nation to have active diplomatic ties to Israel. For Israel, the announcement comes after years of boasting by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that his government enjoys closer ties to Arab nations than publicly acknowledged. A joint statement from the U.S., the UAE and Israel was issued immediately after Trump's tweet. Mabruk and Mazal Tov.”Among Arab nations, only Egypt and Jordan have active diplomatic ties with Israel. Still, by dropping the annexation plan Netanyahu may be hedging his bets ahead of a possible change in the White House.

The past decade was the hottest ever, according to a new report on climate change, with 2019 the second warmest year since record-keeping began in the mid-1800s. The warming trend caused alpine glaciers to lose mass, scientists said, continuing a trend dating back over 30 years. Published in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, the study found that concentrations of greenhouse gases like methane and carbon dioxide were at record levels in 2019. Concentrations of greenhouse gases have continued to rise, hitting record levels in 2019. Chris Rapley, professor of climate science at University College London, has called global warming one of humanity's greatest follies.

Jared Kushner confirmed Thursday that he has spoken with rapper Kanye West several times, along with other members of the billionaire long-shot presidential campaign. 'Kanye's been a friend of mine for — I've known him for about 10 years,' the president's senior adviser said during a White House press briefing. Kushner refused to say if he had discussed the presidential campaign in general, but said they 'had a general discussion more about policy.' West has qualified to be on the presidential ballot in several states but has missed the filing deadline in others. Last week, President Trump denied any involvement in the effort by West to get on the ballot in presidential battleground states.

AdvertisementPrince Harry and Meghan Markle's new nine-bedroom and 16-bathroom mansion in California could cost as much as $4.4million a year to run. MORTGAGE: $480,000 PER YEARHarry and Meghan bought the luxury property after securing a $9.5million mortgage, it is believed, implying that they made a down-payment of more than $5.2million. Annual property tax is estimated at $68,000 and the costs of security and utilities for the huge mansion will also come with hefty bills. At their peak Harry and Meghan's combined wealth had been estimated to be around $43million. Harry and Meghan's mansion is more than 10 times larger, suggesting a possible bill of at least $2,000 per month or $24,000 per year.

White House advisor Jared Kushner says more Arab countries may strike deals soon with IsraelAdvertising Read moreWashington (AFP)White House advisor Jared Kushner predicted a "very good chance" of Israel and another Arab country announcing a peace deal within the next three months after Thursday's announcement of normalization between Israel and the UAE. Kushner dismissed reports of a chilly reception by Palestinians, calling it "a fairly predictable response that we've seen time and time again." Trump's national security advisor Robert O'Brien likewise predicted further thaws between Israel and Arab countries. O'Brien also poured lavish praise on his boss, saying Trump should get the Nobel Peace Prize. Trump "should be a frontrunner for the Nobel Peace Prize."

Sen. Kamala Harris joined Joe Biden on Thursday for a briefing on the coronavirus pandemic led by four doctors and one of Biden’s senior advisors — marking the new Democratic ticket's first official day of work. The big picture: Biden said that he and Harris will get these briefings — “on the state of coronavirus here and around the world” — four times a week, and noted that they usually last between an hour and an hour and a half. Trump recently restarted his own daily coronavirus briefings, which typically feature the president as the messenger rather than his coronavirus task force or Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious-diseases expert. Now, Biden and Harris are putting their team of doctors and medical health experts front and center — even though they met with them virtually. What they're saying: I’m looking forward to it,” Harris said, according to reporters at the event.

The Trump administration official in charge of the country's COVID-19 testing strategy said Thursday that the U.S. is doing enough testing and dismissed critics who say otherwise. Strategic testing means testing everyone in nursing homes and those who are hospitalized with COVID-19, and surveillance testing at public health labs that is intended to spot outbreaks, Giroir said. ADVERTISEMENTSince the beginning of the pandemic, the U.S. has performed nearly 64 million tests, according to the COVID Tracking Project. He said turnaround times are improving and people who need test results quickly, such as nursing home residents, are getting them. Commercial labs represented by the American Clinical Laboratory Association return 80 percent of test results within three days, and 90 percent of test results within five days, Giroir said.

(CNN) Israel says it will ?"suspend?" plans to annex the West Bank, as part of a new peace deal with the United Arab Emirates. Trump also tweeted a lengthy joint statement between the US, UAE and Israel, calling the agreement to "full normalization of relations" between Israel and the UAE a "historic diplomatic breakthrough." The UAE and Israel plan to exchange embassies and ambassadors, according to the statement. It will be the third Arab country to open relations with Israel, after Egypt and Jordan. "This deal is a significant step towards building a more peaceful, secure, and prosperous Middle East," Trump said Thursday.

The Senate left Washington, D.C., on Thursday until September — the latest sign that a deal on a fifth coronavirus relief package is, at least, weeks away. Democrats in the House approved a relief package over $3 trillion, and offered to come down to $2 trillion. “Basically, not much new movement,” said Sen. Roy Blunt Roy Dean BluntDavis: The Hall of Shame for GOP senators who remain silent on Donald Trump Skepticism grows over Friday deadline for coronavirus deal GOP expects Senate to be in session next week without coronavirus deal MORE (R-Mo.) ADVERTISEMENTVulnerable incumbents in both parties have sent warning signals this week to leadership that they need to cut a deal. “And, you know, I think he's done what he can do with the Senate GOP.

The United States military said Iranian forces boarded a civilian vessel in international waters in the Gulf. The US Central Command released a grainy black-and-white video on Twitter showing a helicopter near a large ship. "Today in international waters, Iranian forces, including two ships and an Iranian Sea King helicopter, overtook and boarded a ship called the Wila," the US Central Command said. Today in international waters, Iranian forces, including two ships and an Iranian "Sea King" helicopter, overtook and boarded a ship called the 'Wila.' In July 2019, Iran briefly seized a British-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf after Britain seized the Iranian tanker Grace 1, accused of violating sanctions on Syria.

Kemp sued the city of Atlanta over its face-mask requirement just after President Donald Trump arrived in the city without wearing a mask, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said Friday. Kemp sued the city of Atlanta over its face-mask requirement just after President Donald Trump arrived in the city without wearing a mask, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said Friday. Kemp had sued Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and the City Council. ADVERTISEMENTIn a series of executive orders, Kemp has strongly urged people to wear masks but declined to require them. “In the absence of state leadership on this issue, local governments have stepped in to protect their citizens,” the city’s filing said.

The only impact on state and local budgets in the Trump executive actions are additional costs to administer the new unemployment benefit. State and local spending already fell 5.6 percent in the second quarter, and more than 1 million jobs have been cut through July. “Due to Congress’ inaction, the ability of state and local governments to deliver critical services to the American people is now in serious jeopardy,” read a statement from seven organizations representing states, cities, counties, and other local governments. Give what you can... SUPPORT THE PROSPECTThis sort of creates an operating deficit option in state and local governments for a period. Clearly the Capitol Forum’s reporting was correct, and there is a gouging in progress with the aforementioned state and local governments over postage for ballot delivery.

In U.S. polit­i­cal dis­course, the search for a Covid-19 vac­cine is large­ly framed as an arms race, in which the aim of the Unit­ed States is to beat out oth­er coun­tries in procur­ing a vac­cine, which will pre­sum­ably go first to its own peo­ple. Yet, the fact that U.S. com­pa­nies and the gov­ern­ment are being pro­pri­etary over research infor­ma­tion and vac­cine access is nev­er ques­tioned. Accord­ing to the Covid-19 Vac­cine Track­er cre­at­ed by Faster­Cures of the Milken Insti­tute, a there are 199 vac­cines in devel­op­ment and 20 are in clin­i­cal test­ing. After all, this fail­ure to coop­er­ate puts the Unit­ed States at a dis­ad­van­tage if the first suc­cess­ful vac­cine is not under its con­trol. ?“The impli­ca­tion,” he says, ?“is that we are going to have peo­ple in the Unit­ed States die if it isn’t a U.S. vac­cine.

In fact, despite Tanden’s email, Black­stone already has sub­stan­tial ties to Clin­ton and the Demo­c­ra­t­ic Par­ty as a whole. As a 2014In These Times inves­ti­ga­tion revealed, once these hous­es were occu­pied by ten­ants, Black­stone oper­at­ed more as slum­lord than land­lord. For these rea­sons, pen­sion funds have been aban­don­ing hedge funds in recent years. Not to men­tion the fact that the James plan would reduce employ­ee con­tri­bu­tions from 5 per­cent, already one of the low­est in the world. A com­pa­ny that is ?“the world’s largest dis­cre­tionary investor in hedge funds.” A com­pa­ny like Blackstone.

Trump’s words shine useful daylight on the depraved tendencies of the nation's ruling class. But Trump’s words also shine use­ful day­light on the depraved ten­den­cies of the nation’s rul­ing class, who place human life in the same cat­e­go­ry as inan­i­mate objects. Des­per­ate for bet­ter and safer lives, and with the nation’s polit­i­cal lead­ers flail­ing around hope­less­ly, peo­ple have been dri­ven into the streets, and thus right into the buz­z­saw of the pandemic. In the dev­as­tat­ing col­li­sion of these crises, the pri­or­i­ties of the rul­ing class have come into sharp focus. Rather, they have gained their foot­ing by point­ing to the cru­el under­pin­nings of our cur­rent polit­i­cal order.

But for Pales­tini­ans and their allies, Biden’s plan to return Amer­i­ca to the Oba­ma era is a fright­en­ing prospect. The Biden cam­paign has also pledged to block UN efforts to hold Israel account­able. The Biden cam­paign has dis­patched Blinken as an emis­sary to explain Biden’s Israel posi­tions. The result was ugly: The plat­form did not men­tion the words ?“Israeli occu­pa­tion” and endorsed the Oba­ma administration’s mil­i­tary aid agree­ment with Israel. But while the Biden cam­paign isn’t giv­ing Pales­tin­ian rights activists a rea­son to cheer, their out­look isn’t all grim.

Sen­ate Repub­li­cans’ shame­ful pri­or­i­ties are on full dis­play as the nation con­tin­ues to grap­ple with an unprece­dent­ed health and eco­nom­ic crisis. Sen­ate Repub­li­cans don’t want to extend the extra $600 a week in unem­ploy­ment ben­e­fits, even though unem­ploy­ment has soared to the high­est lev­els since the Great Depression. As soon as the pan­dem­ic hit, McConnell and Sen­ate Repub­li­cans were quick to give mega-cor­po­ra­tions a $500 bil­lion blank check, while only send­ing Amer­i­cans a pal­try one-time $1,200 check. The GOP’s shame­ful pri­or­i­ties have left count­less small busi­ness­es with no choice but to close. The inept and over­whelm­ing­ly cor­rupt reign of Trump, McConnell, and Sen­ate Repub­li­cans will come to an end next Jan­u­ary if enough Amer­i­cans vote this com­ing November.

When the novel coronavirus first arrived in the United States, it spurred on remarkable messaging discipline among America’s political class. “With all due respect for Medicare for All, you have a single-payer system in Italy,” the former vice president said. New infections are still surging in the United States while countries with national health care programs have long since gotten a handle on the virus. Polls Show Surging Support for Medicare For All Outside of Europe, countries with national health care programs have also outperformed the United States. The United States currently leads the world in active COVID-19 cases with more than 5 million — despite the fact that other nations are conducting more tests.

The Lebanese econ­o­my crashed into the equiv­a­lent of a brick wall some­time in the last few months of 2019. In the mean­time, the Trump admin­is­tra­tion had been busy build­ing a ?“Great Wall” of sanc­tions around Lebanon, even as the coun­try as a whole was drown­ing in a moun­tain of debt. Bil­lions more came from exports, tourism, inter­na­tion­al aid and loans, and Arab — par­tic­u­lar­ly Syr­i­an — cap­i­tal deposit­ed in Lebanese banks. In 2016, due to a vari­ety of rea­sons, the flow of hard cur­ren­cy start­ed to dry up at a fright­en­ing pace, prompt­ing the cen­tral bank’s ?“finan­cial engi­neer­ing” mea­sures. Iran and Syr­ia, with their rel­a­tive­ly closed and large­ly state-run economies, are bet­ter able to cope with sanc­tions than a lais­sez-faire coun­try like Lebanon that is inte­gral­ly tied to West­ern capital.

Was Donald Trump’s January 3 drone assassination of Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani the first step in turning the simmering cold war between the United States and Iran into a hot war in the weeks before an American presidential election? For many in Iran, the drone assassination of Soleimani—and the campaign of sabotage that followed—has amounted to a virtual declaration of war. In its aftermath, Iran largely held its fire, its only response being a limited, telegraphed strike at a pair of American military bases in Iraq. Like voters in the United States, they know that the Trump administration is probably going to be voted out of office in three months. (In June, Trump tweeted Iran: “Don’t wait until after the U.S. Election to make the Big deal!

Now that Joe Biden has announced that he’s tapped Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate, we know the full lineup of speakers for the Democratic National Convention next week. Fully nine of the speakers were contenders for the Democratic nomination this cycle or actual former presidents and presidential nominees. The Democrats could have opted to make a different policy case—which is to say, any policy case at all—at this convention. But, aside from Lance Bottoms, none of the DNC speakers have been all that close to what’s happening on the ground. This is a slate of Democratic convention speakers that Jonathan Chait and S.E.

| Andrew Harnik/APWith more than 5 million cases, the U.S. is the world leader in the numbers of people infected with the deadly coronavirus. “The U.S. leads the world with more than 5 million coronavirus cases because of Trump’s failure to take it seriously from the start,” Harris said. Before that figure, there were still 15,207,671 jobless workers receiving state aid, plus 12 million beneficiaries, all of the $600 federal-only checks, the week before. In addition, some six to seven million people got state jobless benefits before the pandemic hit. If you enjoy reading People’s World and the stories we bring you, support our work by becoming a $5 monthly sustainer today.

On the other hand, the day to day struggles of working people shouldn’t be seen as dull, drab, and boring—as is often the case. For fast-food workers active in the Fight for $15 and a Union, it isn’t only a movement or a non-traditional union, and Black Lives Matter isn’t only a chant—it is their life in entirety. And this is the life of Bettie Douglas, 63. He had to stop going to school to help his mother, my grandmother, because his father wasn’t in his life. I think more Black lives will die before anything happens.

They claimed his ideas had been rejected in favor of the moderate alternative represented by former Vice President Joe Biden. The disconnect between the Democratic Party and its rank-and-file has been cited as one of the main reasons that establishment candidates have been taking a beating lately. There is no reason those in the progressive wing of the Democratic Party cannot act in a similar manner to shape their party’s platform. This wouldn’t have occurred without the work of activists, making it clear how much influence those on the left of the party now have. Having voices that are willing to break with the Democratic machine will be instrumental in shaping legislation under a Biden Administration.

With his Ramos opinion, Alito continues to build a distinctive profile as a jurist: He has emerged as the Court’s foremost defender of white racial innocence. But Alito’s Ramos dissent also fits into a broader pattern. Though Roberts joined Alito’s opinion in Ramos, he did not join Alito’s Ricci concurrence. Alito’s racial views have fundamentally reshaped American voting rights lawYet, while Alito’s jurisprudence of white racial innocence is distinct, Alito’s views on race still overlap a great deal with his fellow Republican justices. But then there is Alito’s opinion in Ricci v. DeStefano.

Sen. Kamala Harris is the first Black woman on a presidential ticket, and the first Indian American of any gender in that role. Their daughter is now an odds-on favorite to become the next vice president of the United States and is reasonably likely to be president herself someday. His success in politics has both diminished America’s greatness on its own terms and raised awareness of the darker corners of American life. Abraham Lincoln, like George Washington before him, wanted to encourage it because they believed that migration to the United States was a mutually beneficial act. Self-interest brought Harris’s parents to the United States, and life in America treated them and their children well.

The new Covid-19 vaccine platforms harness human cells to make key componentsBoth mRNA vaccines and adenovirus vector vaccines build on the idea of a subunit vaccine. The mRNA vaccines use mRNA, while adenovirus vaccines use DNA. (The Department of Health and Human Services previously said it would buy 100 million doses of Pfizer’s mRNA vaccine.) It’s important to ensure that such problems are rare because a Covid-19 vaccine would potentially have to be given to billions of people. So even if an mRNA vaccine or adenovirus vaccine for Covid-19 gains approval, it may be prudent to continue pursuing a conventional vaccine as well.

President Donald Trump wants the public to believe that countries like Germany, Japan, and Australia are doing as poorly as the United States when it comes to the coronavirus. “Last week, France and Germany both recorded their highest daily number of cases in three months,” Trump continued. But the crucial context Trump omitted is that new coronavirus cases in Germany topped out at 1,147 on August 7. Trump says "in recent days, cases have rapidly increased in Japan and Australia." That’s not to say there aren’t countries Trump could legitimately compare the US to.

Her biography mirrors many of the Black women who anchor the Democratic Party’s base and who endure the brunt of America’s racism. Yet many of the policies and institutions (particularly in the criminal legal system) that have drawn the ire of Black activists have Harris’s support. For example, on drug policy, Black activists have broadly called for more empathic and health-based interventions. And while she may not be a favorite among Black activists, Harris is a paragon of representation that Black women in the Democratic Party have been demanding in recent years. Harris is a politician, not a racial justice activistThe upshot is clear: Harris is not a movement candidate.

Appearing on Fox Business Thursday morning, Trump elaborated on his objection to these two line items: He doesn’t want universal mail-in voting to be possible. His campaign even sued the state of Nevada in an attempt to invalidate that state’s law providing for voting by mail. The state of Oregon, for example, has provided more than 100 million mail-in ballots to voters since 2000 but has only documented about 12 cases of fraud. Several polls have shown that Trump voters are likely to cast their ballot in person, while Biden voters are much more likely to vote by mail. Mail delivery has slowed significantly in recent months, and many Democrats have accused the Trump administration of intentionally sabotaging the post office.

Israel and the United Arab Emirates just agreed to a historic deal to normalize their long-strained relations — and it may not have happened without the input of President Donald Trump’s administration. The Israeli-occupied West Bank is home to nearly 3 million Palestinians as well some 500,000 Jewish settlers, and would form a critical part of any future independent state of Palestine. The last peace deal it struck with an Arab country was with Jordan in 1994 (it signed one with Egypt in 1979). This agreement may help the UAE do business with Israel, which in turn should help the Arab nation’s economy. Among other possibilities, Israel and the UAE could hit many snags as they work on how, exactly, to normalize relations.

Apple, Ford, Walmart, Disney, Intel, and a number of other companies are trying to convince the Trump administration that banning WeChat is a bad move. The White House claims the orders are meant to prevent the Chinese government from tracking Americans. SEE ALSO: Trump officially signs an executive order to ban TikTok and WeChatThe WeChat ban is especially problematic for U.S. companies, as it's an absolutely massive chat app in China, with 1.2 billion global users. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo recently predicted that the WeChat ban could result in a 30 percent decline in global iPhone shipments, as well as significant declines in shipments of other Apple products. The WSJ says that one aim of the call was to figure out what Trump's executive orders really mean.

And their two biggest supporters, Dr. Jill Biden and Douglas Emhoff, have already started bonding on social media. On Tuesday, after Biden announced that Harris was his choice for VP, Biden's wife, Jill, and Harris' husband, Douglas, made their friendship social media official. Jill tweeted "Hey @DouglasEmhoff. https://t.co/4I46ksbCY6 — Douglas Emhoff (@douglasemhoff) August 13, 2020Even their pal Chasten Buttigieg, husband of former 2020 candidate, Pete Buttigieg, is a huge fan of the new virtual friendship. UPDATE: Aug. 13, 2020, 12:54 p.m. EDT Updated to include an additional tweet from Douglas Emhoff.

We already know that Microsoft is currently in talks with ByteDance to purchase TikTok’s operations across different countries. And now according to a recent report by the Information, Facebook and Snap held discussions around acquiring Dubsmash, a popular lip-syncing short video app. In case you aren’t aware, Dubsmash is a short-video app that grew in popularity in 2014 for its fun videos. Microsoft has already revealed that it’s currently in negotiations with ByteDance to explore Global TikTok deal around the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, and more. Although there are now reports that ByteDance is in talks with India’s Reliance for investment in TikTok.

Ever since TikTok was banned by the Indian government, the video-sharing platform has constantly hit the headlines due to developments that followed the ban. Now, it seems like BytedDance - TikTok’s parent company - is in talks with Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) to get support for its Indian business. According to a report by TechCrunch, Reliance and ByteDance began conversations late last month but nothing has been finalised just yet. The Indian government justified the ban of TikTok and 58 other Chinese applications on the grounds of security and privacy concerns. And as we’ve heard, quite a few biggies are in conversation with ByteDance to acquire TikTok’s US arm; Microsoft and Twitter being a couple of them.

This is the essence of Jared Kushner’s legacy: the gap between his adamant faith in his own good intentions and the grim reality of the administration he helps run. But it was a typical Charlie Kushner scheme, a bit audacious for its own good. At the very center of his identity, Kushner is a Good Son. In the moment of crisis, the Good Son assumed his appointed role with vigor. Close observers inside the administration say that Kushner believes he has a good understanding of what irritates Trump, and an equally good understanding of how to calibrate his counsel to never trip those wires.

That didn’t work as planned, so why not let our diplomatic GPS reroute us through Abu Dhabi instead? The UAE has not hated Israel the way other Arab states have. The story was published in an Abu Dhabi newspaper, and I worried that the evidence of my trip to Israel would complicate my reentry into the UAE. Last year, I attended a papal mass in Abu Dhabi, the first of its kind in the modern history of the Gulf. But by making peace with Israel (and at some cost to itself), the UAE is forcing any U.S. president to consider the consequences of criticism or threats of ouster.

But the Trump campaign bus tours are just starting up. Kadia Goba / BuzzFeed News Trump supporters in the parking lot of the Upper Salford Volunteer Fire Company ahead of the Women for Trump bus tour launch in Salfordville, Pennsylvania, on Aug. 10. Have a good day.” Matlock’s only point of contention was the Trump campaign sign vandalism she’s experienced in her hometown about an hour away. Cars along Old Skippack Road showed their support for either Trump supporters or the protesters by honking or giving a thumbs down. Kadia Goba / BuzzFeed News Protesters outside the Women for Trump bus tour launch in Salfordville, Pennsylvania, on Aug. 10.

She'd like to see the same thing done with COVID-19 vaccine development. Different strategies will be needed to address different causes of vaccine hesitancy, said Monica Schoch-Spana, who with Brunson co-chaired a "Working Group on Readying Populations for COVID-19 Vaccines" that recently produced a white paper. Then there are those who won't like any vaccine, regardless of how it was developed or what officials say. Early signals from feds may have hurtThe administration made a mistake emphasizing speed when it announced federal funding for vaccine development, vaccine advocates said. It's also crucial to counter misinformation with accurate data about an eventual COVID-19 vaccine.

Even without two of the Power Five conferences playing football this fall because of COVID-19 concerns, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said Wednesday after practice, the eventual national champion will have a legitimate title. “That’s the champion.”Four FBS conferences — also the Mid-American and Mountain West of the so-called Group of Five, a notch below the Power Five — are not going to play football this season. They won it in 2016 and 2018, coming up short against LSU in last season’s title game in New Orleans. More:Donald Trump has talked to Clemson football's Trevor Lawrence about saving 2020 seasonMore:Can the College Football Playoff go forward without Big Ten and Pac-12? But that doesn’t mean Swinney is without sympathy for coaches and players who will not be allowed to compete when this season gets under way.

They want $3.5 billion for the mail-in votes, OK. Universal mail-in ballots. Postal Service and mail-in voting. Trump alleged that she “probably lost, but they said, ‘Mail-in ballots — it’s all mixed up.’” Election officials in New York last week declared Maloney the winner. Trump has spent months bashing mail-in voting, though he did change his tune on the topic this month when it comes to the swing state of Florida. Related:‘The Postal Service is a joke’: Trump threatens to block loan if agency doesn’t raise pricesHouse Speaker Nancy Pelosi criticized Trump following his remarks.

“It would be an honor to be considered,” said Mr. Padilla, an MIT graduate who is a longtime friend and was an early endorser of Mr. Newsom. I’ll keep all my options open.”“First let’s elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris,” Mr. Becerra, the state attorney general, said on Thursday. “After that, there will be lots of great candidates for Gov. Newsom to consider.”For California, the pick has far-reaching implications. With Ms. Harris in the VP role the state would not have to play defense.

To the Editor:Re “Biden and Harris Vow to Revive U.S. as Trump Attacks” (front page, Aug. 13):The rollout of the Biden-Harris Democratic ticket reflects the country’s pent-up craving for an end to the disastrous Trump era. The contrast between the energetic and forward-looking Biden-Harris team and an increasingly pathetic President Trump couldn’t be more clear. The beleaguered president still clings to policies that have resulted in the disastrous twin failures in public health and the economy and continues to behave with indifference toward and total lack of comprehension of the depth of these crises. Former Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Kamala Harris clearly have their work cut out for them. The challenges are enormous, but their combined energy and vision project the hope and confidence so desperately needed now.

That is a description of the Tea Party movement, which emerged in 2009 from the right-wing fringes and proceeded to become a major, enduring force in American conservatism. But it could just as easily be a description of QAnon, the pro-Trump conspiracy theory that has emerged as a possible inheritor to the Tea Party’s mantle as the most potent grass roots force in right-wing politics. This week, QAnon most likely got its first member of Congress: Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from Georgia who won a primary runoff in a heavily Republican district on Tuesday. Ms. Greene has publicly supported QAnon, appearing on QAnon shows and espousing the movement’s unfounded belief that President Trump is on the verge of breaking up a shadowy cabal of Satan-worshipping pedophiles. Other QAnon-affiliated candidates have won primaries at the federal and state level, though few in districts as conservative as Ms. Greene’s.

White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow on Thursday said he expects the US unemployment rate to return to single-digit levels as early as this month and growth in the third quarter at 20 percent or more as the economy recovers from the recession triggered by the coronavirus pandemic. Asked if the economy needs another round of stimulus, Kudlow said recent executive actions taken by President Trump should provide some relief. These extend enhanced unemployment benefits at a reduced level of up to $400 a week and continue a freeze on student loan interest and payments. But several economists said this week that Trump’s actions, which are likely to face legal challenges, would have a minimal impact on the economy. Kudlow said bipartisan efforts to provide help for small businesses and more direct payments to households could also help, but noted that negotiations with Democrats were at a “standstill.”

Live updates: Get the latest on the electionPresumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden has chosen Sen. Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif.) as his running mate. In their first joint appearance, Biden and Harris forcefully prosecuted their case against President Trump and attempted to showcase a much different vision for the country. Trump and his allies struggled to find a focused attack on Harris. More Americans can vote by mail in November than before the pandemic; find out which states have changed rules. Sign up for The Trailer and get insights and news from across the country in your inbox three days a week.

The 14th Amendment states that “all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.” Legal scholars have widely interpreted that to mean that anyone born on U.S. soil automatically becomes a natural-born citizen. “It’s an open question, and one I think Harris should answer so the American people know for sure she is eligible,” Ellis said in an email. “Just like Biden should also answer questions about his mental competency.”Ellis also rejected the notion that questioning Harris’s citizenship is racist. “People asked the same question of Ted Cruz (a white male) in 2016. Andrew Bates, a Biden campaign spokesman, condemned Ellis’s decision to promote the conspiracy theory surrounding Harris’s eligibility in a statement Thursday.

They want mail-in voting and they want money for the Post Office? Trump: They want $25 billion for the Post Office, because the Post Office is going to have to go to town to get these ridiculous ballots in. Now, if we don’t make a deal, that means they don’t get the money, that means they can’t have universal mail-in voting. It sounds almost as though he were trying deliberately to stop mail-in voting by not giving the Post Office the money required to handle it, but that — no! IF ONLY IT WERE POSSIBLE TO KNOW WHAT THE PRESIDENT WAS DOING OR PLANNING FROM WHAT EMERGED FROM HIS MOUTH!

They assume the public knows Trump’s real estate company was sued in the 1970s for alleged housing discrimination. He told a Fox Business news interviewer on Thursday: “She was so angry, such hatred with Justice [Brett] Kavanaugh. This is a moment for education, insight and accountability in which the media must play their part. Do not, of course, merely ask men. He needs to be held to account for that, just as his racist and sexist rhetoric must be decoded and contextualized for news consumers.

Republicans have shifted from trying to determine who is authentically American to determining who is authentically Black. More importantly, any attempt to question a single aspect of Harris’s pedigree fails to see the bigger picture. Someone who is neither a minority nor a college graduate might relate to being raised by a single mother. The slur “Phony Kamala” tells us far more about Trump than it does about Harris. Not after a summer of protests and fires and a string of Black deaths at the hands of police.

Trump’s understudy is Wanda Vázquez Garced, the unelected governor of Puerto Rico now running for her pro-statehood party’s gubernatorial nomination. Her opponent, Pedro Pierluisi, was considered the slight favorite to win and the primary was supposed to be his comeback. ADADThe official story was that Puerto Rico’s elections commission was still prepping ballots on Sunday morning. The biggest scandal in Puerto Rico’s electoral politics keeps getting bigger, and Vázquez just wants to play the victim. Who knew a craven politician from a U.S. territory was going to offer a preview of what an electoral and legitimacy crisis might look like?

The Biden campaign on Thursday said casting ballots by mail is the “most secure form of voting,” as President Trump railed against the practice, warning of widespread voter fraud ahead of the 2020 presidential election. The president and the Republican Party have been warning for months about possible fraud connected to mail-in voting. The RNC and the Trump campaign have filed lawsuits to hit back against efforts by Democrats to overhaul voting laws in response to the pandemic. "They want $3.5 billion for something that's fraudulent ... for the mail-in votes, universal mail-in ballots. “How would you like to have $3.5 billion for mail-in voting?

“Furthermore, the PRC [People's Republic of China] has taken advantage of America’s openness to undertake large scale and well-funded propaganda efforts and influence operations in this country.”STATE DEPT. CONDEMNS CHINESE SANCTIONS ON SENS. The institutes have been accused of spreading Beijing’s views on issues such as Tibet and the Tiananmen Square massacre. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPLast month the U.S. ordered the Chinese consulate in Houston to close down, contending it was a hub of spy activity by the Chinese Communist Party. Fox News' Marisa Schultz contributed to this report.

The New York Times was quick out of the blocks with the Democratic pitch that Kamala Harris is a “pragmatic moderate.” It’s pulling your leg. Joe Biden’s running mate had the most liberal voting record in the Senate last year — surpassing even Bernie Sanders — according to government watchdog GovTrack. The San Francisco progressive is prepared to pose as a law-and-order centrist in crucial states where suburban voters are nervous about violent riots. Like Biden, her moderate label is a phony play for swing states, but in this age, overloaded with hypocrisy as it is, it might work. Unlike Biden, Harris might go out physically to campaign across the country, but she will be protected in a virtual basement.

**On the roster: Trump seeks to starve post office to limit mail-in voting - Dems cash in on veep announcement - See you in September: Last hopes for virus deal fade - Kevin McCarthy gets blame for Georgia debacle - 100 gallons of wishesTRUMP SEEKS TO STARVE POST OFFICE TO LIMIT MAIL-IN VOTINGWaPo: “President Trump said Thursday that he does not want to fund the U.S. The Office of Special Counsel is an independent agency responsible for enforcing the Hatch Act and other laws concerning federal employees. But in Sonora, a carne asada is the weekly gathering of friends and family, with the dish at its heart. SCOREBOARDNATIONAL HEAD-TO-HEAD AVERAGETrump: 40.6 percentBiden: 51.4 percentSize of lead: Biden by 10.8 pointsChange from one week ago: Biden ? 0.4 points, Trump no change in points[Average includes: Monmouth University: Trump 41% - Biden 51%; Fox News: Trump 41% - Biden 49%; ABC/WaPo: Trump 44% - Biden 54%; Quinnipiac University: Trump 37% - Biden 52%; NBC News/WSJ: Trump 40% - Biden 51%.] Currently, 40% say he is doing a good job and 57% say he is doing a bad job.

The research, put together by Graphika, details the actions taken by a network dubbed "Spamoflauge Dragon," a pro-Chinese spam network. This is the first time the network has published substantial volumes of English-language content alongside its ongoing Chinese coverage--a clear expansion of its scope." The network is considered "technologically advanced," according to the Washington Post, using artificial intelligence to create fake faces and videos produced at one per day. "We welcome the chance to collaborate with external stakeholders, including Graphika on identifying and taking action on attempts to manipulate the conversation on Twitter," the spokesperson said in an email. Graphika, which first identified the network in September 2019 according to their report, noticed there were consistent errors in the videos.

Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., is not a moderate, Fox Business anchor Dagen McDowell said on Thursday, calling out the Democratic Party for adopting policy proposals that are far-left. Americans would know that would be the coronavirus, that would be a virus that originated in China that was unleashed on the world,” McDowell said. “The case against Donald Trump and Mike Pence is open and shut," Harris continued. “That’s actually the reason why President Trump got elected -- because of eight years of lackluster growth. It was under this president, the unemployment rate fell to a 50-year low,” McDowell said.

Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., is a “shape shifter,” which makes it difficult for the Trump campaign and President Trump to figure out how to go after her, “Fox News Sunday” anchor Chris Wallace told “The Brian Kilmeade Show” on Thursday. Wallace made the comment, two days after Harris--a politically shrewd senator with a law enforcement background that has caused some tensions with the progressive left--was announced as Joe Biden’s running mate. “She was seen as being too soft in going after policemen who were involved in shootings. BIDEN AND HARRIS CAMPAIGNS ENGAGE IN NASTY TWITTER FEUD OVER BUSING“Because if anything I think it’s kind of legitimate to say that she is a shape-shifter. “That’s just sort of the nature of it, but in the context of the Democratic Party, I don’t think she is on the extreme left, the far left of the party.”

Doug Mills-Pool/Getty Images)President Donald Trump signed a measure on Saturday to boost unemployment pay by up to $400 a week. There are around 28 million people collecting unemployment benefits, according to the Labor Department. Important details — like the amount and duration of extra aid, as well as when it will start — are in flux, according to labor experts. Workers collecting regular state unemployment benefits are eligible for the extra money. Trump's memo was widely billed as a $400 weekly boost to unemployment benefits in recent days.

Here's exactly what he said:"They want $3.5 billion for something that will turn out to be fraudulent, that's election money basically. They want $25 billion, billion, for the Post Office. That means they can't have universal mail-in voting, they just can't have it. A five-year study on voter fraud commissioned by George W. Bush -- a Republican -- found that same conclusion as Levitt. "The things they had in there were crazy," Trump said in April of Democrats' push for all mail-in voting this election .

(Reuters) - Democratic presidential running mates Joe Biden and Kamala Harris hit the campaign trail for a second time on Thursday, showcasing the former prosecutor’s new role as Biden’s potential governing partner and top critic of President Donald Trump’s pandemic response. Harris is expected to focus on Trump’s response to the crisis, which has been an effective argument for Biden so far. After introducing Harris’ personal story on Wednesday in their first joint appearance since picking his running mate, Biden quickly moved to talking about the urgency of the moment. Biden’s campaign said they collected $34.2 million on Tuesday and Wednesday after announcing Harris as the running mate, a record pace of fundraising. In her debut appearance as Biden’s running mate on Wednesday, Harris delivered a rebuke of Trump’s leadership and highlighted the historic significance of her new role.

(Reuters) - Democratic presidential running mates Joe Biden and Kamala Harris hit the campaign trail for a second time on Thursday, showcasing the former prosecutor’s new role as Biden’s potential governing partner and top critic of President Donald Trump’s pandemic response. “It should be the public health professionals that are leading policy in our country to address this lethal pandemic,” Harris told reporters as she settled into a video briefing with Biden’s public health advisers, who are physicians. After introducing Harris’ personal story on Wednesday in their first joint appearance since picking his running mate, Biden quickly moved to talking about the urgency of the moment. Biden’s campaign said they collected $34.2 million on Tuesday and Wednesday after announcing Harris as the running mate, a record pace of fundraising. In her debut appearance as Biden’s running mate on Wednesday, Harris delivered a rebuke of Trump’s leadership and highlighted the historic significance of her new role.

FILE PHOTO: White House senior adviser Jared Kushner listens as U.S. President Donald Trump holds a meeting on economic "opportunity zones" in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, U.S., May 18, 2020. REUTERS/Leah MillisWASHINGTON (Reuters) - White House adviser Jared Kushner confirmed on Thursday that he had met recently with entertainer Kanye West, who is seeking to get his name on ballots for the Nov. 3 U.S. presidential election. West is a Trump supporter and some view his bid to run for president himself as designed to have a spoiling effect that would help Trump and hurt Democrat Joe Biden. Asked whether he had discussed the campaign with West, Kushner told reporters at the White House: “We had a general discussion, more about policy.”

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States said on Thursday it was requiring the center that manages Chinese government-funded Confucius Institutes in the United States to register as a foreign mission, the latest sign of deteriorating relations between Washington and Beijing. In June, the State Department announced it would start treating four major Chinese media outlets as foreign embassies, calling them mouthpieces for Beijing. Stilwell said there were about 500 Confucius classrooms in the United States affiliated with a university-based Confucius Institute. According to the U.S. non-profit organization, the National Association of Scholars, there were 75 Confucius Institutes in the United States as of June, including 66 at colleges and universities. The association contends that the institutes compromise academic freedom, defy Western norms of transparency, and are inappropriate on campuses.

(Reuters) - Democratic presidential running mates Joe Biden and Kamala Harris hit the campaign trail for a second time on Thursday, showcasing the former prosecutor’s new role as Biden’s potential governing partner and top critic of President Donald Trump’s pandemic response. Harris is expected to focus on Trump’s response to the crisis, which has been an effective argument for Biden so far. After introducing Harris’ personal story on Wednesday in their first joint appearance since picking his running mate, Biden quickly moved to talking about the urgency of the moment. Biden’s campaign said they collected $34.2 million on Tuesday and Wednesday after announcing Harris as the running mate, a record pace of fundraising. In her debut appearance as Biden’s running mate on Wednesday, Harris delivered a rebuke of Trump’s leadership and highlighted the historic significance of her new role.

The Beijing-based online education company has been attacked by short sellers, including Andrew Left’s Citron Capital, which has accused it of overstating revenue by up to 70%. “Yes, it obviously sucks being short while the stock was going higher,” Left said on Wednesday. “But I have confidence the system will work eventually.”Left, editor of the online investment newsletter Citron Research, published a short report on GSX in mid April. The relentless rally in stocks has pressured some bearish investors betting against individual stocks as well as broader markets. Influential U.S. investors, including David Tepper and Stanley Druckenmiller, cast doubt on the rally earlier in the year.

(Reuters) - Democratic presidential running mates Joe Biden and Kamala Harris hit the campaign trail for a second time on Thursday, showcasing the former prosecutor’s new role as Biden’s potential governing partner and top critic of President Donald Trump’s pandemic response. Harris is expected to focus on Trump’s response to the crisis, which has been an effective argument for Biden so far. After introducing Harris’ personal story on Wednesday in their first joint appearance since picking his running mate, Biden quickly moved to talking about the urgency of the moment. Biden’s campaign said they collected $34.2 million on Tuesday and Wednesday after announcing Harris as the running mate, a record pace of fundraising. In her debut appearance as Biden’s running mate on Wednesday, Harris delivered a rebuke of Trump’s leadership and highlighted the historic significance of her new role.

This site is protected by recaptchaThe Warp Speed team is led by Dr. Moncef Slaoui, who headed the vaccine department at the pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline. Contracts were awarded for vaccine development to GSK and Moderna, companies in which he had financial stakes worth millions. Slaoui has also committed to donating to NIH any value of his GSK shares above the “average pharmaceutical index,” the official said. Experts including a National Institutes of Health team formed specifically to assist on vaccine development weren’t included in the selection process, Clyburn said. Warp Speed’s Board of Directors make the final decisions on which to select, the official said.

Coronavirus Admiral Brett Giroir, the Trump Administration’s Testing Czar and member of the White House’s Coronavirus Task Force, joins Andrea Mitchell to discuss the state of the response to the coronavirus. Adm. Giroir shares concerns expressed by CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield that the fall flu season will coincide with the coronavirus, though he says that "we know we have effective measures" to reverse any outbreaks. He also says that he expects available testing capacity grow to "well over 85 million tests" in September.

Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser tells Andrea Mitchell that she's "sad" to see the way President Trump is attacking Kamala Harris, "calling her angry because she's tough, or calling her mean because she wants to hold him accountable." Mayor Bowser also continues to push for Congress to provide support to state and local governments, telling congressional leaders that "by not providing that funding, you're actually eliminating critical local services."

FILE - In this April 30, 2020 file photo, Ethan Cale walks from the American Airlines ticket counter in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)FILE - In this April 30, 2020 file photo, Ethan Cale walks from the American Airlines ticket counter in Salt Lake City. American Airlines is planning to drop flights to up to 30 smaller U.S. cities if a federal requirement to continue those flights expires at the end of next month, an airline official familiar with the matter said Thursday, Aug. 13. American agreed to keep serving those smaller cities as a condition of receiving $5.8 billion in federal payroll help this spring. ADVERTISEMENTThe American Airlines official did not detail which cities could lose service, but the changes could appear in schedules as early as next week.

TikTok and its U.S. employees are planning to take the Trump administration to court over a sweeping order that could ban the popular video app, according to a lawyer preparing one of the lawsuits. TikTok and its U.S. employees are planning to take the Trump administration to court over a sweeping order that could ban the popular video app, according to a lawyer preparing one of the lawsuits. The employees’ legal challenge to Trump’s executive order will be separate from a pending lawsuit from the company that owns the app, says Mike Godwin, an internet policy lawyer representing the employees. The looming ban has annoyed TikTok users, some of them Trump supporters like Pam Graef of Metairie, Louisiana. Godwin said the employees’ legal challenge will be focused on worker rights, not on the national security claims underlying Trump’s order.

Shares of KE Holdings Inc., a Chinese online property platform, initially soared 77% in a blockbuster public debut Thursday that raised more than $2 billion despite the imminent threat of a hostile U.S. government. KE Holdings reported a net profit of $227.5 million in the first half of 2020 on revenue of $1.77 billion. The Beijing-based company priced its initial public offering early Thursday at $20 per American Depositary Share, above its proposed price range of $17 to $19. KE Holdings’ IPO comes fraught with peril, starting with the White House. KE Holdings enters a volatile political and economic landscape.

Shares of KE Holdings Inc., a Chinese online property platform, initially soared 77% in a blockbuster public debut Thursday that raised more than $2 billion despite the imminent threat of a hostile U.S. government. KE Holdings reported a net profit of $227.5 million in the first half of 2020 on revenue of $1.77 billion. The Beijing-based company priced its initial public offering early Thursday at $20 per American Depositary Share, above its proposed price range of $17 to $19. KE Holdings’ IPO comes fraught with peril, starting with the White House. KE Holdings enters a volatile political and economic landscape.

Shares of KE Holdings Inc., a Chinese online property platform, initially soared 77% in a blockbuster public debut Thursday that raised more than $2 billion despite the imminent threat of a hostile U.S. government. KE Holdings reported a net profit of $227.5 million in the first half of 2020 on revenue of $1.77 billion. The Beijing-based company priced its initial public offering early Thursday at $20 per American Depositary Share, above its proposed price range of $17 to $19. KE Holdings’ IPO comes fraught with peril, starting with the White House. KE Holdings enters a volatile political and economic landscape.

The Big Ten is canceling the 2020 fall football season and will attempt to play in the spring, according to multiple reports. The Big Ten is the first Power Five conference to postpone its season. Several college football stars, including Clemson's Trevor Lawrence and Ohio State's Justin Fields, have advocated for playing this fall. President Donald Trump has also sided with the players, saying the players have worked too hard for their season to be canceled. MORE NCAA NEWS:Reports: Big Ten to cancel fall football season, hopes to play in spring originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington

In the latest round of punitive measures that the U.S. government has imposed on Hong Kong, the Trump Administration announced on Aug. 7 that it would sanction 11 high-ranking Hong Kong officials, including the city’s leader Chief Executive Carrie Lam. Story continuesHong Kong media tycoon and Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai (C) is escorted by the police to the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club Shelter Cove Clubhouse for evidence collection as part of ongoing investigations in Hong Kong, China on August 11, 2020. Carrie Lam, Hong Kong's chief executive, speaks at a news conference in Hong Kong, China, on Wednesday, July 1, 2020. The Hong Kong Autonomy Act requires the Secretary of State to come up with a list by October of foreigners who have “materially contributed” to the Chinese government contravening its promises of a “high degree of autonomy” to Hong Kong for 50 years after the 1997 handover. Meanwhile, article 29 of Hong Kong’s National Security Law makes “imposing sanctions or blockades, or engaging in other hostile activities” against Hong Kong or China an offense.

A screen capture from a Kentucky Democratic Party blog shows a picture of Senate Majority Leader in front of a Confederate battle flag. "If he wouldn’t stand in front of a Confederate flag today, he needs to be able to say, 'I shouldn’t have done that.'" From apartheid to affirmative action: Sen. Mitch McConnell's complicated history on raceThe history behind the photo of McConnell, now 78, is somewhat obscure. Nikki Haley that the Confederate battle flag should no longer be displayed at that state's (or any other state's) Capitol. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Sen. Mitch McConnell photo with Confederate flag lives on

Donald Trump Mike Pence vs Joe Bien Kamala Harris us election 2020 policies compare - AFPWith Joe Biden announcing that Kamala Harris will join him on the Democratic presidential ticket this November, the 2020 presidential campaign is finally in full swing. Americans of all stripes say Mr Biden is the candidate who can unite the country at a time of major divisions. Republicans are poised to exploit these verbal trip-ups, while Mr Trump has already begun sharing clips of Mr Biden's gaffes to question his mental acuity. Polls show Americans trust Mr Trump with the economy more than Mr Biden, a key issue for many voters. Kamala HarrisStrengths: Ms Harris is a skilled campaigner with the ability to energise crowds through her passionate stump speeches.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), one of the most prominent and outspoken progressives in the Democratic Party, will have just one minute to deliver remarks at the virtual Democratic National Convention next week. Ocasio-Cortez eloquently acknowledged the limited time slot, tweeting a poem by Dr. Benjamin E. Mays, “I have only just a minute.” The late Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) Politico reported last week that her supporters felt Ocasio-Cortez deserved a prominent speaking spot, given her role leading Biden’s climate task force and her ability to energize younger voters. However, some moderate Democrats reportedly expressed concerns a prime-time speaking slot would fuel the Trump campaign’s efforts to cast Biden as a vessel for the left. “It would be stupid” not to give her a slot, Corbin Trent, a former top adviser to Ocasio-Cortez, told Politico.

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has challenged Donald Trump to release his college transcript to compare grades, saying she would do the same. The New York freshman congresswoman issued her challenge to the president after he said on Fox News on Thursday that she was "not even a smart person" and was "a poor student" during her time at Boston University. It is, of course, doubtful he would know anything about her academic standing at the school since her transcript is private. But Ms Ocasio-Cortez signalled on Thursday she would be willing to share her college grade sheet if the president is willing to share his. "Let’s make a deal, Mr. President: You release your college transcript, I’ll release mine, and we’ll see who was the better student.

WASHINGTON — The coronavirus pandemic has led to a marked deterioration in Americans’ mental health, according to a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study made public on Thursday. “Younger adults, racial/ethnic minorities, essential workers, and unpaid adult caregivers reported having experienced disproportionately worse” mental health outcomes than other groups, the study concluded. Anxiety symptoms tripled in incidence compared with the same period in 2019; the incidence of depression symptoms quadrupled. “Addressing mental health disparities and preparing support systems to mitigate mental health consequences as the pandemic evolves will continue to be needed urgently,” the authors of the study said. Story continuesLiving life at home during the coronavirus pandemic.

Initial claims for state unemployment benefits totaled a seasonally adjusted 963,000 for the week ended Aug. 8, compared to 1.191 million in the prior week, the Labor Department said on Thursday. President Donald Trump on Saturday signed an executive order, including extending the supplement, though he reduced the weekly payout to $400. Industry groups and Republicans claimed that the $600 weekly supplement was encouraging some unemployed people to stay at home. The government reported last week that the economy created1.763 million jobs in July after adding a record 4.791 million in June. It has regained only 9.3 million of 22 million jobs lost between February and April.

View photos In this Wednesday, May 6, 2020, photo, United States Postal Service carrier Henrietta Dixon gets into her truck to deliver mail in Philadelphia. Still, it’s probably counterproductive for Trump to starve the postal service and spell out his plan. Trump needs the votes of moderate Republicans and many Independents to win in November, and he’s not helping himself by attacking postal voting. Democrats can’t back down nowTrump’s revelation also seems certain to stiffen support for the new postal funding among Democrats. There may be darker doings underway at the postal service.

Getty ImagesThe newly elected district attorney of Portland, Oregon announced Tuesday that his office will not prosecute individuals who were arrested on non-violent misdemeanour charges during protests. The amnesty for those arrests will retroactively cover arrests for all non-violent misdemeanour charges relating to protests since late May. Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt told the Associated Press the new policy was meant to address and account for prejudice shown to minority communities. Protests for racial justice and against police brutality in Portland began in the wake of the George Floyd protests, and have been ongoing for 76 nights. The city gained national attention when Donald Trump sent federal agents to beat back protesters under the auspices of protecting a federal court house.

The outcome led a New York Federal Reserve weekly index of projected growth in gross domestic product to improve slightly. (Reuters, Oxford) MoreGraphic: Oxford Economics Recovery Index https://graphics.reuters.com/USA-ECONOMY/OXFORDINDEX/rlgpdlnyepo/chart.pngBut while the claims statistics indicate some rehiring continues, the numbers remain massive by historical standards. Retail sales are expected to have risen 1.9% last month, according to the consensus estimate of analysts polled by Reuters. An Oxford Economics index combining health, economic and social data fell last week, and has shown little change since mid-June. Democrats and Republicans in Congress remain deadlocked over further emergency aid even with the U.S. economy roughly 13 million jobs short of where it was in February.

At 963,000, the number of new claims was an impressive 28% below the rolling average for the prior 4 weeks of 1,339,000. Continue Reading BelowThe initial claims drop is just the latest in a series of very encouraging economic data over the last three months. We had the strongest labor market in modern times heading into the pandemic thanks to President Trump’s pro-growth economic policies. SECOND STIMULUS CHECK MAY NOT GO OUT UNTIL SEPTEMBER AS RELIEF TALKS DRAG ONThe decline in initial claims is already a clear indication that jobs are available and that employers are having less difficulty filling those open positions. But the initial claims numbers form the first week of August make the answer to that query fairly obvious (unless your motivation is purely political).

Pete Ricketts announced Wednesday that the state would block TikTok from all of its electronic devices due to security concerns. “To maintain the security of data owned by the State of Nebraska, and to safeguard against the intrusive cyber activities of China’s communist government, we’ve made the decision to ban TikTok on State devices,” Ricketts said. TIKTOK TRACKED USER DATA USING TACTIC BANNED BY GOOGLEThe announcement comes less than a week after President Trump signed an executive order that would ban TikTok from operating in the U.S. within 45 days. “TikTok automatically gathers vast swaths of information from its users, including internet and other network activity information such as location data and browsing and search history,” the executive order said. TIKTOK SUING TRUMP ADMIN OVER BAN AS SOON AS TUESDAY: REPORT“President Trump has mentioned impending action on TikTok, and for good reason,” he said.

The European Union said Thursday that the Trump administration’s decision to maintain 15% tariffs on Airbus aircraft and 25% tariffs on other European goods did not worsen the now 16-year long trade dispute with Boeing, as both sides seek to put an end to over a decade of political grandstanding. Continue Reading Below“The Commission acknowledges the decision of the US not to exacerbate the ongoing aircraft dispute by increasing tariffs on European products,” a European Commission spokesperson said in a statement, according to Reuters. The statement added that putting an end to the row now was crucial, as the aviation has suffered a severe downturn amid the coronavirus pandemic. Lighthizer said existing 15% tariffs on Airbus aircraft and 25% tariffs on other European goods would stay in place, as the EU has not taken enough action to come into compliance with the World Trade Organization. “Airbus profoundly regrets that, despite Europe’s recent actions to achieve full compliance, USTR has decided to maintain tariffs on Airbus aircraft — especially at a time when aviation and other sectors are going through an unprecedented crisis,” Airbus spokesman Clay McConnell said in a statement.

American Airlines is planning to cancel flights to more than 20 cities this fall after the government requirements that airlines continue to provide minimum service levels and refrain from layoffs expire. Continue Reading BelowCNBC first reported the story, and a source familiar with the airline's plans confirmed the cuts to FOX Business. In all, the canceled flights, plans for which aren't yet final, could hit up to 30 small and medium cities. As part of its coronavirus relief efforts, Congress allocated tens of billions in aid to airlines that was predicated on them not cutting flights or jobs until Oct. 1. GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HEREFOX Business' Matthew Kazin and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

On May 20, in the border district of San Ysidro, Mexican authorities quietly turned over a 49-year-old member of MS-13 to the FBI. The handoff of Nelson Alexander Flores came with none of the ceremony that typically accompanies the capture of MS-13 gang members. For these reasons, he is perhaps the gang’s most influential member outside of its leadership in El Salvador, the officials said. Born in El Salvador, Flores was a child when the country descended into civil war. In exchange, the Mexican Mafia offers protection in the jails, prisons and streets it controls.

OAKLAND — A South San Francisco limo driver who died of COVID-19 contracted the virus after picking up Brazilian diplomats who were guests at President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago in Florida, according to a claim. Pacific Workers’ of Oakland filed a worker’s compensation claim Thursday in Alameda County on behalf of the widow of Calixto Villanueva, who died of COVID-19 related illness on March 27. The diplomats had just flown into San Francisco from Palm Beach, Florida, where they had attended the U.S.-Brazilian Summit with Trump and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro at Trump’s Mar-A-Lago private estate. His wife, Tita Santos, also became sick with COVID-19 and was too weak to communicate with her dying husband in his final days, according to Pacific Workers’. This is simply a total failure of a system that is supposed to protect people,” Kassem said.

American Airlines is planning to drop flights to up to 30 smaller U.S. cities if a federal requirement to continue those flights expires at the end of next month, an airline official familiar with the matter said Thursday. American agreed to keep serving those smaller cities as a condition of receiving $5.8 billion in federal payroll help this spring. Airline unions and the airlines, which are struggling with a steep downturn in revenue as the pandemic undercuts air travel, are lobbying Congress for the money. The American Airlines official did not detail which cities could lose service, but the changes could appear in schedules as early as next week. However, U.S. air travel has recovered much more slowly than hoped.

Bad data will cost usIt is critical that the Census Bureau be given adequate funding and time to complete the 2020 census with highest accuracy. Likewise, with the pandemic still roaring, some census enumerators are deciding to drop out fearing for their safety, compounding the problem. Simply look at the bureau’s response rate map by census tracts for counties in North Texas, 2020census.gov/en/response-rates.html. I am sick and tired of hearing “we are not a democracy, we are a republic” as a defense of the Electoral College. Though people who say this mean “we are not a direct democracy,” that argument does not work either.

Postal Service amount to voter suppression, said Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, who oversees what is considered the country’s gold standard mail-in ballot system. “It’s voter suppression to undermine the safest method to vote during a pandemic, and (force) Americans to risk their lives to vote,” Griswold said in a statement. Indeed, Trump has repeatedly said — without evidence or additional details — that he believes mail-in voting in November would result in fraudulent and inaccurate results. Still, Griswold said the “attack” on the Postal Service makes the use of 24-hour ballot drop boxes all the more important. Those drop boxes are situated in each county and voters can submit their ballots until 7 p.m. on election night.

West’s campaign is arguing he belongs on the presidential ballot in Wisconsin even if his campaign turned in his nomination signatures 14 seconds after the 5 p.m. deadline Aug. 4. The 23-page document, filed Monday, says a state Elections Commission staffer told a West campaign aide that she turned in the nomination papers 14 seconds after the deadline. The filing was made in response to two challenges to West’s nomination papers. The complaints will be reviewed by Elections Commission staffers, who will make a recommendation on West’s nomination papers to the bipartisan board. Curran said the nomination papers should be counted even if Ruhland was a few seconds late.

Programming is set to be broadcast and streamed online each night from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. CT. Party officials and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden’s aides describe the agenda as a way to pitch the nominee as a steady, consensus-building figure in contrast with Trump’s turbulent tenure. Prominent Democratic women dominate the lineup Wednesday, when the vice presidential nominee will speak. As with a normal convention, Biden’s acceptance speech will conclude the proceedings Thursday night. He is expected to speak live from his home state of Delaware, though the campaign has not announced a venue.

Certainly, her supporters thought, Pennsylvania's Blacks and women overwhelmingly would support the first female standard-bearer for a major party. Donald Trump woefully and arrogantly has mismanaged the coronavirus pandemic, let the economy collapse and shown that he has no empathy for the concerns of Blacks, women, immigrants, the poor or children. With 75% of Americans hoping to vote by mail during a highly contagious pandemic, Trump is working to eviscerate the U.S. Trump is a proven racist who constantly dog-whistles to white supremacists and those fearful of losing privileged white-majority status. Our future depends on voter turnout, on passion, on whether one man's self-interest wins out over the interests of 328 million.

Postal Service, acknowledging that his position would starve the agency of money Democrats say it needs to process an anticipated surge in mail-in ballots during the coronavirus pandemic. Trump also falsely stated that Democrats were pushing for universal mail-in voting and made the unfounded claim that mail-in voting would lead to massive voter fraud in the November election. Postal Service and election security ahead of the November election. "They want $25 billion — billion — for the post office," he said, adding that, without it, the Postal Service won't be equipped to handle the influx of mail-in ballots. Democrats have pushed for $10 billion for the Postal Service in talks with Republicans on a huge COVID-19 response bill.

It's unclear whether the contact information of up to 2,000 contact tracing volunteers still is in the possession of a Democratic data management firm whose state contract was canceled in April, Michigan health director Robert Gordon told lawmakers Thursday. An email seeking comment from NGP VAN was not immediately returned. Whitmer canceled the roughly $194,000 no-bid contract after widespread criticism of the contract in April. Since Michigan is under a state of emergency, the state could issue no-bid contracts because it was exempted from soliciting bids prior to awarding the contract. Before the contract was finalized, volunteers were given training information with the link to NGP Van included in it.

Ryan J. FoleyAssociated PressIowa City, Iowa – President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign has sued two Democratic-leaning Iowa counties that are making it easy to vote by mail during the coronavirus pandemic, seeking to invalidate tens of thousands of voters’ absentee ballot applications. At issue are absentee ballot request forms that the counties are sending to registered voters with personal information already filled in, including their names, dates of birth and voting pin numbers. Those who cast absentee ballots overwhelmingly backed Hillary Clinton while Trump narrowly won Linn County among Election Day voters. The law was passed days after Iowa’s June primary, when saw record turnout and heavy absentee ballot use. Republican supporters of the new law say that requiring voters to provide their personal information before getting an absentee ballot is a key election safeguard.

David KoenigAssociated PressDallas — American Airlines is planning to drop flights to up to 30 smaller U.S. cities if a federal requirement to continue those flights expires at the end of next month, an airline official familiar with the matter said Thursday. American agreed to keep serving those smaller cities as a condition of receiving $5.8 billion in federal payroll help this spring. The move by American could put more pressure on Congress and the White House to give passenger airlines another $25 billion for labor costs. Airline unions and the airlines, which are struggling with a steep downturn in revenue as the pandemic undercuts air travel, are lobbying Congress for the money. The American Airlines official did not detail which cities could lose service, but the changes could appear in schedules as early as next week.

Postal Service, acknowledging that his position would starve the agency of money Democrats say it needs to process an anticipated surge in mail-in ballots during the coronavirus pandemic. Trump has moved to sow public distrust in the Postal Service's ability to deliver what is expected to be record numbers of mail-in ballots. Democrats have pushed for $10 billion for the Postal Service in talks with Republicans on a huge COVID-19 response bill. Judy Beard, legislative and political director for the American Postal Workers Union, said postal workers are up to the task of delivering mail-in ballots this year. Postal Service to hinder Americans from voting.

Matt O'BrienAssociated PressTikTok and its U.S. employees are planning to take President Donald Trump’s administration to court over his sweeping order to ban the popular video app, according to a lawyer preparing one of the lawsuits. Trump last week ordered sweeping but vague bans on dealings with the Chinese owners of TikTok and messaging app WeChat, saying they are a threat to U.S. national security, foreign policy and the economy. The order would prohibit “any transaction by any person” with TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance. The looming ban has annoyed TikTok users, some of them Trump supporters like Pam Graef of Metairie, Louisiana. Godwin said the employees’ legal challenge will be focused on worker rights, not on the national security claims underlying Trump’s order.

Presidential assistance offered for unemployed, but Oklahoma officials have yet to say if the state will participateWhile the number of Oklahomans receiving continued unemployment assistance during the final week of July lowered slightly, numbers remain stubbornly high. Meanwhile, the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission (OESC), the agency overwhelmed by the unemployment claims surge earlier this year, could be facing additional challenges as the landscape involving offered benefits changes yet again. Talks between the U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Senate and the White House to send most adult Americans additional stimulus checks and to extend a popular unemployment benefit that gave out-of-work people an additional $600 a week broke down last week, prompting President Donald Trump to sign executive orders the administration states will provide at least some limited help, for now. For working Americans, the help will come in the form of a payroll tax deferral, rather than in the form of another round of stimulus checks.

Read moreLindsey Roland, a 31-year-old Black woman and Michigan real estate agent, said that background gave her pause. But for Black women, the freedom to vote didn’t come until much later, part of a historical pattern of being denied justice offered to others. “It took an additional 45 years of organizing to secure the rights to vote for Black women and other women of color,” Ufot said. I thought about in this moment that as a Black woman, we are seen,” Campbell said. It affirms Black women and all we did for this country.

The comment was unusual for Mr Cain, not because it was ideologically inconsistent with his usual commentary, but because he died a week prior. Mr Cain tested positive for coronavirus on 29 July and was hospitalised on 1 July. Mr Cain was the co-chair of Black Voices for Trump. "There's no way of knowing for sure how or where Mr Cain contracted the coronavirus," Mr Cain's account tweeted following his hospitalisation. Mr Cain was especially at risk from the virus, as not only was he in his 70's, but he was also a stage 4 cancer survivor.

The White House said Mr Trump's plan offered "a viable path to Palestinian statehood". Mr Trump's plan says: "Jerusalem will remain the sovereign capital of the State of Israel, and it should remain an undivided city." Mr Trump's plan also says Israel will "continue to safeguard Jerusalem's holy sites and will guarantee freedom of worship" for people of all faiths. Image copyright Reuters Image caption Mr Trump's plan aims to solve one of the world's longest-running conflictsIsrael says those lines are militarily indefensible and were never intended to be permanent. Mr Trump's plan states: "The Jordan Valley, which is critical for Israel's national security, will be under Israeli sovereignty."

The UAE is only the third Arab nation to maintain active diplomatic ties with Israel, joining Egypt and Jordan. Thursday’s agreement appears to suspend those plans, but the prime minister announced that there will be “no change” in his annexation plans. Palestinian officials were excluded from negotiations and have rejected plans from the White House, while UAE officials have warned that Israel’s annexation efforts would upend relationships throughout the Arab world. The Independent‘s request for comment to his campaign was referred to the White House, and the State Department declined to comment on his remarks. The announcement also falls short of White House pledges to bring ”peace” in the Middle East, now an election eve promise less than three months before a crucial November election.

Image copyright AFP Image caption The coronavirus pandemic has hit the US Postal Service hardPresident Donald Trump has said that he opposes funds for the US Postal Service because it would boost mail-in voting he alleges would favour Democrats. Mr Trump has previously claimed that mail-in voting would hurt his campaign, which polls show to be in a tight race with Democratic candidate Joe Biden. Democrats denounced Mr Trump's comment, saying his position is an attempt to prevent Americans from voting him out. Mr Trump has repeatedly condemned mail-in voting as an opportunity for fraud and election interference. That means they can't have universal mail-in voting, they just can't have it."

It is a chunk of land located - as the name suggests - on the west bank of the River Jordan and bounded by Israel to the north, west and south. The move could result in some 4.5% of Palestinians in the West Bank living in enclaves within annexed territory. Mr Netanyahu may initially act to annex just the settlements, which could amount to only 3% of the West Bank. Israel claims historical and religious rights to the West Bank as the ancestral land of the Jewish people. Currently, building and zoning in the West Bank requires the approval of Israel's defence minister and prime minister, and can take months or years.

AdvertisementPrince Harry and Meghan Markle's new nine-bedroom and 16-bathroom mansion in California could cost as much as $4.4million a year to run. MORTGAGE: $480,000 PER YEARHarry and Meghan bought the luxury property after securing a $9.5million mortgage, it is believed, implying that they made a down-payment of more than $5.2million. Annual property tax is estimated at $68,000 and the costs of security and utilities for the huge mansion will also come with hefty bills. At their peak Harry and Meghan's combined wealth had been estimated to be around $43million. Harry and Meghan's mansion is more than 10 times larger, suggesting a possible bill of at least $2,000 per month or $24,000 per year.

The Trump campaign's Senior Legal Advisor Jenna Ellis pushed a so-called 'birther' narrative Thursday that Kamala Harris isn't eligible to be vice president because her parents weren't citizens when she was born in Oakland, California. Ellis' views on the issue came to light after she retweeted a link to a 'birther' op-ed published on Newsweek's website Wednesday written by right-wing law professor John C. Eastman. One prominent law professor called the editorial 'racist nonsense'Jenna Ellis serves as a senior legal adviser to the Trump campaign. A Trump campaign spokesman has yet to respond to DailyMail.com's request for comment on whether the campaign stands by her questioning of Harris' eligibilityABC News first reported Jenna Ellis' comments on Kamala Harris' eligibility to serve as vice president after Ellis retweeted the 'birther' op-ed. Businessman Trump was one of the most prominent voices to push the 'birther' conspiracy about Obama, doing so in early April 2011.

Advertising Read moreMadrid (AFP)Arturo Vidal has warned Bayern Munich his Barcelona team are the best team in the world ahead of their Champions League quarter-final in Lisbon on Friday. "They are very confident but tomorrow they aren't playing against a Bundesliga team, they're playing against Barca and Barca is the best team in the world." They then laboured to a 3-1 win over Napoli in the Champions League last 16 on Saturday. We are the best team in the world but in La Liga we haven't shown it in the last few games. He can create his own fireworks but without the strength of the team, Leo would not be Leo, like any player."

Article content(Bloomberg) — President Donald Trump drew a hard line against a Democratic plan for shoring up the U.S. Postal Service, escalating his attempts to hinder mail-in voting in the November election. Try refreshing your browser, or Trump won't send aid to ailing U.S. Democrats have pressed for the funding to ensure capacity to process an increased share of postal ballots given the dangers of the spread of Covid-19. A drop in bulk mail due to the pandemic has worsened the balance sheet despite an increase in package deliveries.

“ “Just as the SEALs surmounted obstacles to bring Osama bin Laden to justice, so too would the Martin County School system find a way to provide parents with a meaningful choice of in-person instruction or continued distance learning.” ”That was Florida Gov. Read more:More and more Americans don’t want Trump fully reopening schools yetOthers used the odd juxtaposition of killing a mass-murdering terrorist with reopening schools during a pandemic that has killed more than 166,000 Americans as a means to mock the Republican governor. Sorting out how and when to reopen schools as coronavirus cases continue to climb nationwide is a complicated issue. Many parents struggled to work from home while also home schooling their kids when the pandemic first shut down schools in the spring. One school in Georgia’s Cherokee County has ordered more than 900 students and staff to quarantine after 59 people tested positive.

Three weeks ago, LaRose asked Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost (R) for a legal opinion on whether extra ballot drop boxes were allowed under state law. “What I decided was instead of waiting for continued legal analysis, was to move forward to say we are not going to allow additional drop boxes for this election,” LaRose said at a Wednesday news conference. “This is his decision to artificially limit drop boxes to one per county. This is his decision to artificially limit drop boxes to one per county. https://t.co/VSfgQqsciS — David Pepper (@DavidPepper) August 12, 2020LaRose argued that adding extra drop boxes would invite lawsuits — such as one that the Trump campaign filed against Pennsylvania — that would delay the process of preparing for the election.

When the Taliban’s co-founder Mullah Akhund Baradar asked Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for the prisoners’ release at the end of July, U.S. envoy to Afghanistan Amb. Two senior Afghan officials tell TIME that both the commander of the U.S. The pledge to release them was in the U.S.-Taliban deal, but never agreed to or shared with Afghan officials until the deal was signed, Afghan officials say. Listening to Ghani’s concerns, O’Brien agreed he didn’t have to release them, three senior Afghan officials and one senior western official tell TIME. A senior Administration official confirmed the O’Brien-Ghani call took place, but declined to comment on the issue of Taliban prisoners.

Trump also tweeted a lengthy joint statement between the US, UAE and Israel, calling the agreement to "full normalization of relations" between Israel and the UAE a "historic diplomatic breakthrough." The UAE and Israel plan to exchange embassies and ambassadors, according to the statement. It will be the third Arab country to open relations with Israel, after Egypt and Jordan. Trump heaped praise on his adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner, who said Trump urged his team to take an "untraditional approach." Last week when an interagency delegation traveled to the UAE, a peace agreement with Israel was not discussed, the officials ?said.

He said Israel would co-operate with the UAE in developing a coronavirus vaccine, in energy, water, environmental protection and many other fields. The UAE's ambassador to the US, Yousef Al Otaiba, said the deal with Israel was "a win for diplomacy and for the region". It marks only the third Israel-Arab peace deal since Israel's declaration of independence in 1948. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Israel annexation: What is the West Bank? He said he expected to see interactions "very quickly" between Israel and the UAE, and the US would resume discussions with several other countries about a possible deal concerning Israel.

The announcement makes the UAE the first Gulf Arab state to do so and only the third Arab nation to have active diplomatic ties to Israel. “Today we usher in a new era of peace between Israel and the Arab world,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a nationally televised statement. Netanyahu also said in the broadcast that the Trump administration asked that Israel put its West Bank annexation plans on hold to move forward with the agreement with the UAE. For Israel, the announcement follows years of Netanyahu boasts that his government enjoys closer ties to Arab nations than publicly acknowledged. It remains unclear what prompted Israel and the UAE to make the announcement now.

The number of new jobless claims filed each week in Oregon has dropped sharply over the past month and is now at about the level it was before the coronavirus pandemic hit. The falloff in new jobless claims shows the pace of layoffs has slowed enormously in recent weeks. That’s about 50% higher than during the worst days of the Great Recession, but down from more than 300,000 continued weekly claims in May. Oregon’s unemployment rate was 11.2% in June, a historic high but down from 14.3% in May. Meanwhile, the economic toll of the pandemic has been exacerbated by Oregon’s struggles to pay out jobless claims.

President Trump announces Israel, UAE to reestablish diplomatic tiesPresident Trump announced the United Arab Emirates and Israel had agreed to reestablish diplomatic relations, a potentially historic agreement. USA TODAY, Associated Press

He also emphasized that the Voting Rights Act remains the law of the land. He credits his parents with instilling in him a belief in civil rights, despite their upbringing in the South. Several years later, he voted for the Civil Rights Act of 1991, which expanded protections against employment discrimination based on race and other characteristics. "But make no mistake about it: The Voting Rights Act is still the law." Those appointments have been praised by many in conservative circles but also have been criticized by some civil rights organizations.

"If he wouldn’t stand in front of a Confederate flag today, he needs to be able to say, 'I shouldn’t have done that.'" From apartheid to affirmative action:Sen. Mitch McConnell's complicated history on raceThe history behind the photo of McConnell, now 78, is somewhat obscure. That same summer, McConnell indicated he was OK with removing the statue of Confederate president Jefferson Davis from the Rotunda in the Kentucky Capitol, where a statue of former President Abraham Lincoln also stands. "It just seems to me that Jefferson Davis and Abraham Lincoln are not equal in stature, which is not to say that Jefferson Davis wasn't an important person in American history. Another statue of Jefferson Davis stands on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., where McConnell and other congressional lawmakers work.

Henry Ford Health System was among many nationally and across the state to begin using hydroxychloroquine in that way. With evidence mounting, the FDA issued a warning in late April, urging caution about using hydroxychloroquine in COVID-19 patients. The World Health Organization announced June 17 that it would stop testing hydroxychloroquine in coronavirus patients through its Solidarity Trial. Patients in the Henry Ford study, Fauci said, were given corticosteroids, which are known to be of a benefit to people with COVID-19. The next day, Dr. Steven Kalkanis, Henry Ford Health System's chief academic officer and senior vice president, told the Free Press that medicine shouldn't be political.

Postal Service and election security ahead of the November election. "They want $25 billion – billion – for the post office," he said, adding that, without it, the Postal Service won’t be equipped to handle the influx of mail-in ballots. Democrats have pushed for $10 billion for the Postal Service in talks with Republicans on a huge COVID-19 response bill. Postal Service to hinder Americans from voting. Postal Service is 2020 election sabotage amid COVID-19.

Upbeat figures on U.S. employment failed to counter investors’ concerns about friction over trade and the stalemate over another U.S. stimulus package. The Nasdaq Composite rose 0.6% on a good day for technology and media stocks. “In theory at least ...anything can happen of course.”Read:Tesla and Apple Plan to Split Their Stocks. 3M (MMM) shares rose 0.9% after the company released July sales data, which showed a 6% in total sales. Carlsberg stock (CABGY) lost 5.2%, as the Danish brewer said it expected operating profit to fall 10% to 15% this year.

The contest between President Trump and the full Democratic ticket has quickly turned personal as the president continued with a third day of name-calling to attack Joe Biden’s running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris. In an interview on Fox Business on Thursday morning, Mr. Trump criticized Ms. Harris over her 2018 grilling of now-Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh during his Senate confirmation hearings. “And now you have a sort of a madwoman, I call her, because she was so angry and such hatred with Justice Kavanaugh,” Mr. Trump said. Republicans dismissed as theatrics her line of questioning about his conversations related to then-special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian election interference, and Mr. Kavanaugh was eventually confirmed by a 50-48 vote. Mr. Trump’s comments Thursday were his latest attacking Ms. Harris’s demeanor as his campaign responds to Mr. Biden’s selection of the California lawmaker as his running mate.

WASHINGTON—Four-fifths of the increase in unemployment between February and May was likely temporary, the Trump administration estimated Thursday in a report that said relief spending significantly reduced the economic pain caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The number of unemployed Americans rose from 5.8 million in February to more than 23 million in April, as swaths of the economy were shut down to slow the spread of new coronavirus. The jobless rate was 10.2% in July, with 16.3 million people out of work.

ADThe current regulations date to 2016 and are among environmental protections crafted by the Obama administration that President Trump has systematically reversed. The American Petroleum Institute and the Independent Petroleum Association of America said their members could police methane emissions on their own. According to the EPA, methane accounted for more than 10 percent of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions from human activities in 2017. Mustafa Santiago Ali, vice president of the National Wildlife Foundation, said the decision by the Trump administration will disproportionately affect minority communities. In March 2019, Royal Dutch Shell’s head of U.S. operations, Gretchen Watkins, urged the Trump administration to tighten instead of loosen regulation of methane emissions.

Vice-presidential picks are often selected to appeal to voting blocs that a presidential candidate is less effective at reaching. ADADAnd Biden, who hails from blue-collar Scranton, Pa., is said to have been chosen by some on Obama’s team to help the country’s first Black president win enough working-class White Americans to capture the White House. During his 2020 run, Biden was already ahead of Trump with Black voters and women — and certainly Black women, arguably the most influential voting bloc in the Democratic Party. Working-class Americans who have been devastated by the economic downturnADTrump is also the reason millions of Americans are now unemployed. This virus has impacted almost every country, but there’s a reason it has hit America worse than any other advanced nation.

“The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., ticket is by far the most radical leftist ticket that the Democratic Party has ever put forward,” Sen. Marsha Blackburn said on Wednesday night. Blackburn, R-Tenn., told “Fox News @ Night,” “When you look at Senator Harris's record and look at her vote, she's for the Green New Deal. The presumptive Democratic nominee and former vice president announced on Wednesday that his campaign's raised a staggering $26 million since Tuesday's running mate announcement. Last week, a new group called “We Have Her Back” promised to make sure Biden's female VP pick receives fair coverage from the media. CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APPBlackburn acknowledged that Harris made history and should be congratulated on making that history.

The Supreme Court Thursday rejected the Republican National Committee's request to temporarily block a lower court’s order that relaxed Rhode Island’s absentee voting requirements. The court noted that state election officials support the decree and none have opposed it. "The status quo is one in which the challenged requirement has not been in effect, given the rules used in Rhode Island's last election, and many Rhode Island voters may well hold that belief." The case involves several voting rights groups and Rhode Island officials. The RNC and the Republican Party of Rhode Island had asked for a decision before mail-in ballots are due to go out Aug. 12.

KAMALA HARRIS' FLIP-FLOPS UNDER A MICROSCOPE AFTER VP SELECTIONThe case prompted a threat from then-California Attorney General Bill Lockyer to take it over. Another controversial death penalty decision by Harris involved an MS-13 gang member named Edwin Ramos who killed a man and his two sons after mistaking them as rival gang members. BRET BAIER: KAMALA HARRIS VP PICK SENDS POWERFUL MESSAGE TO BLACK AND ASIAN GIRLSRamos was eventually sentenced in 2014, according to SF Gate, after Harris had left the San Francisco DA's office to become California's attorney general. Beyond death penalty cases, Harris also received criticism for giving probation to a man named Devaughndre Broussard after he participated in a brutal robbery and assault in 2005. In another controversial case, Harris got into a very public spat with the San Francisco Police Department after it arrested nine prostitutes but Harris declined to pursue charges, according to SF Gate.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez goaded President Trump to release his own college transcript after he called her a “poor student” on Fox Business Thursday morning. “AOC was a poor student,” Trump said. The president added that Democrats are “all afraid of her.”“Let’s make a deal, Mr. President,” the New York Democrat retorted. “You release your college transcript, I’ll release mine, and we’ll see who was the better student. Trump spent two years at Fordham University in New York before transferring to Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.

World leaders are reacting to the deal reached Thursday between Israel and the United Arab Emirates that will lead to a "full normalization" of diplomatic ties between the two Middle Eastern countries, with one calling it a "historic day." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reposted a tweet from President Trump announcing the deal. The agreement was made during a phone call Thursday between President Trump, Netanyahu and Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed. Israel commends the courage of MBZ for the historic decision of the UAE to join Egypt (1979) and Jordan (1994) in making peace with Israel. Senior Palestinian official Hanan Ashrawi tweeted, "Israel got rewarded for not declaring openly what it’s been doing to Palestine illegally & persistently since the beginning of the occupation."

The speculation over where former Vice President Joe Biden will deliver the biggest speech of his half-century-long political career is over. Biden’s campaign confirmed to Fox News on Thursday that he’ll deliver his Democratic National Convention presidential nomination acceptance speech from the Chase Center, a convention center located in his hometown of Wilmington, Del. But last week, Democratic National Committee chair Tom Perez announced that Biden would stay home and give his speech in Delaware. The former vice president’s campaign declined to offer details on the purpose of Biden’s more than two-hour visit to the convention center. TRUMP SAYS HE'LL DELIVER HIS CONVENTION SPEECH FROM GETTSYBURG BATTLEFIELD OR WHITE HOUSEPresident Trump is scheduled to deliver his renomination acceptance speech a week later, when the Republican National Convention is held.

Facebook on Thursday outlined the threats that the company is working to counter ahead of the 2020 U.S. presidential election. "We want to make sure people have access to the latest, authoritative information about preliminary results on and after election night," Gleicher said. Asked about how Facebook is preparing to handle attempts by President Trump to discredit mail-in voting, Gleicher said this is something the company is focused on. "In particular because it looks increasingly like we may not have results on election night," said Gleicher, adding that Facebook is prepared to provide users with accurate information about the vote counts on election night and the following days. Gleicher added the company is prepared to take action against posts from any Facebook users that incite violence or clearly violate the social network's community standards.

Democratic presidential candidate former New York City mayor Mike Bloomberg waves to his supporters at his Super Tuesday night event on March 03, 2020 in West Palm Beach, Florida. Billionaire former presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg is set to speak at the Democratic National Convention next week as party leaders wonder when he will start spending big to back Joe Biden's campaign for president. A spokeswoman for Bloomberg confirmed to CNBC that he will be a featured speaker at the virtual convention that's slated to start on Monday. Bloomberg, a former mayor of New York, has been a vocal supporter of Biden's since his own withdrawal from the Democratic primary in March. That development comes as Bloomberg's allies have been speaking with him about when and where he'll make his next big investment to support Biden.

Cohen on Thursday tweeted out a photo of the cover of his forthcoming tell-all about working for Trump, along with the message: "Coming Soon." Trump has considered Cohen disloyal to him because the former fixer cooperated with federal and state prosecutors in investigations of the president. But Cohen, who since last year has publicly condemned the president in heated terms, considers Trump disloyal to his oath of office, among other infractions. In testimony to Congress before he entered prison in early 2019, Cohen called Trump a "racist" and a "con man." Legal efforts by Trump's brother Robert to block Mary Trump's book and by the Justice Department to block Bolton's book failed.

(CNN) Presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden and his running mate, California Sen. Kamala Harris, are set to appear together in Delaware for a second consecutive day for a briefing on the coronavirus pandemic. The two are set to receive a Thursday briefing from a panel of public health experts assembled by Biden's campaign. Biden has for months been receiving private briefings from a group of health experts who are advising his campaign on pandemic policies, as well as whether and how the former vice president can hold in-person events. That briefing will be followed by speeches from Biden and Harris, who was offered and accepted the Democratic vice presidential nod on Tuesday and campaigned in person with Biden for the first time on Wednesday in Wilmington. Biden and Harris both used speeches Wednesday to hammer President Donald Trump over his handling of the pandemic.

Brett Duke/Associated PressGeorge Kittle just became the first player in NFL history to sign a record-setting contract while remaining underpaid. Tony Avelar/Associated PressIn the last two seasons, Kittle has caught 19 more passes and generated 236 more receiving yards than Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Amari Cooper. The tight end high-water mark has not kept pace with the premium being placed on elite wide receivers. That second part might suggest the bottom should be a lot lower at tight end (and safety, for that matter) than at wide receiver (and cornerback, for that matter). If anything, there should be less of a middle class at tight end.

White House economic advisor Larry Kudlow addresses a press briefing on the U.S. economy and new U.S. employment and unemployment numbers in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, U.S., July 2, 2020. Kudlow cited the drop in claims as a sign that the labor market is recovering. Asked if the economy needs another round of stimulus, Kudlow said recent executive actions taken by President Donald Trump should provide some relief. These extend enhanced unemployment benefits at a reduced level of up to $400 a week and continue a freeze on student loan interest and payments. Kudlow said bipartisan efforts to provide help for small businesses and more direct payments to households could also help, but noted that negotiations with Democrats were at a “standstill.”

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran’s Tasnim news agency, which is affiliated to the country’s elite Revolutionary Guards, said Thursday’s deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates on normalising ties was “shameful”. Iran’s clerical leaders have yet to react to the deal. Israel and the UAE reached a deal on Thursday on seeking the full normalisation of diplomatic relations between the two Middle Eastern nations, in an agreement that U.S. President Donald Trump helped broker.

While Asian Americans are far from monolithic and are comprised of many different ethnicities, they have supported Democrats overall in recent decades. In 2016, Democrat Hillary Clinton won AAPI voters over Republican Donald Trump by a 2-to-1 margin, according to a Reuters/Ipsos Election Day poll. Indian Americans represent the largest Asian-American group in each of those states. Historically, Republicans and Democrats have put little effort toward reaching Asian-American voters. The Biden campaign is hosting numerous AAPI events, including the launch of the Wisconsin AAPIs for Biden effort on Thursday and an Indian independence event on Saturday.

The resolution is the foundation for many peace initiatives but its imprecise phrasing - is the reference to all territories or just some? 1979 - Israeli-Egyptian peace treatyThe first peace treaty between Israel and an Arab country sets out plans for a complete Israeli withdrawal from Sinai within three years. 2002-2003 - Bush Declaration/Arab peace initiative/Road MapGeorge W. Bush becomes the first U.S. president to call for the creation of a Palestinian state, living side-by-side with Israel “in peace and security”. 2009 - Netanyahu’s Bar-Ilan addressPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he would be prepared for a peace deal that includes the establishment of a demilitarised Palestinian state. 2019Netanyahu says he intends to annex West Bank settlements, and much of the Jordan Valley if elected.

REUTERS/Kevin LamarqueUnder the accord, which U.S. President Donald Trump helped broker, Israel has agreed to suspend its planned annexation of areas of the occupied West Bank. The agreement was the product of lengthy discussions between Israel, the UAE and the United States that accelerated recently, White House officials said. Historic Peace Agreement between our two GREAT friends, Israel and the United Arab Emirates,” Trump wrote on Twitter. A signing ceremony including delegations from Israel and the United Arab Emirates is due to be held at the White House in the coming weeks. Now that the ice has been broken, I expect more Arab and Muslim countries will follow the United Arab Emirates’ lead.”This was already being discussed with other states, he said.

The agreement also firms up opposition to regional power Iran, which the UAE, Israel and the United States view as the main threat in the conflict-riven Middle East. But the UAE, along with most other Arab nations, did not recognise Israel and had no formal diplomatic or economic relations with it until now. Historic Peace Agreement between our two GREAT friends, Israel and the United Arab Emirates,” Trump wrote on Twitter. A signing ceremony including delegations from Israel and the United Arab Emirates is due to be held at the White House in the coming weeks. Now that the ice has been broken, I expect more Arab and Muslim countries will follow the United Arab Emirates’ lead.”This was already being discussed with other states, he said.

The outcome led a New York Federal Reserve weekly index of projected growth in gross domestic product to improve slightly. Graphic: Oxford Economics Recovery Index hereBut while the claims statistics indicate some rehiring continues, the numbers remain massive by historical standards. “It’s promising that initial unemployment claims have fallen, but there’s still a long road ahead.”The risks may be mounting. An Oxford Economics index combining health, economic and social data fell last week, and has shown little change since mid-June. Graphic: NY Fed Weekly Economic Index NY Fed Weekly Economic Index here

POLITICO Playbook PM: Israel and the UAE align, and more on Covid negotiations Presented byThere is a hope within the Trump administration that this is the beginning of Arab nations aligning themselves with Israel over the Palestinians, who, in the administration's view, have turned down good deal after good deal. “The announcement makes the UAE the first Gulf Arab state to do so and only the third Arab nation to have active diplomatic ties to Israel. But as a longtime UAE resident, I assure you this was a longtime coming and UAE has been largely tolerant of Israel. OH MY … ‘VOTING RIGHTS’ IS A LIBERAL WISH? So much of the Democratic asks are really liberal left wish lists … voting rights and aid to aliens and so forth.

Speaking on the floor, McConnell scoffed at the Democratic leaders’ demands for Republicans to raise the price ceiling of their negotiations to $2 trillion from $1 trillion. Democrats have called the move blatantly unconstitutional and it’s unclear what affect the orders will have without congressional backing. Pelosi has said the next package cannot wait six more weeks, and does not want to tie the trillion-dollar-plus relief talks into an already contentious government funding battle. The only thing that the two parties can agree on, it seems, is that there is no agreement. “Treasury Secretary Mnuchin is working on that, but so far it's a stalemate,” White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said Thursday on CNBC.

By changing targets without increasing tariffs, Washington managed to please some countries, such as Italy, while upsetting others. EU Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan said he would keep working "to find a negotiated solution to ongoing trade irritants." But France's Trade Minister Franck Riester criticized Washington for maintaining tariffs, which he called "unjustified." The Scotch whisky industry also was dispirited. The tariffs are “inflicting huge damage” on the industry, she added, pointing out exports to the U.S. have shrunk 30 percent since the tariffs took effect.

President Donald Trump will not support a coronavirus relief deal that includes "voting rights" provisions backed by Democrats, White House economic advisor Larry Kudlow said Thursday. It was soon after that the top economics voice in the White House characterized voting rights -- a cornerstone of any healthy democracy -- as something found on "really liberal, left wish lists." I can only hope Kudlow wasn't condemning voting rights in general, and was instead arguing that the White House wouldn't tolerate provisions related to voting rights in an economic aid package. * Why does Team Trump consider voting rights a priority limited to "liberals" and the "left"? Instead, White House officials, including the president, are being quite candid in their position: they want to make it harder for Americans to vote.

The 1,424 fatalities reported Wednesday were the highest since July 28, when 2,218 deaths were reported, the figures showed. And it was the twelfth time in the last 16 days that the death toll exceeded 1,000. And new data is showing “a startling surge in children and teenagers diagnosed with COVID-19,” NBC News reported Thursday. As of Thursday morning, the U.S. has reported more than 167,000 deaths due to COVID-19 and more than 5.2 million confirmed infection. The U.S. has accounted for a fourth of the world’s more than 20.7 million cases and 750,429 deaths.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign has sued two Democratic-leaning Iowa counties that are making it easy to vote by mail during the coronavirus pandemic, seeking to invalidate tens of thousands of voters’ absentee ballot applications. At issue are absentee ballot request forms that the counties are sending to registered voters with personal information already filled in, including their names, dates of birth and voting pin numbers. She called the lawsuits part of a national GOP campaign seeking to restrict access to absentee ballots. About 40,000 requests for absentee ballots, which will be mailed to voters beginning Oct. 5, have already been received, he said. Those who cast absentee ballots overwhelmingly backed Hillary Clinton while Trump narrowly won Linn County among Election Day voters.

Together, CoreCivic and GEO Group made about $1.3 billion last year in contracts with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Positioning themselves for the future, GEO and CoreCivic recently agreed to long-term contracts with the Trump administration for several immigration detention centers in Texas and California. The California agreements were reached days before the effective date of the law, which GEO and the Trump administration are now challenging in court. The private immigration system has grown under presidents of both parties over the last four decades. And after hitting record highs, ICE’s detainee population has fallen to just over 20,000 now because the Trump administration is quickly expelling most immigrants under an emergency coronavirus declaration.

The contest between President Trump and the full Democratic ticket has quickly turned personal as the president continued with a third day of name-calling to attack Joe Biden’s running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris. In an interview on Fox Business on Thursday morning, Mr. Trump criticized Ms. Harris over her 2018 grilling of now-Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh during his Senate confirmation hearings.

WASHINGTON—President Trump said his efforts to block new funding for the U.S. Postal Service in coronavirus-aid talks, if successful, would also hamper efforts to expand mail-in balloting this fall, sparking charges from Democrats that Mr. Trump was trying to undercut voters. The president, who has said he believed mail-in voting benefits Democrats, criticized their efforts to expand voting by mail and provide more funds for the Postal Service in the next round of stimulus legislation.

KE Holdings reported a net profit of $227.5 million in the first half of 2020 on revenue of $1.77 billion. KE Holdings’ IPO comes fraught with peril, starting with the White House. KE Holdings enters a volatile political and economic landscape. At the time, Luckin Coffee said it placed six other employees on leave or suspension. Read more: Opinion: Luckin Coffee shows how risky Chinese IPOs can be, but investors are just not listening

They want $3.5 billion for the mail-in votes, OK. Universal mail-in ballots. Postal Service and mail-in voting. “You’ve seen how bad it’s been with this Carolyn Maloney scam,’” Trump also said, referring to a Democratic primary election in New York between Maloney, a veteran Democratic congresswoman, and her challenger, Suraj Patel. Trump alleged that she “probably lost, but they said, ‘Mail-in ballots — it’s all mixed up.’” Election officials in New York last week declared Maloney the winner. Trump has spent months bashing mail-in voting, though he did change his tune on the topic this month when it comes to the swing state of Florida.

A seasonally adjusted 963,000 workers filed for first-time jobless benefits last week, the Labor Department said Thursday. That is down from a revised 1.19 million a week earlier and below the 1.15 million economists surveyed by FactSet had anticipated. Those continuing to claim jobless benefits fell to 15.5 million in the latest week, while those continuing to receive pandemic unemployment assistance, such as gig workers, fell to 10.7 million from 13 million. While the number of newly jobless is still staggering, the decline from the one million mark is significant. The impasse in part focuses on an extension of enhanced unemployment benefits, which millions of Americans lost at the end of July.

Stocks wavered around the break-even line on Thursday, after the S&P 500 briefly touched its all-time high. Economists had expected the data to show 1.1 million claims. The Nasdaq Composite rose 0.6% on a good day for technology and media stocks. 3M (MMM) shares rose 0.9% after the company released July sales data, which showed a 6% in total sales. Carlsberg stock (CABGY) lost 5.2%, as the Danish brewer said it expected operating profit to fall 10% to 15% this year.

From CosmopolitanBrooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz might've only announced their engagement last month, but fans are already speculating about whether there's a baby on the way. Could you even imagine David and Victoria Beckham as grandparents? In July, Brooklyn and Nicola took to Instagram to reveal they were engaged to be married. The model wrote, "Baby b" alongside a photo of Brooklyn kissing her on the cheek. But that being said, fans are VERY excited about the prospect of a Beckham baby.

A seasonally adjusted 963,000 workers filed for first-time jobless benefits last week, the Labor Department said Thursday. That is down from a revised 1.19 million a week earlier and below the 1.15 million economists surveyed by FactSet had anticipated. Those continuing to claim jobless benefits fell to 15.5 million in the latest week, while those continuing to receive pandemic unemployment assistance, such as gig workers, fell to 10.7 million from 13 million. While the number of newly jobless is still staggering, the decline from the one million mark is significant. The impasse in part focuses on an extension of enhanced unemployment benefits, which millions of Americans lost at the end of July.

The Lincoln Project, a conservative-led political action committee aimed at driving down Republican support for President Trump, has generated buzz in recent months with its slick attack ads. Voters in those states will see eight different commercials that the Lincoln Project made. Mike Madrid of the Lincoln Project (Facebook)“We call it realtime focus grouping because we get analytics back every day on how the ads perform with different voter segments. Along with these targeted messages Lincoln Project’s digital blitz also includes commercials designed to appeal to the broader Republican audience. “They don’t know how to win, and their so-called Lincoln Project is a disgrace to Honest Abe,” Trump said.

After a series of close calls in the 1950s and 1960s that led to the brink of nuclear war — including the Cuban missile crisis — leaders from the U.S. and Soviet Union saw mutual benefit in de-escalating the nuclear arms race. Why there’s debateThe dissolution of these pacts has led many experts to fear that the world may be on the brink of another nuclear arms race. Story continuesThe calculus of arms control has shifted in recent decades as more countries have acquired nuclear capabilities. Beijing’s eagerness to catch up in the nuclear race could push Russia and the U.S. to up their production in order to stay ahead, resulting in a three-way arms race, some experts fear. There are also factors that could stifle another arms race that don’t involve formal treaties.

“Steve’s vehicle is different from all other mass-produced vehicles” in China, Wang said. An aerial view of the Jiangsu Saleen auto plant in Rugao, China. Qiao claimed the Rugao government had spent close to $1 billion of public funds on a joint venture that had produced hardly any cars. But according to their agreement, any intellectual property that springs from Saleen’s work in China belongs to the joint venture. “In a normal joint venture there is always some tech transfer,” said Tycho de Feijter, an expert on the Chinese auto industry, who described the joint venture as a costly mismatch of expectations.

India's Richest Man Is Reportedly In Talks With ByteDance to Buy TikTok's India BusinessIndia’s richest man is reportedly in talks with ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns TikTok, to buy TikTok’s India business. According to TechCrunch, ByteDance approached billionaire Mukesh Ambani, who owns Reliance Industries, an Indian multinational conglomerate company, in July. Undoubtedly, ByteDance had a huge setback in June when TikTok was banned by India, along with other 58 Chinese apps. India was TikTok's biggest foreign market with over 200 million users. On the other hand, tech giant Microsoft (MSFT) - Get Report has said that it is in talks to purchase TikTok.

Presumptive democratic presidential nominee Joseph R. Biden Jr. selected Senator Kamala Harris of California as his vice-presidential running mate. In the 24 hours following Biden's pick, the Biden-Harris campaign raised a whopping $26 million. However, in July, the Trump campaign did raise more than the Biden campaign -- $165 million to Biden's $140 million. But the Biden campaign ended July with nearly as much money as the Trump campaign, with a less than $6 million difference in total purse sizes. What does Kamala Harris mean for investors?

Stocks were mixed on Thursday as jobless claims dropped, but Congress remained deadlocked on negotiations for a COVID-19 relief package. Here are some of the top tech movers for Thursday, Aug. 13:CiscoShares of Cisco (CSCO) - Get Report plunged 11% to $42.84 on Thursday following its fiscal fourth quarter earnings release. Analysts posted mixed reviews of the stock on Thursday. MicronShares of Micron (MU) - Get Report were falling 3.4% to $46.83 following a downgrade from Deutsche Bank. Fastly's CEO revealed last week that TikTok accounts for 12% of its revenue, but said in an interview this week that its growth outlook remains robust.

President Trump said Thursday that he opposes additional funding for the U.S. Postal Service, acknowledging that his position would starve the agency of money Democrats say it needs to process an anticipated surge in mail-in ballots during the coronavirus pandemic. Trump also falsely stated that Democrats were pushing for universal mail-in voting and made the unfounded claim that mail-in voting would lead to massive voter fraud in the November election. “They want $25 billion — billion — for the post office,” he said, adding that, without it, the postal service won’t be equipped to handle the influx of mail-in ballots. Democrats have pushed for $10 billion for the postal service in talks with Republicans on a huge COVID-19 response bill.

AdvertisementHow will theatrically vulnerable Joe Biden fare when the Democratic National Convention, which had been scheduled to take place in Milwaukee, kicks off Monday at a computer screen near you? Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and vice presidential nominee Mike Pence on the final day of the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland. AdvertisementThen-U.S. Senate candidate Barack Obama delivers the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston. Mario Cuomo’s 1984 Democratic convention speech is the exception rather than the rule. Rep. Barbara Jordan waves to the crowd before her keynote speech at the Democratic National Convention in 1976.

The COVID-19 pandemic has made those traditions impossible — and the conventions will almost surely be better for it. Ever since 1948, when convention proceedings were first broadcast on television, the quadrennial events have slowly morphed from authentic political gatherings into slickly produced infomercials. The old-style conventions weren't particularly good TV; they were live pageants adapted for the small screen, often awkwardly. Instead of lame infomercials pretending to be conventions, they will openly and proudly be giant infomercials, a quintessentially American art form. "They're being designed to serve the viewers, not the delegates," Chuck Todd, the political director of NBC News, told me.

Like thousands of parents in San Jose and elsewhere, our family survived the First Day of School on Wednesday. We wanted to be at the ready should some technological calamity befall the first day of virtual learning since the spring, which everyone concedes was just a mess. San Jose Unified School District is using Webex for its online classrooms, and when my daughter Mia’s first sixth-grade class started at 7:45 a.m., we couldn’t log in. What horrible nickname would Donald Trump give her because she was late to the first day of sixth grade? But the First Day of School could have been a total disaster for everyone.

WASHINGTON — The Trump Administration wants to change the definition of a showerhead to let more water flow, addressing a pet peeve of the president who complains he isn't getting wet enough. Since 1992, federal law has dictated that new showerheads shouldn’t pour more than 2.5 gallons of water per minute (9.5 liters). As newer shower fixtures came out with multiple nozzles, the Obama administration defined the showerhead restrictions to apply to what comes out in total. The new proposal Wednesday would allow each nozzle to spray as much as 2.5 gallons, not just the overall showerhead. Appliance and plumbing energy and water conservation standards save consumers about $500 a year on energy bills, deLaski said.

IOWA CITY, Iowa — President Donald Trump's reelection campaign has sued two Democratic-leaning Iowa counties that are making it easy to vote by mail during the coronavirus pandemic, seeking to invalidate tens of thousands of voters' absentee ballot applications. At issue are absentee ballot request forms that the counties are sending to registered voters with personal information already filled in, including their names, dates of birth and voting pin numbers. She called the lawsuits part of a national GOP campaign seeking to restrict access to absentee ballots. About 40,000 requests for absentee ballots, which will be mailed to voters beginning Oct. 5, have already been received, he said. Those who cast absentee ballots overwhelmingly backed Hillary Clinton while Trump narrowly won Linn County among Election Day voters.

Most Chicagoans know Marshall Field, the department store founder whose namesake flagship State Street store became a cherished icon. But the truly revolutionary Chicago figure, whose legacy outstrips Field’s though his name is more remote from public memory, is a clerk who worked for Field: Aaron Montgomery Ward. It’ll be rigged.” Unlike most of his statements, that is actually true, though not in the way he intended. Projecting his crimes upon others, as always, Trump left out that if the presidential election is rigged, it’ll be rigged by him. Otherwise, kneecapping the Postal Service will only be the start.

By DEB RIECHMANN and ANTHONY IZAGUIRREWASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump declared Thursday that he opposes additional funding for the U.S. Postal Service, acknowledging that his position would starve the agency of money Democrats say it needs to process an anticipated surge in mail-in ballots during the coronavirus pandemic. Democrats have pushed for $10 billion for the Postal Service in talks with Republicans on a huge COVID-19 response bill. Judy Beard, legislative and political director for the American Postal Workers Union, said postal workers are up to the task of delivering mail-in ballots this year. Postal Service to hinder Americans from voting.

Jon Gambrell, Matthew Lee and Josef FedermanAssociated PressDubai, United Arab Emirates – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the announcement that full diplomatic ties will be established with the United Arab Emirates has ushered in a “new era” in Israel’s relations with the Arab world. The announcement makes the UAE the first Gulf Arab state to do so and only the third Arab nation to have active diplomatic ties to Israel. For Israel, the announcement comes after years of boasting by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that his government enjoys closer ties to Arab nations than publicly acknowledged. Mauritania recognized Israel in 1999, but later ended relations in 2009 over the Israel’s war in Gaza at the time. Still, by dropping the annexation plan Netanyahu may be hedging his bets ahead of a possible change in the White House.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — President Donald Trump's reelection campaign has sued two Democratic-leaning Iowa counties that are making it easy to vote by mail during the coronavirus pandemic, seeking to invalidate tens of thousands of voters' absentee ballot applications. The Trump campaign, the Republican National Committee and other GOP groups filed the lawsuits Tuesday against elections officials in Linn and Johnson counties. At issue are absentee ballot request forms that the counties are sending to registered voters with personal information already filled in, including their names, dates of birth and voting pin numbers. Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate, a Republican, last month told auditors in an emergency election directive that request forms mailed to voters must be blank in order “to ensure uniformity." But his office has not taken any action to block the county mailings.

HOUSTON (AP) — Executives at the nation’s two largest private prison companies have been donating large sums to President Donald Trump and Republican candidates with an eye toward the November elections that one of the corporations believes will lead to a rebound in its stock price. The fortunes of private prison companies have become increasingly intertwined with the nation’s politics in an era when the Trump administration has been detaining tens of thousands of immigrants and asylum seekers at their facilities. Together, CoreCivic and GEO Group made about $1.3 billion last year in contracts with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Each company relies on ICE for around 30% of its revenue. Biden's pledge would be a major change from when he was vice president during President Barack Obama’s administration, which opened family detention centers in Texas operated by both companies and deported more than 3 million people.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration on Thursday designated the Confucius Institute U.S. Center as a foreign mission of the Chinese Communist Party, alleging that the program to help teach Chinese language classes in America is part of Beijing’s propaganda and influence operations on campuses and other classrooms. The designation requires the the Confucius Institute U.S. Center, based in Washington, to submit reports to the U.S. government about its funding, personnel, curriculum and other activities in the United States. We’re just highlighting the fact that these folks do work for the Ministry of Education of the (Chinese) Communist Party,” said Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Affairs David Stilwell. There are about 500 kindergarten through 12th grade classrooms affiliated with the Confucius Institute, Stilwell said. Some universities have closed the institutes because of fears that they were spreading communist propaganda information.

Applications for jobless benefits declined to 963,000, the second straight drop, from 1.2 million the previous week, the government said Thursday. The total declined last week to 15.5 million, from 16.1 million the previous week. The job gain in August will probably fall short of the 1.8 million added in July, analysts say. For months, on top of their state benefit, unemployed Americans also collected the $600 a week in federal jobless aid. The supplemental federal aid had enabled many jobless Americans to afford rent, food and utilities, and its expiration threatens to weaken consumer spending.

The United States Postal Service is removing mail sorting machines from facilities around the country without any official explanation or reason given, Motherboard has learned through interviews with postal workers and union officials. Motherboard identified 19 mail sorting machines from five processing facilities across the U.S. that either have already been removed or are scheduled to be in the near future. Do you know anything about sorting machines being removed from distribution facilities? Running at peak efficiency, the machines can sort about 35,000 pieces of mail per hour, a remarkable and oddly mesmerizing feat. If mail-in ballots are sent and returned over a period of weeks instead of days, it is unlikely, the postal workers said, to stress the machines even if some are taken away.

Jordan was the last Arab nation to accept ties with Israel, back in 1994. And before that, only Egypt made a peace deal with Israel - in 1979. For the UAE, the deal allows them to make a splash on the international stage amid an increasingly fraught situation in the Middle East. Allied to the US, there appears little doubt that allowing Trump to announce the deal will strengthen ties there. Beyond this new agreement, there have been Israeli efforts in recent years to thaw ties with the UAE.

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption A Miami police officer wears a mask to enforce the city's mask mandateA Florida sheriff has banned staff from wearing face masks at work. Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods's order also includes visitors to the office. Sheriff Woods said it was vital that officers' orders were clearly understood and that anyone coming to the station be identifiable. Florida is one of the states hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic, with over 550,000 cases and 8,700 deaths. Wearing a mask in the US has often acquired political connotations - Republican supporters of Mr Trump are less likely to don masks than Democrats.

President Donald Trump announced that Israel and the United Arab Emirates have reached a peace deal that will lead to the full normalisation of diplomatic relations

Michael Cohen previewed the cover of his upcoming book 'Disloyal' on ThursdayMichael Cohen previewed the cover image and title of his upcoming book 'Disloyal' on Thursday after the courts ruled against Attorney General Bill Barr's attempt to stop him from publishing the tell-all. 'Coming Soon,' Cohen teased on Twitter along with an image of the cover of his memoir revealing the title, 'Disloyal: The True Story of the Former Personal Attorney to President Donald J. Trump'. 'Favorable ruling yesterday by the Court as I am close to completion of my book…' Cohen wrote of Trump's niece Mary Trump being able to publish her critical book about her uncle. The tweet of him touting his new book Thursday is the first time he has posted since being released from prison. Cohen intentionally revealed that the book would be coming out ahead of the November elections.

The 1,499 deaths reported on Wednesday marked the largest daily increase since mid-May. 'We haven't done a good job of getting [coronavirus vaccine] information out there.' Meanwhile, the number of cases in Florida continue to trend downward following a huge summer spike across the Sunbelt states. The state reported 8,183 cases on Wednesday, down from the record 15,000 in mid-July. Arizona currently leads the nation with pediatric coronavirus cases, according to a new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

There can be no doubt that the heyday of Christian fundamentalism in America was the George W. Bush administration. Abortion and LGBTQ rights are still under serious threat, as the Christian right has made major inroads into the federal judiciary. Advertisement:It's a measure of our bizarre political climate that the Trump campaign sees QAnon as the future, but it's hardly a surprise. Trump hasn't been shy about courting QAnon followers, frequently retweeting its adherents (while later suggesting he doesn't know much about it). QAnon claims to be fighting for children, but the child sex-trafficking victims they speak for are exclusively in their heads.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump on Thursday said his team was rejecting Democrats’ bid to include funds for the U.S. Postal Service and to shore up election infrastructure in a new coronavirus relief bill, as he vowed to block money to facilitate mail-in voting. Congressional Democrats accused Trump of trying to damage the struggling Postal Service in an effort to improve his chances of being re-elected in November. “The items are the post office and the $3.5 billion for mail-in voting,” Trump told Fox Business Network, saying Democrats want to give the post office $25 billion. DeJoy said last Friday that the Postal Service’s approach to election mail has not changed.

The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a Republican bid to tighten rules on mail-in voting that had been eased as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. But the Republican National Committee and the Rhode Island Republican Party challenged the relaxed rules, saying in court papers that they could increase the likelihood of fraudulent voting. After a federal appeals court refused to block the new rules, the GOP took the case to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court rejected that argument, saying that in the Rhode Island case, unlike the Alabama case "and other similar cases where a State defends its own law, here the state election officials support the challenged decree, and no state official has expressed opposition." "The status quo is one in which the challenged requirement has not been in effect, given the rules used in Rhode Island's last election, and many Rhode Island voters may well hold that belief," the court added.

Around this time, the Trump administration announced that it would take “15 days to slow the spread,” promising the crisis would turnaround fast. That was 150 days ago, and the virus is now everywhere. Getty ImagesIt’s been 150 days since the Trump administration enacted its 15-day plan. It’s made all the longer when it’s doled out in promises of days and weeks and months. We’ve had 150 days to learn something beyond baking bread, and we’re still left with quick fixes and too-short timeframes.

The announcement makes the UAE the first Gulf Arab state to do so and only the third Arab nation to have active diplomatic ties to Israel. He then told reporters in the Oval Office that it was “a truly historic moment.”“Now that the ice has been broken I expect more Arab and Muslim countries will follow the United Arab Emirates,” he said. While Thursday’s deal halts Israeli annexation plans, the Palestinians have repeatedly urged Arab governments not to normalize relations with Israel until a peace agreement establishing an independent Palestinian state is reached. A joint statement from the U.S., the UAE and Israel was issued immediately after Trump’s tweet. Still, by dropping the annexation plan Netanyahu may be hedging his bets ahead of a possible change in the White House.

Israel and the United Arab Emirates just agreed to a historic deal to normalize their long-strained relations — and it may not have happened without the input of President Donald Trump’s administration. The Israeli-occupied West Bank is home to nearly 3 million Palestinians as well some 500,000 Jewish settlers, and would form a critical part of any future independent state of Palestine. The last peace deal it struck with an Arab country was with Jordan in 1994 (it signed one with Egypt in 1979). This agreement may help the UAE do business with Israel, which in turn should help the Arab nation’s economy. Among other possibilities, Israel and the UAE could hit many snags as they work on how, exactly, to normalize relations.

Trump campaign senior legal adviser Jenna Ellis on Thursday shared a Newsweek op-ed that baselessly claims Sen. Kamala Harris may be ineligible for the vice presidency because both of her parents were not naturalized citizens at her birth. Why it matters: Harris was born in Oakland, Calif. She is an American citizen and is eligible for the office. Eastman's view on birthright citizenship and presidential eligibility is not accepted by constitutional law scholars. President Trump, then campaigning against Cruz, was one of the first to push the idea of his ineligibility. Republican pollster Frank Luntz simply reiterated that Harris was born in Oakland.

“No matter how racist, how bigoted, how offensive, how obviously fake we get, people keep coming back,” Blair once wrote, on his own personal Facebook page. ADAD“President Trump extended an olive branch and invited Michelle Obama and Chelsea Clinton,” Blair wrote. Political Washington was under control of a “deep state.”Chapian didn’t believe everything she read online, but she was also distrustful of mainstream fact-checkers and reported news. “Aaaaand, we’re viral,” he wrote, in a message to his liberal supporters on his private Facebook page. Instead of responding directly to strangers on America’s Last Line of Defense, Chapian wrote on her own Facebook page.

Historic Peace Agreement between our two GREAT friends, Israel and the United Arab Emirates," Trump wrote on Twitter. A signing ceremony including delegations from Israel and the United Arab Emirates will be held at the White House in the coming weeks, Trump added. "After 49 years, Israel and the United Arab Emirates will fully normalise their diplomatic relations. A joint statement issued by the three nations said the three leaders had "agreed to the full normalisation of relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates". Now that the ice has been broken, I expect more Arab and Muslim countries will follow the United Arab Emirates' lead .... and normalise relations with Israel."

The growing but largely unrecognized death toll from rising global temperatures will come close to eclipsing the current number of deaths from all the infectious diseases combined if planet-heating emissions are not constrained, a major new study has found. The economic loss from the climate crisis, as well as the cost of adaptation, will be felt around the world, including in wealthy countries. This nearly matches the current death toll from all infectious diseases, including tuberculosis, HIV/Aids, malaria, dengue and yellow fever. As already baking temperatures climb further this century, countries such as Ghana, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sudan face an additional 200 or more deaths per 100,000 people. We need to understand the risk and invest to mitigate that risk, before we really start to notice the impacts.”

Chinese tech company ByteDance censored media criticizing the Chinese government on news aggregation apps in Indonesia up until the middle of 2020, Reuters reported Thursday. In 2018, ByteDance purchased the Indonesian news aggregation app Baca Berita (BaBe) after the country briefly banned the tech giant’s video-sharing platform TikTok. Shortly after ByteDance’s acquisition of BaBe, moderators for the app were instructed to take down content critical of the Chinese government. In 2019, The Guardian reported that TikTok moderators were told to censor content that mentions Tiananmen Square, Tibetan independence, and other similar videos. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Josh Hawley (R-MO) that the increasingly popular social media platform didn’t censor content criticizing China.

Some of Trump's very fine people in Charlottesville. So, too, is the sad old racist in the White House, who afterwards famously crowed there were "very fine people on both sides," and who since then has gradually upgradedhis venomous dog whistle to a scream. At this point, some argue Trump really should go with it, and just wear his white hood at public appearances. In truth, argue two new killer anti-Trump ads, "Nothing has changed" - he is and always was a racist loser. At their campaign debut, Harris and Biden entered to Curtis Mayfield's "Move On Up," and slayed it.

Low-income, predominantly Black neighborhoods, which have borne the brunt of the pandemic's effects, have seen the sharpest rise in suicides in the county. Officials in cities and counties in California, New Mexico, and Georgia have also been startled by rises in suicides there. Some posts alluded to despair and suicidal ideation as the Reddit users described having nowhere to turn. Last week, President Donald Trump issued an executive order partially reinstating a federal unemployment benefit, offering just $300 per week. Food banks reported reported drastic increases in demand in March, with 90% of inquiries at one Pittsburgh pantry coming from people who were newly unemployed.

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump today held a press briefing at the White House as the latest coronavirus relief bill remains stalled in Congress. The actions of the Trump administration are chaotic, and their rhetoric is appallingly reckless. They have failed to lead at every step of this pandemic and ensuing economic crisis. There is a third choice and that is for Congress to provide the tools and resources that educators need to reopen school buildings safely and equitably. My message to Trump is this: Stop pushing a radical agenda of privatizing education through vouchers and get to work with doing what’s needed to protect students, educators and their families.”###

Seventy-five years later, I hear the words of hibakushas and feel my soul plunge into emptiness. Apparently no hibakusha, or someone who shares their understanding, has ever been the leader of a nuclear power. The essential paradox of disarmament is that nuclear power, and thus nuclear bombs, having been invented, will never go away. Without disarmament at that scale, nuclear disarmament will never be a certainty, even if the world dismantles existing nuclear weapons. What I’m saying is that nuclear disarmament does not mean humanity somehow forgetting—mysteriously no longer knowing—how to rebuild its nukes.

"I believe that moving away from a profit-based healthcare system is the moral issue of our time. Khanna told Common Dreams that he is "inspired by the delegates who are voting no," calling them "the force and energy behind our party." "Covid-19 makes Medicare for All an urgent moral imperative," Khanna told Common Dreams. Medicare for All was part of the Democratic platform until 1980. "I want my party, the Democratic Party, to address this moral problem with clarity of moral purpose," Khanna concludes.

"I will be voting 'No' on the platform because when we say that healthcare is a human right, we must truly mean it—and fight for it." Yet history teaches us that the Democratic Party has sometimes faced an issue so great that it alone should be the yardstick for measuring the wisdom of voting for or against the platform. In 1948, there was going to be a split in the Democratic Party regardless of the national convention's vote on civil rights. Harry Truman ran and won on universal healthcare in 1948, and it was part of Democratic Party platforms until 1980. I will cast a "No" vote because, in the words of our great Democratic National Committee member from Iowa, Jodi Clemens, "Our friends are dying"—and I want my party, the Democratic Party, to address this moral problem with clarity of moral purpose.

Postal Service with the express purpose of stopping an expansion of mail-in ballot access ahead of the November elections. "That means they can't have universal mail-in voting, they just can't have it." Listen to Trump's comments:Trump this morning why he won’t fund US Postal Service. "Congress must provide the Postal Service the financial resources needed to ensure a smooth process of mail-in ballots for the November election." "We call on Majority Leader McConnell and Senate Republicans to make the right move," said Morgan.

NEW YORK - After Donald Trump said in an interview with Fox News today that he opposes funding the USPS to prevent Americans from voting by mail, Stand Up America Founder and President Sean Eldridge released the following statement:“Donald Trump is saying the quiet part out loud: His continued efforts to cripple the USPS are a clear attempt to sabotage the election and suppress the vote in the middle of a pandemic. “Congress must act now. SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT Never Miss a Beat. Get our best delivered to your inbox. “If Senate Republicans gave a damn about the future of our democracy, they would demand that the Trump administration return to the negotiating table on a COVID-19 relief bill that protects our elections and funds the Post Office.”Earlier this week, Stand Up America launched a campaign to mobilize constituents of GOP lawmakers and drive thousands of phone calls to pressure Senate Republicans to pass a real relief package that includes election assistance and USPS funding.

Democratic vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris wants a “bright” line separating WikiLeaks from big media, but there is only a political one, says Joe Lauria. She said she wants a “bright line” between publications such as The New York Times and WikiLeaks. Would your administration continue the Espionage Act part of the case against Assange?” Harris said:“The Justice Department should make independent decisions about prosecutions based on facts and the law. Not that his extradition for a political offense would much bother Kamala Harris, judging from her remarks. He was an investigative reporter for the Sunday Times of London and began his professional career as a stringer for The New York Times.

Vladimir Putin gave the covid-19 vaccine a name, Sputnik V, reminding Americans that Russia was the first to put a satellite in orbit w/Sputnik. Trump believes that delivery of a vaccine will alter the election results, a quarter-million people might agree if they were still alive by election day. It’s enough for a dictator to refuse to accept election results and institute repression. x Pre-orders of COVID-19 vaccine top five billion https://t.co/GpTAZKci3m pic.twitter.com/fPCilreM65 — CTV News (@CTVNews) August 12, 2020And then there’s the anti-government skeptics. https://t.co/SYXYe6xEOB — Dave Sund (@davesund) August 12, 2020x Federal officers are en route to the ICE bus blockade in Bend.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in the most subtle manner, did not allow MSNBC Host Craig Melvin to make Kamala Harris simply a token woman of color for the VP spot. Choosing Senator Kamala Harris for the Vice Presidency is in fact historic. But too often the historic nature of "the first" of anything tends to take over the substance of the person. And that is what Speaker Pelosi is intent on mitigating. It does not matter what you feel about Kamala Harris.

Kamala Harris is the Vice-Presidential pick and Joe Biden is leading in the polls by a bunch. Politics Done Right Live weekdays @ 3:00 PM CentralVideo Zoom: LINK — Live Calls: (346)248-7799 ID:254 0 9091According to FiveThirtyEight Joe Biden has a substantial advantage. Donald Trump may be using the post office as one of the tools to try to steal the election. Pelosi goes on the media and sets the agenda by first using the airwaves before answering the specific question. Podcasts: Stitcher | iTunes, Tune-In | iHeartRadio | Player.fm | SpotifyLive Video: Facebook Live | Youtube Live | Periscope | TwitchMy new book "It's Worth It: How to Talk To Your Right-Wing Relatives, Friends, and Neighbors" is live.

Out of the four "executive orders" Trump gave, only one was actually an order and not just a memorandum. So it doesn't put a moratorium on evictions at all, and it was also the one thing clearly within Trump’s power to do; he could have extended the moratorium that expired on July 31. He didn't do anything to prevent evictions of people in housing funded by federally backed mortgages or who use Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) housing vouchers from starting up again. That's despite the fact that 30 to 40 million households are now at risk of being evicted. Voter suppression is the main game at this point, and they'll go at it from every angle possible, from a repeat of the 2016 Russia troll assistance to crippling the U.S.

(MuggleNet) (Bottom) University students In Thailand wave the “Hunger Games” three-finger salute in protests against the military dictatorship. (Asian Review)In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Hogwarts students organize Dumbledore’s Army to prepare themselves to do battle with the evil forces of Voldemort. A new division of Dumbledore’s Army has emerged in Thailand, as youthful protesters, emulating Harry Potter and his friends, challenge restrictions on young people and anti-democratic policies imposed by the nation’s military dictators. The prime minister of Thailand is a former leader of their army who lead a 2014 military coup. In their lessons, will teachers join students as members of Dumbledore’s Army in defense of democracy in the United States?

TODAY IN CONGRESS (TIC) :Your One Stop Shop For Learning What Our Congress Critters Are Up To! So Congress is basically twidelling it’s thumbs while COVID Relief Bill negotiations go on behind the scenes (or not). Senate —11:00 am — Senate Session (The Senate returns for morning business with Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each. Post Jan 30 CLICK HERE. Post Jan 30 CLICK HERE.

Photo credit: Chris O'Meara/Associated PressThis series lists prominent Republicans or former senior staffers now openly dissing the Donald. ‘Are you for Donald Trump, or are you for America’?” [5 July 2020]63. Brett McGurk, Trump’s former special envoy on ISIS:“Donald Trump is not a commander-in-chief. Michael Bloomberg, former Republican mayor of New York:"Behind your back they [mutual acquaintances in New York] laugh at you & call you [Trump] a carnival barking clown. But that is very hard for President Trump and could be his Achilles' heel.” [23 February 2019]67.

Never mind that many other Jews are (I admit I am) strident defenders of Israel, but tRump is *not*. These fundies hate us Jews, I am sure, but they want us alive and in Israel so their myths can come true. tRump just changed his tune on his plan for Israel and the Iran deal. This time the support for tRump seems to come down to the sanctions deal with Iran. But…x Trump at a fundraiser with Israel supporters.

That was when the force rising on the American right was elevating Rush Limbaugh to be the Godzilla of Talk Radio. So, for several years, I pitched to liberal gatekeepers the idea of doing a program that was the opposite of Limbaugh’s. Now, finally, Liberal America is aflame with the understanding of the political battle that must be fought and won. While it is good that Liberal America has at last joined the inescapable battle, Liberal America continues meanwhile its old habit of leaving the Republican base to their propagandists. Liberal America has written off Trump’s base.

Virtually all of the Supreme Court law clerks come to the Court via lower court “feeder” judges, discussed in the article. Ideological alignment of feeder judges with Supreme Court Justices is usually a very important factor in the selection process. Conservative Justices have normally and uniformly drawn more law clerks from conservative feeder judges and liberal Justices have likewise drawn from liberal feeder judges. Now, do I think that Chief Justice Roberts is becoming a “moderate Democrat”? But, is he still the same very conservative John Roberts as when he started as Chief Justice back in 2005.

But inside the White House, Trump’s top political aides are increasingly assured about their response — feeling like they’re finally getting a handle on how to fight the disease. I imagined Trump’s “beating Covid ain’t no big thing” cheerleader squad posing on top of it in a classic pyramid pose with Trump on the peak. I pictured them being hurled into political oblivion with a humiliating resurgence of infections and deaths in states where Trump must be victorious in order to win. Atlas served as a senior advisor for health care to Republican presidential campaigns in 2008, 2012, and 2016. It might just be thinking “no blustering self-aggrandizing liar is going to diminish my power.

x ActBlue, the leading site to process online donations to Democratic candidates, processed about $30 million in the first 24 hours after Kamala Harris was named to the Democratic ticket. https://t.co/iddTzP6Ks0 — Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) August 12, 2020The Team Joe Store has been very very busy, too! x Since the Kamala Harris pick, the Biden campaign has sold $1.2 million in yard signshttps://t.co/0Q1C2GLaQG — Shane Goldmacher (@ShaneGoldmacher) August 13, 2020Truth matters! (Button available at the Team Joe Store!) (Button available at the Team Joe Store!)

He pointed out that mail-in voting works fine in Colorado and that the election will not, under any circumstances, be postponed. Here’s an op-ed Hickenlooper had in the Washington Post back in April:Mailing ballots has upsides beyond the obvious convenience. Here in Colorado, we've shown that vote by mail works. https://t.co/jhXCAM6m7Z — John Hickenlooper (@Hickenlooper) August 13, 2020We need to get rid of Trump and his enablers like Gardner in the Senate. Click below to donate and get involved with Hickenlooper, Biden and their fellow Colorado Democrats campaigns:Joe BidenJohn HickenlooperDiane Mitsch Bush

Scholarship Opportunity Program, and these are what teachers unions are demanding in order for kids to go back to school." That is what anyone would expect from a “normal” Secretary of Education. But, as observed by Heidi Przybyla, reporting for NBC News, this is anything but a “normal” Secretary of Education:As public schools grapple with the challenge of reopening, public education advocates are criticizing Education Sec. In Mississippi, 100 high school students are now under quarantine after a teacher exhibited COVID-19 symptoms shortly after the school’s reopening. These are the problems that a competent, dedicated Secretary of Education would be grappling with.

Deadline information for an absentee ballot/vote by mail ballot, Arizona:Deadline for absentee ballot request is October 23, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. Polls are open on Election Day: November 3, 2020 from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.ColoradoRegister to vote information, here. To request an absentee ballot, voters should complete an absentee ballot application and return the absentee ballot application to their county registration office. Early VotingEarly Voting starts Octorber 12, 2020 Information is forthcoming Poll open Election Day: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.HawaiiRegister to vote information, here. Election Day (you must show proof of residence to register at the polls on Election Day).

Because many of the areas that are particularly reliant on the Postal Service are also communities of color and are economically disadvantaged—all the people Republicans don’t want to be able to vote. “It’s a lifeline.”More than 14 million people in rural areas, according to the Federal Communications Commission, don't have internet access. More than one-third of her constituents live in rural areas. Trump's toady, Louis DeJoy, who now in charge of the Postal Service, has been removing sorting equipment from Iowa post offices to sabotage delivery service. Ernst is defending just one of the 23 seats Republicans are defending in November, and nearly every single one has significant rural populations.

As the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports, the rate of testing in Texas fell to just 34,000 tests a day last week. In fact, as the number of tests was declining, the rate of positive testing was sharply increasing. Texas’ rate of testing is plummeting, in spite of using more types of tests, even as the rate of positives is shooting up. Data from Johns Hopkins shows that Florida is also doing far fewer tests than it was a month ago. The increase in states like California is being more than offset by red states where testing has been cut back drastically.

The same poll put Trump's overall approvals in the state at 44%. Whether Trump will suffer a political blow in the state remains to be seen. But as the state enters the fall with school closures and a lost college football season, voters might start rethinking the meaning of temporary. “It’s a huge loss, and I don’t think people realize that yet,” he noted, adding, "“Trump just blew it." While Democrats and Republicans differed in their outlooks on whether Trump would be held responsible by Ohio voters, Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, who holds two master's degrees from Ohio State and knows the state quite well, thinks Trump will be on the hook for the Buckeye's lost season.

As Trump continues to cripple the United States Postal Service in his endless attacks on our democracy, could there be a way to bypass the Post Office altogether? What if volunteers in each county were able to collect most of the mail in ballots for their area, and mail them together in one shipment using UPS United Parcel Service priority shipment? This would bypass the Post Office and at the same time Trump would not be able to sabotage it. I’m throwing this idea out there, not because I’m an expert in mail in voting or UPS but because I think it’s panic time, and all options need to be on the table. Please leave feedback or if you have better ideas we need to hear them now.

There is absolutely no truth to the rumor that the Trump campaign is attempting to buy a 60’s era failed McDonald’s building to house the Trump presidential library. There may be truth to the rumor that paying visitors will be given an official presidential crayon to sign the guest book with. Random, rambling, unidentifiable color of course….

Born to an Indian mother and Jamaican father, Harris is a biracial Black and South Asian woman who represents the diversity of America. Donald Trump alone mispronounced Harris’ name at least twice during a press conference, and Fox News' Tucker Carlson became the prime example of individuals who intentionally perpetuate microaggressions of racism by refusing to correctly pronounce Harris’ name. Harris, should she be elected in November, will serve as the United States’ first Black vice president, first South Asian American vice president, and first female vice president. Yet some people think they have the authority to decide her identity for her, claiming that she wouldn't be the first “African American” vice president but the “first vice president of color.”“Give your daughters difficult names. My name doesn’t allow me to trust anyone that cannot pronounce it right.” — Warsan ShireJust like you don’t get to decide whether or not Harris is Black or South Asian enough, you don’t get to decide how to pronounce her name.

Donald Trump yesterday brazenly declared that the money needed for USPS and elections will not be approved. 5) Polls are tightening in key states — latest AZ poll has Mark Kelly only up 48-43 previous July poll by same outfit was 52-43. Emerson’s Minnesota poll has Biden up 3 vs the plus 13 from the Fox News poll. Please give me factual reasons about why I am wrong. I want to be wrong, I want to believe that this is not a banana republic, that the election will matter.

Not long ago, I wrote a comment in response to a Doom and Gloom Diary, featuring the Transition Integrity Project. I wroteThey probably can't rig the election, but they can claim that it was rigged, and try to foment violence. Biden Campaign Deploys 600 Lawyers So Trump Can’t ‘Steal This Election’ Protest demonstrations are on hair-trigger alert. The Union went to a lot of trouble to allow soldiers to vote, even pausing the military campaign in Georgia. But first they have to prevail in lower courts, which have a pretty good record of laughing utterly bogus Trumpish legal arguments out of court.

Then, this morning, Trump said just straight up said that he wasn’t going to fund the postal service because he hates vote by mail. In Florida, the implementation of drop boxes was part of legal settlements over voter suppression. Republican lawmakers are doing their best to help out, too — Tennessee isn’t allowing drop boxes at all. On Tuesday, Ohio’s Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced that Ohio will permit drop boxes… but only one per county. That means the entire city of Cleveland will have the same number of drop boxes as small rural counties.

"You have a few people that want to be cute, and those people are going to lose their elections," Trump reiterated. The Hill recalled that Trump stood at the podium the day following the midterms and gloated over all the House Republicans who lost their seats after not proving sufficiently loyal to him. Trump clearly didn't realize he was on the ballot that year and ultimately drove the House GOP's massive drubbing. Those House candidates didn't lose in spite of him, they lost because of him—something Trump failed to comprehend even if Senate Republicans got the memo. But if Trump thinks a few threats will stop Senate Republicans from being "cute," he'd better think again.

Yes, the first part of this Thursday pundit round-up is heavy on Kamala Harris stuff...but with a twist! The Mercury News & East Bay Times Editorial Boards write about the selection of their United States Senator, Kamala Harris, to be Joe Biden’s 2020 running mate. The tale of the incredible Indian living the American dream continues with Kamala Harris’ selection as the Democratic Party’s vice-presidential candidate. WASHINGTON: Indians and Indian-Americans weighed in on Kamala Harris, with vigorous discussions breaking out on various forums on the extent of her “Indianness” and whether she would make the transition from “Lotus to Potus,” the name Kamala meaning lotus, and Potus the acronym for President of the United States. "Dear Indian Media, I know this is hard but please avoid ‘Kamala Harris - Indian pride’ Template.

National and state Republican leaders wasted no time welcoming Greene to the fold following her victory. It soon became clear, though, that Greene would be an awful GOP nominee in a competitive seat like the 6th District. Primary Result Recaps? GA-09: Gun store owner Andrew Clyde won the Republican primary runoff by defeating state Rep. Matt Gurtler 56-44. ? Fulton County, GA District Attorney: Former judge Fani Willis defeated 24-year incumbent Paul Howard in a 73-27 landslide in Tuesday's Democratic primary runoff. David Zuckerman defeated former state Secretary of Education Rebecca Holcombe 51-40 in the Democratic primary to face Republican Gov.

[T]he current effort by Trump and his cronies to cripple the U.S. Post Office and defeat vote-by-mail must be stopped at once. A House bill directing Post Office chief, Louis DeJoy, to maintain mail delivery service levels that existed on January 1st of this year will not pass the Senate and so offers no hope. Clearly, the motives behind what is happening are not fiscal, as claimed, but rather blatantly political and unlawful. makes intentional delay or obstruction of the U.S. mail by any person a federal crime. Get together and drop the big bomb on this unholy, unprecedented and unconstitutional behavior NOW, while there is still time.

The Washington Post:Speaking with Maria Bartiromo on Fox Business Network on Thursday morning, Trump appeared to confirm that he opposes Democrats’ proposed funding for mail-in balloting and the U.S. Postal Service in order to make it more difficult to expand voting by mail. “Now they need that money in order to make the post office work, so it can take all of these millions and millions of ballots,” he said. “But if they don’t get those two items, that means you can’t have universal mail-in voting, because they’re not equipped to have it.” Trump also alluded to this idea at a news conference on Wednesday evening, noting that Democrats are now asking for $3.5 billion for universal mail-in voting and an additional $25 billion for the Postal Service. Dear F*cking Lunatic: 101 Obscenely Rude Letters to Donald Trump and its boffo sequels Dear Pr*sident A**clown: 101 More Rude Letters to Donald Trump and Dear F*cking Moron: 101 More Letters to Donald Trump by Aldous J. Pennyfarthing are now available for a song!

Yeah, her daddy was Black from Jamaica—that island in the Caribbean that was slavery central during the triangle trade. Or are you gonna whitenize the Caribbean that gave us Black power activist Kwame Ture (Stokely Carmichael), and Shirley Chisholm? Oh yeah, lest I forget, you hoteps better stop quoting Malcolm X too while you’re at it. Black folks come in all colors, from ecru to ebony. Going back to the birther crap: Folks really need to take Newsweek to task for printing this garbage.

Other Republicans swiftly moved to questioning Harris' racial background in a transparent (and transparently racist) effort to undermine her standing with Black voters. If having that ancestry meant a person wasn’t Black, the U.S. Black population would immediately and precipitously drop. And Trump chose this moment to make a racist appeal to “the suburban housewife” fearful of Black people moving into her neighborhood. The details of the attacks on Harris are completely incoherent and often internally contradictory. But there is an underlying logic: As a Black woman, Harris can’t be trusted.

Trump said he would not be approving a bill with Postal Service or elections funding. But voters, the very people whose rights Trump is trying to weaken, could have something to say about it. Trump and the complicit management he’s installed at the Postal Service are making a damn strong effort to get in the way of voting by mail, though. Trump may have found a more effective way to derail an election than calling for its delay or welcoming Russian interference. But he has given voters months to notice what he’s doing and get mad about it, and now he’s erased any doubt about the intentions behind his sabotage of the Postal Service.

Hot on the heels of announcing Kamala Harris as his running mate, likely Democratic nominee Joe Biden has taken a six-point lead over President Trump in the latest Rasmussen Reports’ weekly White House Watch survey. Just one of the five nights in the latest survey follows the Harris announcement. White House Watch will be posted at noon Eastern every Wednesday until Labor Day. The survey of 2,500 Likely Voters was conducted August 5-6 and 9-11, 2020 by Rasmussen Reports. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC.

What's more, Trump is jeopardizing funding for natural disaster response just as wildfire and severe storm season really kicks in. He's taking $44 billion from the FEMA Disaster Relief Fund for the payments—money that is expected to last about five weeks. There are way too many people not on any payroll right now for it to act as any kind of stimulus. Then there's the big issue: It harms Social Security and Medicare, which Trump denies. At this point, McConnell seems to be counting on using that looming disaster to try to force the Democrats' hand on coronavirus relief.

When Trump appeared this week for his latest coronavirus update, Dr. Fauci, Dr. Redfield, and Dr. Birx were nowhere to be seen. As CNN reports, Atlas is a Hoover Institute Republican and Fox News commentator, whose sole qualifications to join Trump at the White House is that he agrees with Trump on everything. As a reward for never telling Trump anything he doesn’t want to hear, Trump has made Atlas an official White House adviser. The White House “declined to say” whether or not Atlas was getting paid a taxpayer-funded salary which means … yes, yes he is. Who is Atlas really?

Harris already has a proven record among Latino voters from her previous runs for office as California attorney general and U.S. senator, López writes. “As attorney general of California, Harris won a majority of support from Latino voters twice in 2010 and 2014. Harris’ favorability among Latinos was 53% after July and she has remained one of the top favorites for Latinos throughout. “Not surprisingly, Harris’ work won her the endorsement of Latina civil rights legend Dolores Huerta when she was running to represent the Democratic Party for president,” López noted. “With almost two-thirds of Latinos identifying as Democrats, Biden is positioned to receive a significant boost among Latinos by selecting Harris, which could mobilize this important base in the election against Donald Trump.”

From FFFWe have seen President Trump's dictatorial tendencies in the past, such as when he diverted Pentagon slush money to build his Berlin Wall along the border, or when he launched his vicious and destructive trade war against China, or when he raised taxes (i.e., tariffs) on the American people. He likes the way things are done in dictatorial regimes, like China, Russia, Cuba, and North Korea. Trump's dictatorial decrees consist of extending unemployment benefits, suspending the payroll tax, implementing an eviction moratorium, and suspending student loan payments. When the American people adopted the Constitution, they didn't sign up for a dictatorial type of federal government. It is this type of dictatorial conduct for which any American president, including Trump, should be impeached and removed from office.

There's a new development in Russian military doctrine that, (as far as I know hasn't been reported by the US corporate MSM). In essence, the Russian military has issued a warning. Any incoming ballistic missile launched at its territory will be met with a nuclear retaliation because there is no way of knowing whether the missile is a conventional or nuclear warhead. This new Russian military policy just clarifies what will happen if Russia is attacked by a missile. It was known as MAD, "Mutually Assured Destruction", an acknowledgement by both adversaries that prevented nuclear war.

It must be concluded that Donald Trump with his erratic and deeply flawed character poses a serious threat to American freedom and prosperity and to world peace(Image by Politico) Details DMCAOne would think that a great country like the United States would deserve better. The United States is at an important political turning point. If Donald Trump is reelected next November, U.S. democratic institutions could be challenged as never before, because you can be sure that he will continue playing politics with the U.S. Constitution. That is why this November’s election should logically be a referendum on candidate Donald Trump and his vacuity. However, Mr. Trump would like nothing more than to wage a law-and-order political campaign, not one that would be centered on his persona and on his record..

"I have held off using the f-word for three and a half years, but there is no longer any honest alternative. Trump is a fascist, and he is promoting fascism in America." Sooner or later we will need to discover more about what Peter Dale Scott has called, "The Deep State." Eco summarizes the qualities of what he calls 'Ur-Fascism', or 'Eternal Fascism' as typified by 14 features:1. "The first appeal of a fascist or prematurely fascist movement is an appeal against the intruders.

Why are Americans and Europeans still buying Russian caviar and vodka, oil, gas and steel? Russian Standard Vodka is owned by the Russian government, but can be found on thousands of liquor store shelves across the country. Snake River Royal White Sturgeon Caviar,North American Caviar Company and the American Caviar company also produce world-class caviar in the United States. Europe is reliant on Russian gas and oil, but the United States can supply Europe with all the fossil fuels that it needs. With Russia's economy weak, a boycott of Russian products by the United States, Europe and other nations will make the Russian bear flounder.

He's going to lose the vice presidential debate this fall, and that loss is going to do serious damage to the already diminished 2020 election prospects of the Republican Party. California Senator Kamala Harris will shred Donald Trump's hapless running mate when the two confront each other during the vice presidential debate on October 7 at the University of Utah. That's not the only reason presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden chose Harris as the Democratic vice presidential nominee. He knows where the pivot points are in campaigns and he knows that the pundits are always wrong when they neglect the role that vice presidential candidates play in defining the course of presidential campaigns. After all, she showed Biden no mercy when they clashed in the most dramatic moment of the 2020 Democratic presidential debates.

This contrasts with the way that the U.S.-centered corporatocracy very smoothly exploited other countries when the empire was at its peak around the mid-20th century. In the modern world, this invisible type of imperialism is getting harder for them to pull off. Despite extreme repression from the coup regime, large parts of the country have come under the jurisdiction of the armed indigenous movement, and this movement has continued to sabotage the regime's policies. This has forced the coup regime to mobilize the military and utilize death squads in the hope that these drastic acts of violence will bring balance to a less-than-ideal situation. Another one of these late-stage imperialist heists is Washington's recent oil grab in Syria.

Collins neither makes any scientific claims of her own, nor uses actual science to rebut any claims made by that adviser -- Dr. Scott Atlas -- or President Donald Trump himself, in the article under that headline. Resolved: Dr. Scott W. Atlas is, by any objective measure, an "expert" in the field of medicine. The same is true of CNN favorites like Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx. The duel also demonstrates that "public health" is at least as much a political ideology as a scientific endeavor, and that politics doesn't end at science's edge. In the meantime, it's probably a bad idea to let CNN choose "experts" for you.

Reprinted from venezuelanalysis.com, by Jessica Dos SantosJessica Dos Santos worries that the pandemic can be used to justify abuses under the excuse of 'the greater good.' The measure, justified as being for "the greater good", required hurriedly throwing dozens of young people out onto the streets. These are "coincidentally" the same franchises that, step by step, have taken over retail spaces in Caracas' historic center. Should "the greater good" trump the life of this woman? What is "the greater good" anyway?

Are you a "let them eat cake" Green living in a safe Blue or Red state. If So, don't cast your easily gotten moral superiority to progressives struggling with what to do in swing states. In a way, preaching to people in swing states to vote Green is like telling them to "eat cake." Advocating for voting Green while you live in a solid Red or Blue state is no different than Marie Antoinette saying "let them eat cake." Sure, voting Green is the ideal choice, but this is an election where, in swing states, it is not the right option for progressives.

JOE BIDEN: I have no doubt that I picked the right person to join me as the next vice president of the United States of America. And that’s Senator Kamala Harris. SEN. KAMALA HARRIS: My mother and father, they came from opposite sides of the world to arrive in America, one from India and the other from Jamaica, in search of a world-class education. Barack Obama and Joe Biden did their job. He inherited the longest economic expansion in history from Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

The Trump campaign has spent tens of millions of dollars on Facebook ads, but has not reported any of that spending to the Federal Election Commission, records show. Along with a number of affiliated committees, the campaign appears to be funneling payments to Facebook through shell companies. Official committees affiliated with presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden have also apparently used shell companies to foot Facebook ads, but those committees have reported a much larger proportion of their spending. For instance, public data from Facebook lists the Trump campaign as the ultimate sponsor of more than $20 million in ads on the official Donald Trump page since May 2018. However, the campaign did not report any Facebook payments to the FEC in that time.

President Donald Trump proclaimed Wednesday that the U.S. While USPS leadership insists it has “ample capacity” to meet election needs, postal workers have warned that without emergency funding, the agency could struggle to deliver mail-in ballots on time in November. “Therefore, they don’t have the money to do the universal mail-in voting. So therefore, they can’t do it,” said the president, who repeated his false claim that mail-in voting is highly susceptible to fraud. The bill ultimately included a $10 billion loan — to which Trump’s Treasury Department attached conditions that critics warned will give the administration unprecedented access to USPS operations.

I haven’t told my little girl she won’t be going back to school-at-school this year. The future is keeping my little girl and my family as safe as I can within reach of my arm. The future is today, and what I can do to hold it together, remembering that I am one of the lucky ones. When the future returns — and it will — I intend to turn my little girl loose like a hard-charging colt upon a hopefully wiser world. When the future returns, wrath will have its say and its day.

To achieve this illusion, Trump increasingly wants to rule by fiat — or at least to pretend to rule by fiat. I heard about Trump’s executive orders while driving back from a family trip to Wyoming. Whatever Trump says, a president can’t solve economic woes on the scale of those the U.S. now faces with a few signatures on a few executive orders. Whatever Trump says, a president can’t solve economic woes on the scale of those the U.S. now faces with a few signatures on a few executive orders. Trump doesn’t want to roll up his sleeves and really apply himself to the hard work of repairing a busted economy.

“But if we don’t do that, as I said last April, this could be the worst fall from a public health perspective, we’ve ever had,” he added. The CDC director added that these practices must be adopted by everyone. In mid-July, Trump also flouted CDC guidelines on wearing masks, stating plainly that he was skeptical of their ability to stop the spread of coronavirus. The vast majority of Americans would be supportive of a national mask mandate. (In light of Redfield’s comments, a 13 percent rate of noncompliance with a national mask mandate would be high enough to undermine the effectiveness of such a measure.)

Two billionaire-funded think tanks — the Mercatus Center at George Mason University and the Heritage Foundation — have issued reports saying that the pandemic justifies permanent deregulation of corporations and shrinking of government. Trump’s EPA issued a rule limiting the power of states and tribes to oppose gas, oil and coal projects within their borders. Naturally, this thumb-on-the-scale change will make it much harder – in many cases impossible – to justify pollution regulations. On July 15, The New York Times listed 100 environmental regulations that the Trump administration has reversed. But, of course, environmental regulations are not the only government protections being trashed by reactionary Republicans.

The debut of Coriky, a new band featuring members of Fugazi and The EvensBy Matthew Brennan13 August 2020The newly formed rock group Coriky released their self-titled debut album in June. MacKaye and Lally were previously members of the influential post-punk band Fugazi, formed in 1986 and on hiatus since 2002. MacKaye and Farina, who are also married, have been the sole members of the group The Evens since 2005. The new album Coriky continues certain musical threads found in both Fugazi and The Evens. To combat the “sell-outs” denounced in their music, MacKaye, Lally and the other members of Fugazi, famously developed a rigorous band “ethic” of never buying-in in the first place.

Unfortunately, Black Americans continue to learn this lesson on grand political stages. From this lighthearted idea, Harris’s relationship to Black communities, writ large, has taken on the character of “fictive kinship.” This term was introduced by sociologist Carol Stack in her 1974 study of Black families considered “urban poor” in the Midwest. Nor have they offset her reliance on age-old tactics of surveillance and policing that overwhelmingly affect young Black Americans in Chicago. Even now, young Black Americans in Chicago have been staging overt actions in protest of yet another police-perpetrated shooting. Melissa Harris-Perry writes about fictive kinship in her 2011 book, Sister Citizen.

The selection of Kamala Harris and the degradation of American politics13 August 2020With the selection of Kamala Harris to be the running mate of Joe Biden, the framework of the 2020 elections has been set. This says everything about the degraded state of American politics. Since the beginning of the Trump administration, opposition from the Democratic Party has been focused on issues of foreign policy. There is something incredibly degrading and shameful about the whole process, testifying to the intellectual and cultural collapse of American politics. Joseph Kishore—SEP candidate for US presidentThe author also recommends:Biden picks former law-and-order prosecutor Kamala Harris to be his Democratic running mate[12 August 2020]Who is Democratic Senator Kamala Harris?

This phase of human trials is considered decisive in determining whether a vaccine is safe and effective. To date, there have been only two months of human trials of the Russian vaccine, involving a mere 76 individuals. Russian Minister of Health Mikhail Murashko said the country would soon begin a mass campaign to distribute the vaccine. It’s really risky.” Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top US infectious disease official, on Tuesday made clear he considered the Russian vaccine unsafe. The struggle against the pandemic is inseparable from the struggle for the expropriation and overthrow of the capitalist oligarchy by the international working class.

“Canadian aluminum does not undermine US national security. Canadian aluminum strengthens US national security and has done so for decades through unparalleled co-operation between our two countries,” stated Freeland. The federal Liberal government will now take the next 30 days to determine what specific US metal products will be targeted, “dollar for dollar,” by the Canadian tariffs. “The re-imposition today of these bogus US tariffs on Canadian aluminum is now threatening thousands of Canadian jobs. It is impossible to advance the interests of Canadian workers in alliance with big business and its political representatives.

“This is a modern-day sweatshop”Amazon workers speak out against inadequate safety measuresBy our reporters13 August 2020The World Socialist Website spoke with Amazon workers about the unsafe conditions at Amazon warehouses during the COVID-19 pandemic. On its website, Amazon claims that “[o]ur top concern is ensuring the health and safety of our employees.” But the reality is just the opposite. The most comprehensive count of infections and deaths at Amazon comes from a former Amazon worker, Jana Jumpp, who has been compiling statistics sourced from the rank and file. Stephanie, a warehouse worker, said: “They gave us a temporary two-dollar raise that ended in May which wasn’t hazard pay. They should give us unlimited time off if we need it.”If you’re an Amazon Worker and want to help forming a rank-and-file safety committee at your workplace, contact the WSWS International Amazon Workers Voice.

President Donald J. Trump participates in a meet and greet with Supreme Court Justices Thursday, November 8, 2018. The result of the blatantly political Supreme Court order is that a referendum to change the manner in which electoral districts are drawn in Oregon will be kept off the November ballot. In the case, Oregon Democratic Party officials objected to the intervention of Judge McShane easing petitioning requirements for an organization called People Not Politicians. The groups then sued Oregon Secretary of State Beverly Clarno demanding accommodations due to the pandemic. The Supreme Court decision in the Oregon case Clarno, Or Sec.

There have been no recent efforts in Congress to pass a Puerto Rico statehood bill. In 2017, about 97% of voters in Puerto Rico cast a ballot in favor of statehood, although that is deceptive: Many who opposed statehood boycotted the vote. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., similarly complained that granting statehood to D.C. and Puerto Rico would give each “two more new Democratic senators,” even though Puerto Rico is currently represented in Congress by a Republican. “This is full-bore socialism on the march in the House,” he said ahead of the House vote. “Make no mistake: one of the many ways our country has silenced Black voices and suppressed Black votes has been by preventing D.C. statehood,” she said.

Growing wave of protests across the US against school openingsBy Evan Blake13 August 2020Across the United States, thousands of teachers, education workers, parents and students are mobilizing to oppose the unsafe reopening of schools amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of the event, titled, “Kids First: Getting America’s Children Safely Back to School,” was to promote pseudoscience and downplay the risks of reopening schools. In Utah, dozens of teachers protested the resumption of in-person learning in Alpine School District, the largest district, which has roughly 80,000 students. With schools slated to resume in-person learning in Washoe County School District, in Nevada, over 100 educators, parents and students protested outside the district’s school board meeting Tuesday. The initiative and active struggle of educators, parents and students must be expanded and deepened as widely as possible.

“Secretary DeVos has held 9 roundtables, 4 briefings, 30 calls with governors, 62 calls with state superintendents, 28 interviews and 13 conference calls about this pandemic. During that time, DeVos’ public schedule has been almost entirely empty, according to NBC News. The education secretary spoke for one minute and fifteen seconds at the top of the 40-minute session before sitting silently for the duration. The education secretary has diverted millions of dollars in coronavirus relief to private schools, resulting in a lawsuit. Amid a vacuum of public consensus on science, school reopening plans have become almost wholly political.

If President Donald Trump sounds like he’s mindlessly rattling off random facts and figures on a monotone voice while reading another script that sounds like the same script before, there’s a reason for that. The scripts have been almost identical on multiple occasions. While Trump is quoted more frequently for his Q&A session of the press briefing, there’s a reason that the intro of the press conference has been ignored: it’s too similar to previous briefings. See the video from The Recount below: Trump's COVID briefings: same script, different day. pic.twitter.com/xlp69NxElL — The Recount (@therecount) August 12, 2020

Wall Street continues to feed on death and economic devastationBy Nick Beams13 August 2020Amid mass death, economic contractions not seen since the Great Depression, rising unemployment, and impoverishment for millions, Wall Street continues its relentless surge, siphoning up wealth to the heights of society. The index has risen 3.3 percent so far this month and is up by 4.6 percent compared to the start of the year. The Dow rose by 269 points, or 1 percent, and the tech-heavy NASDAQ index climbed by more than 2 percent. Companies in the Russell 2000 stock index have reported aggregate losses so far of $1.1 billion compared to profits of close to $18 billion a year ago. Predictably, as COVID infections and deaths have continued to mount in the US, President Trump has hailed the rise of the stock market as an indication of economic health.

12 August 2020By Patrick Martin, 12 August 2020Harris satisfies the advocates of identity politics while reassuring big business with her law-and-order record and close ties to the moneyed elite. 11 August 2020By Jean Shaoul, 11 August 2020By Patrick Martin, 11 August 2020By Kristina Betinis, 11 August 2020By K. Ratnayake, 11 August 2020By the World Socialist Web Site Educators Newsletter, 11 August 2020By Marianne Arens, 11 August 2020More on the back to school drive »By Katerina Selin, 11 August 2020By Peter Symonds, 11 August 2020By Joseph Santolan, 11 August 2020By Alejandro López, 11 August 2020By our reporters, 11 August 2020By Mauricio Saavedra, 11 August 2020By Helen Halyard, 11 August 2020By Nick Barrickman, 11 August 2020By Julian James, 11 August 2020By Tim Rivers, 11 August 2020More on autoworkers struggles »By Shuvu Batta, 11 August 2020By Tom Casey, 11 August 2020By Owen Howell, 11 August 2020New in GermanBenjamin Mateus, 11. New in SpanishPor Bryan Dyne, 12 agosto 2020Sin una explicación seria por parte del Gobierno, el número de pruebas siendo administradas a diario en EE.UU. Por Jean Shaoul, 12 agosto 2020Mientras la causa inmediata de la explosión no ha sido confirmada, el desastre fue el resultado de la negligencia criminal y la indiferencia indolente de varios Gobiernos sucesivos y la élite gobernante libanesa. Por Patrick Martin, 12 agosto 2020Barr hizo una amalgama política que conectaba al Partido Demócrata, Black Lives Matter, Antifa y terrorismo.

President Donald Trump told Fox Business’s Maria Bartiromo on Thursday that he is blocking needed funds to the United States Postal Service as a way to thwart Democrats’ efforts to have mail-in voting during the 2020 presidential election. When asked a question about giving the Post Office the resources needed to handle millions of mail-in ballots this fall, the president said he was not interested in providing the funds. “Now they need that money in order to make the Post Office work so it can take all of these millions and millions of ballots,” Trump said, according to CNN’s Abby Philip. “But if they don’t get those two items that means you can’t have universal mail-in voting.”

The Pulitzer Prize is worthless as far as I’m concerned because when you have the Maggie Habermans getting a Pulitzer Prize and she got it all wrong, she doesn’t. Then Trump repeats that this was all a scandal and a hoax and finishes with his newfound fixation on the Pulitzer Prize. “But these writers, the writers got Pulitzer Prizes, and that shows you a Pulitzer Prize is worthless. And frankly, you ought to start a petition to return the Pulitzer Prize because they were all wrong. The whole subject of Russia Russia Russia was made up, fabricated.

The head of the Food and Drug Administration is forbidden from talking to the press about the pandemic, period, unless an administration minder is present. While the FDA gives rush approval to a supposed Trump miracle drug, sans evidence, only to have to warn later that oops it may turn out that the drug not only doesn’t work but may result in the dangerous side effects already known and printed on the packaging. Trump’s Health and Human Services head Alex Azar said that never happened. We are supposed to feel sympathy for Dr. Hahn, because if he wants to retain his position he is absolutely forbidden from getting on Donald Trump’s bad side—and contradicting Donald Trump under any circumstances will immediately put him on Trump’s bad side. There is an overwhelming push to normalize it down to mere partisan controversy, though, so nobody has to too deeply consider the underlying implications.

President Donald Trump has a history of complaining about water pressure that he considers inadequate, from toilets to showers. And the Trump administration, Reuters reports, is proposing new rules that would allow shower heads to increase water pressure. In December 2019, Trump complained about water pressure in toilets, saying, “People are flushing toilets ten times, 15 times as opposed to once.” And recently, during a White House event, Trump complained that water does not come out fast enough when he is taking a shower. You just stand there longer, or you take a shower longer? Because my hair — I don’t know about you, but it has to be perfect.

The lengths to which the State Department has gone in the last day to spin and obscure the facts show how desperate they are to hide the truth,” Engel said in a statement. A redacted version of the watchdog’s report was published online Tuesday, with acting IG Diana Shaw noting in an accompanying memo that the document reflects redactions requested by the State Department. And Mr. Pompeo decided on the exact date to declare an emergency 20 days ahead of time,” said Engel. “This report tells us everything we suspected: the emergency was a sham,” he said. And ever since Mr. Pompeo declared that ’emergency,’ he and his top lieutenants have worked to bury the truth.”The State Department, for its part, said the OIG report “confirms no wrongdoing” by Pompeo.

CNN.com outed Postmaster General Louis DeJoy for continuing to hold a stake in a company that the United States Postal Service uses as a contractor. Reporting Wednesday, CNN revealed that DeJoy’s investment in XPO Logistics is a serious conflict of interest. Now the post office is treating it “like bulk-rate mail,” where it won’t have the same priority. There was also the matter of DeJoy firing a slew of staff in key positions in the Postal Service late on a Friday night. Pro-democracy advocates are fearful that this is the beginning of an attempt to steal the election by Trump and his allies.

President Donald Trump let long-time reporter Bob Woodward in again to write another book about him. Woodward’s previous book Fear, was attacked by the president as “lies” and using “phony sources.” In this case, Trump is the source. “‘Rage’ is the most important book Simon & Schuster will publish this year. Every voter should read it before Nov. 3,” said Simon & Schuster CEO Jonathan Karp. The same publisher also was responsible for Mary Trump’s tell-all book and John Bolton’s book.

“It’s really good news.”Pompeo argued the development could boost Trump’s Middle East peace plan, which had been widely seen as dead on arrival. Trump's Middle East peace plan endorsed a "two-state" solution – an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel. A 2002 Arab peace initiative envisioned that Arab countries would only normalize relations with Israel in exchange for returning territory Israel seized in 1967, among other concessions. While they are sharply divided over the fate of the Palestinians, Israel and the Gulf states share their concern about Iran's growing influence in the region. “What we see today is a new Middle East,” said Brian Hook, the State Department's special envoy for Iran.

Herman Cain, the 2012 Republican presidential candidate who died after contracting COVID-19, is continuing to denounce to Democratic politicians on social media two weeks after his death. We're not impressed and you won't be either," read a post added to his Facebook account on Wednesday. The flurry of political posts on his social media accounts is the work of Cain's daughter Dr. Melanie Cain Gallo. The name of Cain's Twitter account was changed to "The Cain Gang" Thursday morning, though the handle remains as @THEHermanCain." Others said Twitter should no longer mark the account as verified because Cain was dead.

Those making this defiant act of appropriation seem to believe that it’s rhetorically formidable, cleverly deploying mask-wearing feminists’ words against them. The new champions of bodily autonomy aren’t saying that women have any right to the phrase in its original context — only that men worried about looking “unmanly” in masks do. This example happened too late for the philosopher Kate Manne to include it in her new book, “Entitled,” but I can only imagine the alacrity with which she would have destroyed it. She’s like a pathologist wielding a scalpel, methodically dissecting various specimens of muddled argument to reveal the diseased tissue inside. Coetzee’s novel “Disgrace” — to take a closer look at the psychological motivations that Manne had taken care not to accentuate in the earlier work.

“There is no American city, that I am aware of, that has endured the level of tear gas,” agency spokeswoman Diane Dulken said. The protests over racist policing often ended with a fog of tear gas as federal agents tried to disperse the crowd. “I really think that the federal government and also local health departments have really neglected their duty to reinvestigate the safety of tear gas,” Jordt said. Dulken said Portland has worked to be proactive about stopping pollutants from reaching the river, including any tear gas residue. Authorities took samples from the entry and exit points of the storm drains and expect results later this month, which could lead to further cleanup.

Twitter this week said that it will expand its crackdown on on misinformation surrounding the election and mail-in voting. The social network — which made waves in May when it added a fact-check label to a tweet from President Trump claiming that mail-in ballots are “substantially fraudulent” — will also increase its efforts on getting users registered for mail-in and early voting, according to Politico. Jack Dorsey, the company’s CEO, said in an appearance on “The Daily” podcast last week that Twitter will “continue to evolve our policy to protect the integrity of the conversation around elections.”That includes, he said, suspending any accounts that might engage in “particular egregious aspects of violations of the terms of service,” even if it belongs to the President of the United States. “We won’t hesitate to take action on the accounts and use every tool that we have together with that,” Dorsey said. “Independent of the US president or any leader around the world, we will take action if we feel it’s necessary.”

She was probably nastier than even Pocahontas.” … Vice president Mike Pence: “the debate is Oct. 7. .. Kanye gets the last word: “Lesssgoooooooo!”The Orioles and Phillies are both a couple of games back in their respective divisions. Philly, considering the strength of those divisions, has a better chance of seizing the pennant under Joe Girardi. Jake shut out the Braves for six innings in his latest start, fanning six. Eshelman, replacing injured starter John Means in the O’s rotation, has pitched admirably, allowing three runs over 7 ¹/? innings to the Marlins and Nationals.

Trump announces Israel-UAE peace agreementPresident Trump on Aug. 13 announced a peace agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and said the United States is a party to the agreement.

To get their rankings that found Harris the most liberal senator in 2019, GovTrack.us tracked bills sponsored and co-sponsored by each lawmaker. ADADOne of the most prominent bills Harris signed onto was also arguably one of the Senate’s most liberal proposals, Sanders’s Medicare-for-all legislation. So by the picture of legislation she signed her name onto in Congress during this period, yes, Harris was pretty liberal in 2019. Even though Harris signed onto Sanders’s Medicare-for-all bill, she came up with her own health-care plan during the presidential primary that was decidedly not a full, single-payer health-care system. When you look at Harris more holistically than the legislation she’s co-sponsored, it doesn’t make sense to call her the most liberal senator.

But some things never change: The event started late, as was routine for both Biden and Harris rallies during pre-pandemic times. “The Joe Biden and Kamala Harris administration will have a comprehensive plan,” Biden declared, without much elaboration. A spokesman for the Biden campaign declined to comment on whether the campaign supports Harris’s plans to respond to the contagion. Trump also said Biden picking Harris caught him off guard because she was “very, very nasty” to him during the Democratic nominating contest. The Biden campaign said afterward that more than 40,000 people watched the fundraiser live and that $9.6 million was raised by the end of the event.

AD“What we’ve said is this: If the Russians are offering money to kill Americans or, for that matter, other Westerners as well, there will be an enormous price to pay,” Pompeo told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. The New York Times reported last week that Pompeo had done this in a July 13 call with Lavrov, and now Pompeo is effectively confirming that. ADADAnother curious part of the timeline: 10 days after Pompeo issued this warning — on July 23 — Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin. June 28 : Trump says “intel” told him the info wasn’t credible and that it was “Possibly another fabricated Russia Hoax." July 23: Trump declines to discuss the issue with Putin because he still views it as being “fake news."

Trump kicked off Thursday morning with a flurry of attacks against Democratic women, taking aim at Harris, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.). Footage of the hearing shows that Harris was calm and measured during her questioning of Kavanaugh. “Let’s make a deal, Mr. President: You release your college transcript, I’ll release mine, and we’ll see who was the better student. Later Thursday morning, CNN commentator Van Jones, a former Obama environmental adviser, responded to Trump’s attacks on Harris by noting that the president is seeking to deploy the racist “angry Black woman” trope. Jones argued that such attacks against Harris are “just not effective — calling her a ‘mad woman,’ when you just saw yesterday she’s anything but that.”

But that Harris isn’t generally seen as one of the most liberal members of the Senate suggests that it’s also potentially missing something, which GovTrack’s Josh Tauberer readily admits. Over the course of her time in the Senate, she’s still one of the most liberal members but is among several others. ADAD“Our analysis, and political analysis, generally talks in terms of the one-dimensional left-right axis,” he wrote. On this measure, too, Harris is among the most liberal senators, surpassed only by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). Or, if we add in members of the House, is Harris more liberal than Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.)?

Historic Peace Agreement between our two GREAT friends, Israel and the United Arab Emirates!” Trump tweeted. ADThe United States was also part of efforts to normalize Israel’s relations with Egypt and Jordan decades ago. ADIsrael’s ambassador to the United States, Ron Dermer, tweeted shortly after Trump’s announcement. Israel commends the courage of MBZ for the historic decision of the UAE to join Egypt (1979) and Jordan (1994) in making peace with Israel. AD“The news of normalization of relations with the United Arab Emirates is important and opens the door to future agreements,” Ashkenazi said.

They voted during World War I and World War II,” Trump told Bartiromo. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) pushed back Thursday in an interview on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”“In the legislation we had $25 billion,” Pelosi said. Postal Service. So, when the president goes after the Postal Service, he’s going after an all-American, highly approved-by-the-public institution,” she said. Democrats earlier in the spring had rallied to the Postal Service’s defense when it sat on the brink of insolvency.

Most aluminum producers and users on both sides of the border question the existence of unusually high imports in the relevant product line. Only two U.S. aluminum-smelting firms, with plants in Kentucky and Missouri, favor the levy, without which they might not be able to survive. The Missouri plant, some 50 years old, had closed in 2016 but reopened in 2018 after Mr. Trump’s first round of tariffs. That’s not what Mr. Trump is doing, though — and never mind that tariffs raise costs, and kill jobs, at other companies. Only selfish and extreme nationalism, mingled with election-year politics, could account for Mr. Trump’s targeting of Canadian metal and his willingness to provoke the inevitable tariff counter-strike from Ottawa.

This podcast is from 7-31-20 ... Howie Kurtz on President Trump getting backlash from all sides for election delay tweet, how Herman Cain's death is impacting views on the coronavirus and new court documents being unsealed in the case against Ghislaine Maxwell. Follow Howie on Twitter: @HowardKurtzFor more #MediaBuzz click here

The mainstream media is trying to portray presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden and his running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., as moderates, which is false, Fox News contributor Marc Thiessen told "America's Newsroom" Thursday. The American Enterprise Institute scholar warned the Biden-Harris ticket is just a "Trojan horse" with "an army of socialists waiting to get inside the White House gates and wreak havoc on our country." JOE BIDEN-KAMALA HARRIS TICKET WAS EARLY 'CHRISTMAS PRESENT' TO MY FATHER, SAYS ERIC TRUMP"They're portraying themselves as being the moderate, centrist, reasonable bipartisan work-across-the-aisle type and her record doesn't show that at all and Joe Biden ... will be the autopen president," Thiessen said. CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APPThe Biden campaign announced on Wednesday that it raised a staggering $26 million since Tuesday's running mate announcement. He has to get swing voters – not socialists – to give them permission to defect from Donald Trump and vote for the Biden-Harris ticket.

Reese Witherspoon reacted to Joe Biden's naming of Kamala Harris as his running mate in the 2020 presidential election with a story about her childhood political aspirations. JESSICA CHASTAIN REVEALS KAMALA HARRIS DOLL HER DAUGHTER, 2, PLAYS WITH: 'HELLO, MADAM VICE PRESIDENT'While some of her classmates "laughed" in response, she noted, Witherspoon said her teacher voiced support. Witherspoon went on to discuss the current political climate and championed Harris, 55, for being named by Biden as his vice presidential nominee. Witherspoon also shared her support for Harris by using the hashtags #KamalaHarris and #WeHaveHerBack in the post. CELEBRITIES REACT TO KAMALA HARRIS BEING ANNOUNCED AS JOE BIDEN'S RUNNING MATE: 'EXCITED TO VOTE'Biden first tapped Harris as his running mate in an email to supporters on Tuesday.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — President Donald Trump on Thursday announced that the United Arab Emirates and Israel agreed to establish normal diplomatic relations in a development that will put on pause Israel's efforts to annex parts of the West Bank claimed by Palestinians. The president released a joint statement from the two countries and the United States on Twitter announcing the move. The news comes amid years of warming ties between the UAE and Israel, which until now have not have official diplomatic or trade relations. The UAE, as with many Arab countries, has had an economic boycott against Israel since its founding and does not formally recognize it. The deal makes the UAE the first Gulf state to normalize ties with Israel and only the third Arab country, after Egypt and Jordan, to have open diplomatic ties to the country.

(CNN) President Donald Trump said Thursday that he opposes much-needed funding for the United States Postal Service because he doesn't want to see it used for mail-in voting this November. By directly linking USPS funding to mail-in voting, Trump is fueling allegations that he is trying to manipulate the postal system for political gain. Universal mail-in ballots. They want $25 billion, billion, for the Post Office. "But if they don't get those two items that means you can't have universal mail-in voting because you they're not equipped to have it," Trump added.

I went through the transcript of the interview and pulled out the lines you need to see. "The cows -- I don't know if they actually put the cows in. "He doesn't know what he's doing. "I built the greatest economy in history, greatest job numbers, greatest stock market numbers, greatest economic numbers." How does Trump know all of this?

(CNN) President Donald Trump announced Thursday that Israel and the United Arab Emirates have reached a "historic" peace agreement. As part of the deal, Israel will "suspend" plans to annex parts of the West Bank, according to a joint Israel-UAE-US statement that ?Trump tweeted Thursday morning. He said he expected other countries to follow the UAE's lead on normalizing relations going forward. "We are already discussing this with other nations," Trump said. Trump tweeted out a lengthy joint statement between the US, UAE and Israel, calling the agreement to "full normalization of relations" between Israel and the UAE a "historic diplomatic breakthrough."

Trump and allies, including Attorney General William Barr, have questioned whether the Russians showed a preference for Trump in 2016. The 2016 intelligence is among the issues being examined by Durham, the Connecticut-based federal prosecutor who is leading a broad inquiry into the Russia investigation. Before his appointment as attorney general, Barr had made clear his skepticism of the 2016 investigation of the Trump campaign. JUST WATCHED Barr asked about Russia election interference. Hear his response Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Barr asked about Russia election interference.

(CNN) The United Nations refugee agency raised alarm over Trump administration rules limiting asylum claims, arguing in a new court filing that the plan could run afoul of the US' international obligations. In a proposed amicus brief , the UN refugee agency said the policy, coupled with a 2019 presidential proclamation, "reflects a substantial change to United States asylum policy that, if implemented, would be at variance with three binding international law protections." In late 2018, the Trump administration introduced a new rule that would restrict the ability of those crossing illegally to seek asylum on the southern US border. The UN refugee agency, which is charged with overseeing the implementation of international refugee treaties, warned that the revised asylum policy sets up the US to be in violation of international obligations, specifically the 1967 Protocol and the 1951 convention. The 39-page brief submitted by the UN refugee agency is a condemnation of one of many asylum policies introduced by the Trump administration.

President Donald Trump raised the possibility of sharing the U.S. vaccine supply when he announced the formation of Operation Warp Speed in May, without providing details. The international scientists gearing up to participate have worked with U.S. vaccine researchers for years and want assurances that their countries would get access to the Operation Warp Speed vaccines. After that, he told them, Operation Warp Speed and the companies may arrange for donations or access to vaccine supplies to the countries participating in trials. They have a choice of partners and an opportunity to seek vaccine access in return. He said there had been no assurances yet about vaccine access.

FILE PHOTO: White House economic advisor Larry Kudlow addresses a press briefing on the U.S. economy and new U.S. employment and unemployment numbers in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, U.S., July 2, 2020. Kudlow cited the drop in claims as a sign that the labor market is recovering. Asked if the economy needs another round of stimulus, Kudlow said recent executive actions taken by President Donald Trump should provide some relief. These extend enhanced unemployment benefits at a reduced level of up to $400 a week and continue a freeze on student loan interest and payments. Kudlow said bipartisan efforts to provide help for small businesses and more direct payments to households could also help, but noted that negotiations with Democrats were at a “standstill.”

FILE PHOTO: White House National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow talks with media during a break in a meeting to wrap up work on coronavirus economic aid legislation to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Washington, U.S., March 21, 2020. Kudlow cited the drop in claims as a sign that the labor market is recovering. Asked if the economy needs another round of stimulus, Kudlow said recent executive actions taken by President Donald Trump should provide some relief. These extend enhanced unemployment benefits at a reduced level of up to $400 a week and continue a freeze on student loan interest and payments. Kudlow said bipartisan efforts to provide help for small businesses and more direct payments to households could also help, but noted that negotiations with Democrats were at a “standstill.”

REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File PhotoJERUSALEM (Reuters) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday a U.S.-brokered deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates represented a “historic day” for his country. The agreement, announced by U.S. President Donald Trump, broke new ground in Israel’s outreach to Gulf Arab countries with a common fear of Iran’s regional influence. But Israel’s agreement, according to White House officials, to suspend de facto annexation of parts of the occupied West Bank posed a measure of political risk at home for Netanyahu, who had pledged to carry out the step. “I will make a special announcement at 8 p.m. (1700 GMT) with more details about this historic day for the State of Israel,” Netanyahu wrote on Twitter. But the official said: “The Trump administration asked us to temporarily suspend the (sovereignty) announcement so that the historic peace agreement with the UAE can be implemented.”

It also firms up opposition to regional power Iran, which the UAE, Israel and the United States view as the main threat in the conflict-riven region. The agreement was the product of lengthy discussions between Israel, the UAE and the United States that accelerated recently, White House officials said. Historic Peace Agreement between our two GREAT friends, Israel and the United Arab Emirates,” Trump wrote on Twitter. A signing ceremony including delegations from Israel and the United Arab Emirates will be held at the White House in the coming weeks, Trump added. “After 49 years, Israel and the United Arab Emirates will fully normalize their diplomatic relations.

“It’s promising that initial unemployment claims have fallen, but there’s still a long road ahead.”The risks may be mounting. The pandemic payments had been authorized by lawmakers in March along with forgivable loans extended to hundreds of thousands of small businesses. The combination of that support led personal income to grow despite widespread layoffs, supported jumps in retail spending in May and June, and allowed many Americans to bolster savings and pay down debt - unusual in a recession. Retail sales are expected to have risen 1.9% last month, according to the consensus estimate of analysts polled by Reuters. An Oxford Economics index combining health, economic and social data fell last week, and has shown little change since mid-June.

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday a U.S.-brokered deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates represented a “historic day” for his country. The agreement, announced by U.S. President Donald Trump, broke new ground in Israel’s outreach to Gulf Arab countries with a common fear of Iran’s regional influence. But Israel’s agreement, according to White House officials, to suspend de facto annexation of parts of the occupied West Bank posed a measure of political risk at home for Netanyahu, who had pledged to carry out the step. “I will make a special announcement at 8 p.m. (1700 GMT) with more details about this historic day for the State of Israel,” Netanyahu wrote on Twitter. But the official said: “The Trump administration asked us to temporarily suspend the (sovereignty) announcement so that the historic peace agreement with the UAE can be implemented.”

President Donald Trump raised the possibility of sharing the U.S. vaccine supply when he announced the formation of Operation Warp Speed in May, without providing details. The international scientists gearing up to participate have worked with U.S. vaccine researchers for years and want assurances that their countries would get access to the Operation Warp Speed vaccines. After that, he told them, Operation Warp Speed and the companies may arrange for donations or access to vaccine supplies to the countries participating in trials. “We are a prime site for any vaccine trial,” said Gray, a vaccine scientist renowned for her work on HIV. A FLURRY OF DEALSWith an explosion of coronavirus cases in Latin America, countries there also are announcing deals with drugmakers, some involved in Operation Warp Speed.

The agreement was the product of lengthy discussions between Israel, the UAE and the United States that accelerated recently, White House officials said. Historic Peace Agreement between our two GREAT friends, Israel and the United Arab Emirates,” Trump wrote on Twitter. In the White House Oval Office, Trump said similar deals are being discussed with other countries in the region. A signing ceremony including delegations from Israel and the United Arab Emirates will be held at the White House in the coming weeks, Trump added. “After 49 years, Israel and the United Arab Emirates will fully normalize their diplomatic relations.

FILE PHOTO: People line up outside Kentucky Career Center prior to its opening to find assistance with their unemployment claims in Frankfort, Kentucky, U.S. June 18, 2020. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits decreased 228,000 to a seasonally adjusted 963,000 for the week ended Aug. 8. The government reported last week that the economy created 1.763 million jobs in July after adding a record 4.791 million in June. It has regained only 9.3 million of the 22 million jobs lost between February and April. Industry groups and Republicans claimed the $600 weekly supplement, which was higher than the minimum wage in many states, was encouraging some unemployed people to stay at home.

The Democratic National Committee’s presidential nominating convention kicks off next week after the coronavirus pandemic caused significant delays and changes in the schedule. CAROLYN KASTER/ASSOCIATED PRESS On July 28, 2016, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton gives a thumbs-up as she appears on stage during the final day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. “The upcoming Democratic convention is different than we’d imagined. Harris will speak on Wednesday to accept the Democratic nomination for vice president. Biden will speak on Thursday, the last night of the convention, to accept the Democratic nomination for president.

The ongoing competition between Airbus and Boeing has been a source of trade friction between the U.S. and EU | Daniel Slim/AFP via Getty Images Europe has mixed reactions to updated US tariffs over Airbus New tariff targets cry foul, while others see opportunity to make progress in long-running dispute over aircraft subsidies. By changing targets without increasing tariffs, Washington managed to please some countries, such as Italy, while upsetting others. EU Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan said he would keep working "to find a negotiated solution to ongoing trade irritants." But France's Trade Minister Franck Riester criticized Washington for maintaining tariffs, which he called "unjustified." Trump decided to "grace" Italian food products by not introducing new tariffs on Italian food products, Italy's largest farm lobby Coldiretti said.

Just in case you thought Biden's candidacy was going to be anything other than completely nuts, team Trump has released a new video. #JoeBiden#KamalaHarrishttps://t.co/GjAC8VDaVF — The Cain Gang (@THEHermanCain) August 12, 2020Initially, the tweet was posted as if coming from Cain himself, but the people managing the account later changed the name to The Cain Gang though the Twitter handle remains @THEHermanCain. https://t.co/hf1rHGTcgD — Amanda Marcotte (@AmandaMarcotte) August 13, 2020Others wondered when the Trump campaign would take advantage of Cain’s Twitter resurrection. https://t.co/fpyc8nv5G9 — Gregg Housh (@GreggHoush) August 13, 2020Still others were just there to make puns. But more importantly, that is some impressive WiFi https://t.co/nf6c49QefY — Ian Young (@ianjamesyoung70) August 13, 2020And one person suggested the Cain tweet was a sign of more tasteless things to come.

In the POLITICO/Morning Consult flash poll, voters are divided on whether Biden’s choice of a running mate will affect their vote. In the POLITICO/Morning Consult poll, his approval rating is just 39 percent, matching his favorable rating. In the flash poll, Harris’ 45 percent favorable rating leads her 37 percent unfavorable rating. In a late July POLITICO/Morning Consult poll, voters were evenly divided: 33 percent rated her favorably, and 34 percent had an unfavorable opinion of her. The POLITICO/Morning Consult flash poll surveyed 1,990 registered voters.

* Former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) held their first joint event as running mates yesterday in Delaware, and the presumptive Democratic vice presidential nominee wasted little time in condemning the Trump/Pence record. This site is protected by recaptcha* On a related note, the Biden/Harris campaign boasted yesterday that it had raised a whopping $26 million in the 24 hours after this week's announcement. It came a day after Eric Trump favorited a tweet that referred to Harris as a "whorendous pick." A separate Trump campaign pitch argued that Biden and Harris "hate America." * Abandoning subtlety, operatives in Montana collecting ballot signatures for Kanye West's presidential candidacy have begun asking local voters, "You want to help Trump?"

President Trump speaks inside the Oval Office, announcing that Israel and the United Arab Emirates have agreed to establish diplomatic ties.

Jared Kushner praised President Trump for helping achieve a "historic peace effort" to establish diplomatic ties between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.

Hamas spokesman accuses the UAE of ‘stabbing’ Palestinians in the back after deal with Trump and ties with Israel

California Gov. Bass, who was on Joe Biden's vice presidential short list, would likely get consideration. California Gov. Bass, who was on Joe Biden's vice presidential short list, would likely get consideration. Gavin Newsom, who would choose a replacement if Joe Biden and Harris defeat President Donald Trump’s ticket.

FILE - Chris Evans arrives at the premiere of "Avengers: Endgame" on April 22, 2019, in Los Angeles. Evans is hoping his new website and app can help voters make educated choices in the November U.S. election. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)FILE - Chris Evans arrives at the premiere of "Avengers: Endgame" on April 22, 2019, in Los Angeles. Evans is hoping his new website and app can help voters make educated choices in the November U.S. election. His civic engagement site A Starting Point features short videos from Republican and Democratic members of Congress and other U.S. politicians sharing perspectives on policy issues.

“Boys State” may sound like a mere mock government exercise, but the film finds in Boys State a microcosm of American politics, one that frighteningly reflects much of the tenor of today’s Washington and, in other ways, counters our more cynical grown-up government with stirring idealism. “Boys State” will give you both hope and fear for America’s future. Moss and McBaine were unaware of Boys State before reading a 2017 Washington Post article about a first in the program’s history: Texas voted to succeed. Paul Barker, then Chairman of the American Legion Texas Boys State, was impressed by McBaine and Moss’ previous film ( “The Overnighters” ) and figured a documentary could expand the program. The Texas Boys State, like the national political system, is a skewed representation.

Postal Service for the express purpose of making it harder to expand voting by mail. Postal Service to expand voting by mail. But if they don't get those two items, that means you can't have universal mail-in voting because they're not equipped to have it." Postal Service. When you always talk about Russia, Russia, Russia and China, Iran on voting — the biggest problem is going to be with the Democrats, not with China, Russia and Iran," he said.

From Fringe To Congress: QAnon Backers Are On The Ballot In NovemberEnlarge this image toggle caption Mike Stewart/AP Mike Stewart/APMarjorie Taylor Greene's path to Congress has been strewn with controversy. The baseless QAnon conspiracy sprang from right-wing message boards in 2017. The watchdog group Media Matters for America counts 19 congressional candidates with links to QAnon who will be on the ballot in November. Greene has embraced the QAnon conspiracy in a series of social media posts in recent years. "I'm looking at these groups, and I'm seeing friends that I went to school with or colleagues, in QAnon groups," Argentino said.

Linguist Geoff Nunberg, Who Explored Our Ever-Changing Language, Dies At 75Enlarge this image toggle caption The Nunberg Family The Nunberg FamilyFresh Air's longtime language commentator Geoff Nunberg died Monday after a long illness. I loved the way he talked about language in that interview. Geoff was fascinated by how in every generation young people create new words and give old words new meanings. Inspired by Meryl Streep's ability to use accents so convincingly, Geoff talked about the evolution of accents in Hollywood movies — and how those changes reflect the linguistic conventions of fantasy. One of the last pieces Geoff did for us was about the use of gender neutral pronouns.

WASHINGTON—Four-fifths of the increase in unemployment between February and May was likely temporary, the Trump administration estimated Thursday in a report that said relief spending significantly reduced the economic pain caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The number of unemployed Americans rose from 5.8 million in February to more than 23 million in April, as large swaths of the economy were shut down to slow the novel coronavirus’ spread. The jobless rate was 10.2% in July, with 16.3 million people out of work.

WASHINGTON—The State Department said it is classifying the China-backed Confucius Institute U.S. Center as a foreign mission to draw scrutiny to the ways the Trump administration says the center’s Chinese language and cultural programs propagate Beijing’s views. The designation, which is normally applied to foreign diplomatic outposts, requires the Confucius Institute U.S. Center in Washington to declare its personnel and property in the U.S., giving American officials insight into their operations.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the United Arab Emirates and Israel have agreed to establish full diplomatic ties as part of a deal to halt the annexation of occupied land sought by the Palestinians for their future state. The announcement makes the UAE the first Gulf Arab state to do so and only the third Arab nation to have active diplomatic ties to Israel. For Israel, the announcement comes after years of boasting by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that his government enjoys closer ties to Arab nations than publicly acknowledged. A joint statement from the U.S., the UAE and Israel was issued immediately after Trump’s tweet. Mabruk and Mazal Tov.”Netanyahu tweeted an Israeli flag with a short message in Hebrew: “Historic Day.”Among Arab nations, only Egypt and Jordan have active diplomatic ties with Israel.

Between 30 and 40 million people in the U.S. could be at risk of eviction in the next several months, according to a report released Friday by a group of housing researchers. The report aggregated existing research related to the housing crisis caused by COVID-19. The researchers said the current situation could be “the most severe housing crisis” in the nation’s history. And even as the economy has recovered jobs lost because of the pandemic, America’s renters are struggling to make their monthly payments. The tenuous situation facing renters is in sharp contrast with the current state of affairs for homeowners and home buyers.

“ “Just as the SEALs surmounted obstacles to bring Osama bin Laden to justice, so too would the Martin County School system find a way to provide parents with a meaningful choice of in-person instruction or continued distance learning.” ”That was Florida Gov. Read more:More and more Americans don’t want Trump fully reopening schools yetOthers used the odd juxtaposition of killing a mass-murdering terrorist with reopening schools during a pandemic that has killed more than 166,000 Americans as a means to mock the Republican governor. Sorting out how and when to reopen schools as coronavirus cases continue to climb nationwide is a complicated issue. Many parents struggled to work from home while also home schooling their kids when the pandemic first shut down schools in the spring. One school in Georgia’s Cherokee County has ordered more than 900 students and staff to quarantine after 59 people tested positive.

Should I have gotten my stimulus check by now? Why some people are still waiting — and what to do about itNext week, an IRS watchdog agency will help track down stimulus payments for taxpayers facing certain scenarios. The actual number of coronavirus cases worldwide is likely far higher than 20 million due to asymptomatic carriers, scientists say. When will I get my extra $300 a week in unemployment benefits? Trump signed an executive order calling for an extra $300 a week in unemployment benefits — but it’s best to read the small print.

A sell signal is flashing on Buffett’s favorite indicator. Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden announced Tuesday that he has selected California Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate in the race for the White House against President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence. Tesla’s stock run leads to 5-1 share splitTesla stock surges more than 7% late Tuesday after the Silicon Valley car maker’s board approved a five-for-one stock split. The Duke professor who developed the inverted-yield-curve indicator offers advice on the right time to rebalance a 60/40 portfolioA 60/40 portfolio — 60% in stocks, 40% in bonds — isn’t a purely passive strategy. Lawmakers are calling for a temporary e-cigarette ban during the coronavirus pandemic See full story.

Initial claims for unemployment benefits, perhaps the most closely followed government data series of the pandemic, showed marked improvement in the most recent week, falling to 963,000. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch, on average, had forecast a higher number of seasonally adjusted initial claims for the week ended Aug. 8. But questions still remain about fiscal stimulus for an economy that is still reeling from the effects of the pandemic. That fiscal stimulus is super important.”Jaffee, herself a value investor, is carefully watching the market’s attempt to rotate toward value stocks. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note TMUBMUSD10Y, 0.682% was little changed at 0.684% after the jobless claims report was released.

“ ‘They want $3.5 billion for something that will turn out to be fraudulent. They want $3.5 billion for the mail-in votes, OK. Universal mail-in ballots. They want $25 billion for the post office. Now they need that money in order to have the post office work, so it can take all of these millions and millions of ballots. Trump’s remarks came during a Fox Business Network interview, when he was asked about the issues preventing a deal on another coronavirus relief package.

Text sizeStock splits are all the rage after Tesla and Apple recently announced their plans to do just that. Stock splits are supposed to matter because they generate more retail-investor ownership and they could be a sign of management confidence. And Apple and Tesla stocks are up 18% and 13%, respectively, after announcing their splits. A 2018 analysis by the Wharton School of Business found that 86% of the share of such a tax cut would go to people whose adjusted gross income is in the top 1% of all Americans. That means a capital-gains tax cut almost certainly won’t happen.

The U.S. can only address the threat of misused or manipulated personal data by enacting an effective and comprehensive approach to personal data protection. Concerns about the national security threat from personal data held by foreigners first emerged in 2013. Personal data troves can also be cross-referenced to identify individuals, putting both personal security as well as national security at risk. Chinese-owned data firms could be a threat to national security if they share data with the Chinese government. The only way to prevent Chinese firms from misusing personal data is to adequately protect personal data at home.

Trump campaign Twitter account @TrumpWarRoom has tweeted and retweeted some questionable things in the past. Lately, it's been all systems go against former Vice President Joe Biden, who is set to oppose President Trump in November's election. In a blog post, the campaign points to Biden staffer's donations to bail funds amid the nationwide protests against police brutality. The campaign highlighted four alleged "regular criminals," all of them Black, who were supposedly freed from jail thanks to Biden. President Trump's campaign is tweeting mugshots of black people to attack Joe Biden.

After President Donald Trump signed an executive order that would ban all US transactions with messaging app WeChat, some of the biggest names in American industry have begun to voice concerns about the shift directly to White House officials. President Trump’s executive order was meant to curtail the app’s use because the Chinese government allegedly uses it as a tool to harvest “personal and proprietary” information from US citizens and traveling Chinese nationals. While the administration’s national security concerns are clearly laid out, the rest of the order’s language is broad and unspecific. Ironically, the many American companies that rely on WeChat on some level stand to suffer far more than WeChat’s own parent company. The same could be true for the money UPS collects from Chinese customers who pay for shipments via WeChat, and the list goes on from there.

Before he hit the one-hour mark, even friendly Fox News decided it had seen enough as it cut to coverage of his Democratic rivals’ campaign debut. The president opened the briefing with prepared remarks, though he ad-libbed at times, and charts. Repeatedly, he complained about congressional Democrats and mocked his general election foes, former Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Kamala Harris. When served up by a reporter a chance to respond to Ms Harris’ sharp words painting him as a failed leader during her first appearance as the Democratic VP candidate, Me Trump essentially whiffed. Read moreBiden says Trump has problem with ‘strong women’ such as Kamala HarrisHarris calls out Trump for following ‘miracle’ Covid curesKellyanne Conway: Kamala Harris cannot fix Biden’s ‘inadequacies’Trump and Republicans losing ground with voters on creating jobsDonald and Ivanka Trump donated to Kamala Harris’ previous campaigns

NetanyahuDonald Trump, the US president, said on Thursday that the United Arab Emirates and Israel have agreed to establish full diplomatic ties as part of a deal to halt the annexation of occupied land sought by the Palestinians for their future state. The announcement makes the UAE the first Gulf Arab state to do so and only the third Arab nation to have active diplomatic ties to Israel. He then told reporters in the Oval Office that it was "a truly historic moment." "Now that the ice has been broken I expect more Arab and Muslim countries will follow the United Arab Emirates," he said. For Israel, the announcement comes after years of boasting by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that his government enjoys closer ties to Arab nations than publicly acknowledged.

The White House on Thursday clarified President Trump's comments suggesting that he will permanently eliminate payroll taxes at the start of 2021 if he's re-elected in November. “On the assumption I win, we are going to be terminating the payroll tax after the beginning of the new year,” Trump said during a White House press briefing on Wednesday evening. Currently, all employees and employers pay a 6.2% payroll tax on wages capped out at $137,700. During the period that payroll taxes are paused, Americans can expect to see a bigger paycheck. One estimate from JPMorgan Chase found that a payroll tax deferral would add $40 billion to Americans' paychecks per month.

Pennsylvania is of prime importance in November’s presidential election, and the natural gas industry is already playing a central role in TV campaign ads in the state. The oil and gas industry is responsible for nearly 30% of the nation’s methane emissions, according to the EPA. AdvertisementBut killing the methane emissions rule also blocks a legal requirement for the EPA to extend the rule to cover equipment installed before 2015, environmental advocates say. Some major oil companies, including BP, Shell and Exxon Mobil, have called on President Trump to strengthen efforts to cap methane emissions instead. AdvertisementIndustry trade associations say companies have slashed rates of methane emissions and helped shut down dirtier coal power with the tide of cheap natural gas flooding the marketplace.

Negotiations over a new virus relief package have all but ended, with the White House and congressional leaders far apart on the size, scope and approach for shoring up households, re-opening schools and launching a national strategy to contain the virus. “The White House is not budging,” Pelosi and Schumer said in a joint statement. Mnuchin and White House chief of staff Mark Meadows briefed GOP senators privately on Wednesday. Because McConnell has such cool support from his ranks for any bill, Democrats are trying to push the White House to go bold. The Democrats said they are waiting for the White House to put a new offer on the table.

Instead, they want to give local districts grants to reevaluate their residential zones and develop programs to attract students from outside those zones. Trump is apoplectic about the fact that Biden wants to bring back an Obama-era rule called Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing, which his administration has summarily rescinded. The rule tells jurisdictions that receive federal housing funds that they have to assess what patterns of housing discrimination they have — and then develop plans to diminish them. To be clear: This one federal rule will not swiftly or boldly sweep away stubborn, cemented legacies of unfair treatment, equalizing wealth and educational opportunity. Biden and Harris should relish the chance to revisit their school busing dust-up.

There were 939 deaths across the state in the past week, or about 134 per day — still 33% higher than this time last month. About 25% of the state lives in Los Angeles County, but it accounts for about 47% of the state’s deaths from COVID-19 to date (5,109). In the past week, however, LA’s share is more in line with its population — about 30%. The actual death toll from COVID-19 may be even higher, according to excess death data analyzed by the New York Times. That includes 14,400 deaths in California between March 1-Aug. 1, or about 5,000 more than had been linked to COVID-19 at that time.

The announcement makes the UAE the first Gulf Arab state to do so and only the third Arab nation to have active diplomatic ties to Israel. Israel and the UAE also have been among Trump’s closest foreign allies. For Israel, the announcement comes after years of boasting by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that his government enjoys closer ties to Arab nations than publicly acknowledged. It also puts the UAE out first in a regional recognition race among neighboring Gulf Arab states. Mabruk and Mazal Tov.”Netanyahu tweeted an Israeli flag with a short message in Hebrew: “Historic Day.”Among Arab nations, only Egypt and Jordan have active diplomatic ties with Israel.

The announcement makes the UAE the first Gulf Arab state to do so and only the third Arab nation to have active diplomatic ties to Israel. Israel and the UAE also have been among Trump's closest foreign allies. For Israel, the announcement comes after years of boasting by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that his government enjoys closer ties to Arab nations than publicly acknowledged. Mabruk and Mazal Tov.”Netanyahu tweeted an Israeli flag with a short message in Hebrew: “Historic Day.”Among Arab nations, only Egypt and Jordan have active diplomatic ties with Israel. It remains unclear what prompted Israel and the UAE to make the announcement now.

President Donald Trump said Thursday that he opposes additional funding for the U.S. Trump also falsely stated that Democrats were pushing for universal mail-in voting and made the unfounded claim that mail-in voting would lead to massive voter fraud in the November election. Postal Service and election security ahead of the November election. Democrats have pushed for $10 billion for the Postal Service in talks with Republicans on a huge COVID-19 response bill. Postal Service to hinder Americans from voting.

“They need that money in order to have the post office work so it can take all of these millions and millions of ballots,” Trump said on “Mornings with Maria,” adding, “If they don’t get those two items, that means you can’t have universal mail-in voting because they’re not equipped to have it.”

Pennsylvania is of prime importance in November’s presidential election, and the natural gas industry is already playing a central role in TV campaign ads in the state. The oil and gas industry is responsible for nearly 30% of the nation’s methane emissions, according to the EPA. But killing the methane emissions rule also blocks a legal requirement for the EPA to extend the rule to cover far more pieces of equipment installed before 2015, environmental advocates say. “Methane emissions are increasing rapidly, and the oil and gas industry is clearly part of the problem.”Oil and gas industry representatives are pushing hard for the Trump methane rollbacks, fearing tougher, more expensive rules to stop the emissions. Some oil majors including BP, Shell and ExxonMobil have called on Trump to strengthen efforts to cap methane emissions instead.

Josh BoakAssociated PressBaltimore – President Donald Trump’s proposed payroll tax cut is a threat to Social Security no matter how he casts it. He said economic growth would offset the revenue losses. A 12.4% payroll tax split between employers and workers funds Social Security, while a 2.9% payroll tax finances Medicare. Indeed, Trump suggested that his 2017 income tax cuts would propel economic growth as high as 6% annually. Just 26,000 factory jobs were added in July, down from 357,000 added jobs in June.

The announcement makes the UAE the first Gulf Arab state to do so and only the third Arab nation to have active diplomatic ties to Israel. Israel and the UAE also have been among Trump's closest foreign allies. For Israel, the announcement comes after years of boasting by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that his government enjoys closer ties to Arab nations than publicly acknowledged. Among Arab nations, only Egypt and Jordan have active diplomatic ties with Israel. It remains unclear what prompted Israel and the UAE to make the announcement now.

A high-ranking Trump administration official visited the eastern Ohio site proposed for a massive petrochemical complex on Thursday. A proposed petrochemical plant in eastern Ohio got another push from the Trump administration Thursday, with a top official saying that he’s optimistic a new partner will be found to invest in its development. Mark W. Menezes, deputy U.S. Energy secretary, visited the site of the proposed complex in Shadyside along the Ohio River. "We’re very optimistic that we’ll find a replacement partner on the project,’’ Menezes told The Dispatch, noting that the coronavirus has forced companies of all kinds to put off investment decisions. The proposed plant would take ethane, a component of natural gas, and break it down to produce ethylene, which is used in chemical and plastics manufacturing.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Thursday that he opposes additional funding for the U.S. Postal Service, acknowledging that his position would starve the agency of money Democrats say it needs to process an anticipated surge in mail-in ballots during the coronavirus pandemic. Trump also falsely stated that Democrats were pushing for universal mail-in voting and made the unfounded claim that mail-in voting would lead to massive voter fraud in the November election. Polls indicate Trump is in for a tough reelection fight against Democrat Joe Biden. “They need that money in order to have the post office work so it can take all of these millions and millions of ballots,” Trump said on “Mornings with Maria," adding, “If they don’t get those two items, that means you can’t have universal mail-in voting because they’re not equipped to have it.”

Grijalva responded with this statement: “As an elected official, I took an oath to protect the American people and that includes their health and well-being. Obviously the Trump Administration doesn’t share my concern as their policies continually fail to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in our communities. It became sharper after an incident June 1 in which U.S. Park Police helped clear Lafayette Park of protesters, using tear gas and batons. President Trump then walked across the newly cleared park to stand in front of a church with a Bible in his hand. Grijalva held a hearing on the incident June 29.

Before the novel coronavirus claimed its first known American victim, President Trump was already reaching to connect the disease to the U.S.-Mexico border. During a Feb. 28 rally in South Carolina, he contended that we needed to build more border wall to keep the virus out, though it was already in and spreading. “We must understand that border security is also health security,” Trump argued. The next day, King County, Washington, announced a death from COVID-19, at the time the first known coronavirus death in North America. The United States started as the region’s hot spot for the new infection and has only extended its lead.

Pennsylvania is of prime importance in November’s presidential election, and the natural gas industry is already playing a central role in TV campaign ads in the state. The oil and gas industry is responsible for nearly 30% of the nation’s methane emissions, according to the EPA. But killing the methane emissions rule also blocks a legal requirement for the EPA to extend the rule to cover equipment installed before 2015, environmental advocates say. “Methane emissions are increasing rapidly, and the oil and gas industry is clearly part of the problem.”Oil and gas industry representatives are pushing hard for the Trump methane rollbacks, fearing tougher, more expensive rules to stop the emissions. Some oil majors including BP, Shell and ExxonMobil have called on Trump to strengthen efforts to cap methane emissions instead.

While bad information about the virus is a problem for everyone, it can pose a particular threat to communities of people of color who alreadyface worse outcomes from the virus. Other studies also show Latinos in some areas are also twice as likely to die from the illness. Added to this already dangerous mix is a higher level of distrust in authority among Latinos — as is the case for other minority communities — that is helping fuel the spread of misinformation about the virus. That forces some Latinos who need information in Spanish to rely on less-trusted sources like social media. “They keep sending the message.”Feliú-Mójer says it’s just as important to control rumors as it is to control the virus.

But now his power is facing perhaps its biggest test, at a critical time for him and the nation. Kentucky has been especially hard-hit economically by the coronavirus pandemic, but has been unable to deliver another badly needed relief bill. He probably needs one to remain majority leader after the Nov. 3 election, in which several Republican senators are in serious jeopardy. That’s one reason you see McConnell attacking McGrath in TV ads, rather than talking about his work for Kentucky. And that brings us back to the big question: If there is another relief bill, what will it look like?

HERMAN Cain is dead at the age of 74 after a month-long battle with coronavirus - but his Twitter account is very much alive. Who was Herman Cain? Herman Cain was a Tea Party activist and served as chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of the Kansas City Omaha Branch from 1989 to 1991. I’m very saddened to learn of the passing of my former boss, Herman Cain. Cain's Twitter account launched attacks on Joe Biden and Kamala Harris following the announcing that Harris would be Biden's running mate.

PRESIDENT Trump unloaded on "stone cold crazy" Nancy Pelosi, "mad woman" Kamala Harris, "poor student" AOC and Democrats who he claims "don’t love the country." Trump also unleashed on Biden and Harris Credit: AP:Associated Press9 Trump slammed New York Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as a 'poor student' Credit: Getty - ContributorTrump first slammed Joe Biden's running mate Harris when speaking with host Maria Bartiromo. The president later pushed his belief that Republicans will take back a majority of seats in the House after the November election, attacking Speaker Nancy Pelosi. "Nancy Pelosi is stone-cold crazy," he told Fox Business. Trump's campaign quickly slammed Biden's VP pick as "phony", saying Harris' appointment is proof the Democrat has "surrendered to radicals."

Herman Cain, one-time Republican presidential candidate and enthusiastic Trump supporter, sprang an unsettling surprise on Wednesday when his Twitter account abruptly began publishing posts – two weeks after Cain died from coronavirus. The first-person messaging of Cain’s Twitter account makes it less clear whose views the tweets are expressing. Some also took issue with @THEHermanCain having only begun posting after Harris became the first black woman to run on a major party presidential ticket. Cain died on 30 July, having been ill with coronavirus for several weeks. A vocal supporter of the president, Cain was co-chair of Black Voices for Trump and was in Tulsa as a surrogate for Trump’s campaign.

© Bloomberg A U.S. flag hangs over an empty common area at Torrey Pines High School in San Diego, California, U.S., on Friday, July 10, 2020. The U.S. economy is caught in the middle of President Trump's tug-of-war to reopen schools -- and could end up damned no matter what happens. Schools that reopened fully and early are seeing hundreds of students, staff and teachers put into quarantine as Covid-19 spreads. The high school had to close again. Nearby Paulding County also had to close its high school for cleaning this week, after students, teachers and staff tested positive.

Donald Trump admitted on Thursday he opposed additional funding for the United States Postal Service (USPS) in order to make it more difficult to deliver mail-in ballots. The president, who has falsely claimed that widespread mail-in voting will lead to fraud, suggested that without the funding it would be harder to vote by mail. A USPS spokesman denied there was a blanket ban on overtime, but did not address questions about whether employees were being told to leave the mail behind. That means they can’t have universal mail-in voting. USPS officials have not said they need additional funding to deliver mail-in ballots this fall.

Dominic Gilbert and Alex Clark have five charts outlining the algorithm's winners and losers. With so many people not getting the grades they wanted, the race is on to secure a university place. Trump wages war on shower heads for 'perfect' hairHis famous swept-back hair has been the subject of huge fascination over the years. Now Donald Trump has complained about the difficulty of carrying out his haircare routine - due to low-pressured shower heads. Under a 1992 law enacted by George H W Bush, shower heads in America are limited to allow 2.5 gallons of water through every minute.

Donald Trump, the US president, said on Thursday that the United Arab Emirates and Israel have agreed to establish full diplomatic ties as part of a deal to halt the annexation of occupied land sought by the Palestinians for their future state. The announcement makes the UAE the first Gulf Arab state to do so and only the third Arab nation to have active diplomatic ties to Israel. He then told reporters in the Oval Office that it was "a truly historic moment." "Now that the ice has been broken I expect more Arab and Muslim countries will follow the United Arab Emirates," he said. For Israel, the announcement comes after years of boasting by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that his government enjoys closer ties to Arab nations than publicly acknowledged.

Election officials in the United States have warned they need extra funding to be able to handle the 2020 election. State and local officials told CNN that the pressures placed on voting by the coronavirus pandemic has stretched already thin budgets. They called for extra funding from Congress to prepare for polling season. Negotiations over election funding have become a sticking point between Democrats and Republicans in recent months. Election officials said the money they have for the election would soon run out.

However, the president has refused to give the service additional funding and has repeatedly claimed that mail-in voting will lead to widespread fraud in November’s election. “But if they don’t get those two items, that means you can’t have universal mail-in voting, because they’re not equipped to have it. They don’t have the money to do the universal mail-in voting. So therefore, they can’t do it, I guess.”Mr Trump added: “Therefore, they can’t do the universal mail-in vote. Ridiculous!”In May, the president also falsely claimed that mail-in voting will enable “thousands of forgeries,” despite voting by mail in Florida himself in March for the Republican primary.

He knows that on the legit, it will be hard for him to win," Ms Pelosi told reporters on Thursday in response to a question about why she thought Mr Trump was trying to diminish an essential government operation during a pandemic. "You'd have to ask [Republicans]" why they're toeing Mr Trump's line, Ms Pelosi said. "They need that money in order to make the post office work, so it can take all of these millions and millions of ballots,” Mr Trump said in an interview with Fox Business on Thursday. Daily coronavirus briefing No hype, just the advice and analysis you need Enter your email address Continue Continue Please enter an email address Email address is invalid Fill out this field Email address is invalid Email already exists. Ms Pelosi said Democrats would return to the negotiating table when Republicans agree to budge from their rough $1trn cap on a package.

Reporter Keith Naughton met Republican Donald Trump a few years ago and asked him about his hair. Credits: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

Facebook has announced the launch of a "Voting Information Center" ahead of the US Presidential elections in November. The tool will direct users toward official information on how to register to vote, as well as up-to-date information on the election from verified sources. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerburg said that the aim of the new initiative is to help users "find authoritative information directly from election officials". Today we're launching the Voting Information Center, a resource we'll show at the top of Facebook and Instagram so every eligible voter in the US can get the details they need to navigate this year's unprecedented election process and find authoritative information directly from election officials. The Voting Information Center is part of our larger goal to help 4 million Americans register to vote this year.

A software engineer uncovered the Mark Zuckerberg-owned site is testing a ‘short videos’ feed with TikTok-like swipe up option in the main app. Although short videos may only be a test, Facebook has added TikTok videos to Instagram, called Reels. Roneet Michael, the engineer who spotted the feature, told DailyMail.com: 'The short videos feature is appearing in my news feed.' President Donald Trump announced on August 1 that he will ban TikTok and has since signed an executive order to make it happen. ''At last, I have never used TikTok so I am not sure how much similar is to Facebook Short Videos.

The shadowy Russian 'Scarface oligarch' who sold Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's new home in Santa Barbara is a Moscow tycoon who claims to be at war with the mafia and top Vladimir Putin officials. Sergey Grishin (pictured) is the shadowy Russian 'Scarface oligarch' who sold Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's new home in Santa BarbaraOne of Grishin's romantic partners was Anna Fedoseeva (pictured together), in her late 30s, who worked at an events agency and organised one of his birthday parties. Grishin was the former owner of the Montecito mansion (pictured) which was sold to Prince Harry and Meghan MarkleGrishin has a degree in Physics but his first business venture in Moscow reportedly involved home-baked cookies and hot dogs. The Russian businessman has lobbied for a US passportThe oligarch later met former model Ekaterina Loginova and began a relationship with her, it is reported in Russia. An earlier wife Anna Grishina also became locked in legal dispute at the end of their relationship, it was reported in Moscow.

Donald Trump lashed out at MSNBC's morning show co-hosts 'psycho' Joe Scarborough and 'airheaded' Mika Brzezinski Thursday morning in reupping his ongoing feud with the married couple. He added in the post: 'Congratulations to @foxandfriends on dominating the mornings (thank you President Trump!).' Once a Republican representative, Scarborough, who is now registered as an independent, along with his wife have used their platform on MSNBC to bash President Trump at every turn. Tensions really began to flared between the president and the 'Morning Joe' pair back in June 2017, when Trump first dubbed Scarborough as 'Psycho Joe' and called Brzezinski 'Low I.Q. 'Concast' should open up a long overdue Florida Cold Case against Psycho Joe Scarborough,' Trump posted, apparently out of the blue, on May 4, 2020.

President Donald Trump said Thursday he's blocking the coronavirus relief measure because of Democrats' funding request for the Post Office, arguing it's 'election money' for universal mail-in voting. Democrats have put $25 billion for emergency funding for the Post Office in their $3 trillion version of the coronavirus relief legislation - money that President Trump opposes. That means they can't have universal mail-in voting. Nevada, California and Vermont have opted for universal mail-in voting because of the virus. 'So therefore, they don't have the money to do the universal mail-in voting, so therefore they can't do it, I guess, right?'

In a surprise announcement, Trump tweeted a statement from the countries, acknowledging the deal. A joint statement from the U.S., the UAE and Israel was issued immediately after Trump's tweet. Mauritania recognized Israel in 1999, but later ended relations in 2009 over the Israel´s war in Gaza at the time. President Trump joked he wanted to call the deal 'the Donald J. Trump accord but Id didn't think the press would understand.' Next year, Israel will take part in the UAE´s delayed Expo 2020, the world´s fair being hosted by Dubai.

US President Donald Trump suggested that more diplomatic breakthroughs between Israel and its Muslim neighbors in the region were expectedAdvertising Read moreWashington (AFP)US President Donald Trump, in a surprise announcement, said Thursday that Israel and the United Arab Emirates had reached a peace agreement. The normalization of relations between the UAE and Israel is a "HUGE breakthrough" Trump tweeted, calling it a "Historic Peace Agreement between our two GREAT friends." Speaking to reporters later, Trump suggested that more diplomatic breakthroughs between Israel and its Muslim neighbors in the region were expected. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo described it as "a historic day and a significant step forward for peace in the Middle East." "The United States, Israel and the United Arab Emirates are confident that additional diplomatic breakthroughs with other nations are possible, and will work together to achieve this goal," it added.

Biden and Harris are to deliver remarks afterwards, according to the campaign -- a signal to voters that curbing the spread of the virus is a top priority and major election issue. Harris warned Wednesday that Trump's "mismanagement" of the pandemic has plunged the nation into the deepest health crisis in a century and the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. "As we continue to confront the China virus, we're rebuilding America's economy like nobody thought possible, actually," Trump said Wednesday at the White House. The Republican incumbent took a swing early Thursday at his White House challengers, calling Harris, a US senator from California, part of the "radical left" and saying a Biden presidency would trigger economic disaster. As for the coronavirus, "it will be going away," Trump told Fox Business Network.

Advertising Read moreThe announcement makes the UAE the first Gulf Arab state to do so and only the third Arab nation to have active diplomatic ties to Israel. While Thursday's deal halts Israeli annexation plans, the Palestinians have repeatedly urged Arab governments not to normalize relations with Israel until a peace agreement establishing an independent Palestinian state is reached. A joint statement from the U.S., the UAE and Israel was issued immediately after Trump's tweet. Mauritania recognized Israel in 1999, but later ended relations in 2009 over the Israel’s war in Gaza at the time. It remains unclear what prompted Israel and the UAE to make the announcement now.

Historic Peace Agreement between our two GREAT friends, Israel and the United Arab Emirates! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 13, 2020The officials described the agreement, to be known as the Abraham Accords, as the first of its kind since Israel and Jordan signed a peace treaty in 1994. It also gives Trump a foreign policy success as he seeks re-election on Nov. 3. HAZEM BADER / AFPDelegations from Israel and the United Arab Emirates will meet in the coming weeks to sign bilateral agreements regarding investment, tourism, direct flights, security, telecommunications and other issues, the statement said. The statement said that as “a result of this diplomatic breakthrough and at the request of President Trump with the support of the United Arab Emirates, Israel will suspend declaring sovereignty” over areas of the West Bank that were envisioned in the U.S. peace plan unveiled by Trump in January.

President Trump on Thursday said he is withholding approval for a coronavirus relief package because Democrats want to include funds for mail-in voting. “They want $25 billion, billion, for the post office. That means they can’t have universal mail-in voting, they just can’t have it.”President Trump gestures during a news conference at the White House on Wednesday. (Andrew Harnik/AP)Appearing on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi blasted Trump’s attack on the Postal Service. “When the president goes after the Postal Service, he’s going after an all-American, highly approved-by-the-public institution,” Pelosi said.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump on Thursday said his team was rejecting Democrats’ bid to include funds for the U.S. Postal Service and to shore up election infrastructure in a new coronavirus relief bill, as he vowed to block money to facilitate mail-in voting. REUTERS/Sarah SilbigerCongressional Democrats accused Trump of trying to damage the struggling Postal Service in an effort to improve his chances of being re-elected in November. “The items are the post office and the $3.5 billion for mail-in voting,” Trump told Fox Business Network, saying Democrats want to give the post office $25 billion. DeJoy said last Friday that the Postal Service’s approach to election mail has not changed.

President Trump on Thursday announced a historic peace agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates that would pave the way for full normalization of relations between the two Middle Eastern countries. The deal, revealed in a tweet, was finalized during a phone call between Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed, crown prince of Abu Dhabi. Historic Peace Agreement between our two GREAT friends, Israel and the United Arab Emirates!,” the president said in the posting. Trump and the administration team that hammered out the deal held a news conference in the White House moments after the announcement. Egypt is the only other Arab nation apart from Jordan, and now the UAE, with diplomatic ties to Israel.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel are to establish diplomatic ties in a deal halting planned annexation of occupied land sought by the Palestinians. It also firms up opposition to regional power Iran, which the UAE, Israel and the US view as the main threat in the conflict-ridden region. Israel signed peace agreements with Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994 but the UAE, along with most other Arab nations, did not recognise Israel and had no formal diplomatic or economic relations with the Jewish nation - until now. The Hamas militant group, which wants to destroy Israel, accused the UAE of stabbing the Palestinians in the back. UAE foreign minister Anwar Gargash called the deal "a bold step".

Historic Peace Agreement between our two GREAT friends, Israel and the United Arab Emirates! "US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, who was in the White House on Thursday, said that "the normalization of relations between Israel and the UAE will make Israel stronger and safer and will likely lead to additional exciting opportunities and incremental prosperity for Israel, its neighbors and the entire region. "The officials described the agreement, to be known as the Abraham Accords, as the first of its kind since Israel and Jordan signed a peace treaty in 1994. "This historic opportunity makes the entire region safer, stronger and more prosperous. "A joint statement issued by the three nations said the three leaders had "agreed to the full normalization of relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.

Israel and the United Arab Emirates have established full diplomatic ties in a historic Washington-brokered deal that will mean Israel “suspending” its plans to annex parts of the Palestinian territories. After Jordan and Egypt, the UAE is only the third Arab country to announce formal diplomatic relations with Israel, and Thursday’s announcement will reverberate across the Middle East, which has a violent history with the Jewish state. Described by Donald Trump in a tweet as a “peace agreement”, the move is a significant boost for Israel’s hardline prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. The deal, announced in a joint statement between Israel, the UAE and US, said the two states had “agreed to the full normalisation of relations”. Mabrouk and Mazal Tov.”Egypt had a peace deal with Israel in 1979, followed by Jordan in 1994.

A joint statement by Mr Trump, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed Al Nahyan said they hoped the "historic breakthrough will advance peace in the Middle East". As a result, they added, Israel would suspend its plans to annex large parts of the occupied West Bank. Until now Israel has had no diplomatic relations with Gulf Arab countriesHowever, shared concerns over Iran's regional influence have led to unofficial contacts between them. "It is a significant advance in Arab-Israeli relations that lowers tensions and creates new energy for positive change," he added. The countries will also join the US in launching a "Strategic Agenda for the Middle East", according to the joint statement.

Israel and the United Arab Emirates have reached a "historic" deal that is expected to lead to "full normalisation of relations" between the two Middle Eastern nations in an agreement that United States President Donald Trump helped broker. Under the agreement, Israel on Thursday agreed to suspend applying sovereignty to Palestinian areas of the occupied West Bank that it had been discussing annexing. The deal was the product of lengthy discussions between Israel, the UAE and the US that accelerated recently, White House officials told the Reuters news agency. Historic Peace Agreement between our two GREAT friends, Israel and the United Arab Emirates! "Now that the ice has been broken, I expect more Arab and Muslim countries will follow the United Arab Emirates," he said.

Though Biden and Harris were Democratic rivals for the better part of 2020 campaign, both candidates used versions of the phrase over the course of the Democratic primary. Seven months after leaving office, Biden used the phrase in firing the first shot in what grew into his campaign to unseat Trump. "If it wasn’t clear before, it’s clear now: We are living through a battle for the soul of this nation," Biden wrote after the incident. Meanwhile, Harris used almost the exact same words at various points in the Democratic primary campaign. "This Joe Biden 'battle for the soul of the nation' business is something – 'Who are we as a nation?

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump announced Thursday the United Arab Emirates and Israel had agreed to reestablish diplomatic relations, a potentially historic agreement and a rare foreign policy win for the president during an election year. The joint statement said the countries "agreed to the full normalization of relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates." The agreement makes the UAE only the third Arab nation to have active diplomatic ties with Israel. “It’s really good news.”Pompeo argued the development could boost Trump’s Middle East peace plan. “What we see today is a new Middle East,” said Brian Hook, the State Department's special envoy for Iran.

ConnecticutHartford: The state’s acting public health commissioner was asked Tuesday to consider significantly expanding visitation rules at nursing homes and chronic disease hospitals. Because of reporting lags, the state health department figures do not necessarily represent deaths in a 24-hour period. MarylandAnnapolis: A municipal government in China has donated 40,000 medical-grade face masks to Maryland’s capital city amid the coronavirus pandemic. Tate Reeves described college football – even amid the coronavirus pandemic – as “essential” Tuesday, his comments echoing a tweet President Donald Trump posted the day before. The Virginian-Pilot reports city officials don’t have enough money to pay for it now because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“ “Just as the SEALs surmounted obstacles to bring Osama bin Laden to justice, so too would the Martin County School system find a way to provide parents with a meaningful choice of in-person instruction or continued distance learning.” ”That was Florida Gov. Read more:More and more Americans don’t want Trump fully reopening schools yetOthers used the odd juxtaposition of killing a mass-murdering terrorist with reopening schools during a pandemic that has killed more than 166,000 Americans as a means to mock the Republican governor. Sorting out how and when to reopen schools as coronavirus cases continue to climb nationwide is a complicated issue. Many parents struggled to work from home while also home schooling their kids when the pandemic first shut down schools in the spring. One school in Georgia’s Cherokee County has ordered more than 900 students and staff to quarantine after 59 people tested positive.

President Trump sidestepped a question about whether FBI Director Christopher Wray should step down over the bureau’s role in the “Russian collusion” investigation but hoped he would be “forthcoming” about providing documents sought by the Senate as part of its examination of the origins of the probe. Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo asked the president if Wray should resign after documents revealed FBI officials misled the Senate about the veracity of the Steele dossier. “So Christopher Wray was put there. Graham said recently disclosed documents show the FBI misled senators about the validity of the dossier, compiled by former British spy Christopher Steele. “I hope they’re not going to be politically correct and say, ‘let’s get the lower guys that forged the documents going into FISA.

But Miss Sylvia, who qualifies to vote absentee in South Carolina under the “you are 65 or older” provision, is ready. Miss Sylvia isn’t alone. The National Conference of State Legislatures is a great resource for information on applying for an absentee ballot and early voting. ADADThat’s why Miss Sylvia isn’t taking any chances, and she is determined to bring others along. But if you can vote early with an absentee or mail-in ballot in the upcoming presidential election, be like Miss Sylvia: Put on a mask, go inside and hand-deliver it to your local election office.

“Now, they need that money in order to make the Post Office work, so it can take all of these millions and millions of ballots,” Trump said. Bulk mail delivery takes three to 10 days, according to the Postal Service, while first-class mail delivery takes two to five days. ADDemocrats worry the Postal Service may issue new directions for handling election mail and attribute those changes to the USPS’s financial difficulties and DeJoy’s cost-cutting mandate. The Senate and House Democratic caucuses wrote to DeJoy on Wednesday urging him not to change election mail processing practices. He ordered supervisors to reduce overtime hours and forbade postal workers to make extra trips to ensure on-time mail delivery.

Denying the Postal Service the funds it needs is only part of the plan. “Despite any assertions to the contrary, we are not slowing down election mail or any other mail,” he said last week. It has to be received by Election Day. And as awful as that is, it’s made even more despicable by the fact that to rig the election, Trump is trying to murder a national treasure. It’s no wonder he looks at the Postal Service and sees it as one more thing he wants to destroy.

Historic Peace Agreement between our two GREAT friends, Israel and the United Arab Emirates!” Trump tweeted. ADThe United States was also part of efforts to normalize Israel’s relations with Egypt and Jordan decades ago. Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Ron Dermer, tweeted shortly after Trump’s announcement. Israel commends the courage of MBZ for the historic decision of the UAE to join Egypt (1979) and Jordan (1994) in making peace with Israel. “The news of normalization of relations with the United Arab Emirates is important and opens the door to future agreements,” Ashkenazi said.

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has not yet explained how he would have handled the coronavirus pandemic differently than President Trump, former Obama National Finance Committee member Don Peebles said on Thursday. And that we haven’t heard yet.”Peebles made the comments one day after Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., made their debut together as running mates in Wilmington, Del. “We need to get to work, pulling this nation out of these crises we find ourselves in. Getting our economy back on track,” Biden said on Wednesday appearing with Harris. Peebles also noted on Thursday that “no one knew the impact” of the coronavirus pandemic.

Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., being added to the ticket for the Democratic Party's presidential campaign was “an early Christman present,” said Eric Trump on Thursday. The presumptive Democratic nominee and former vice president announced on Wednesday that his campaign's raised a staggering $26 million since Tuesday's running mate announcement. Eric Trump said that Harris failed her home city San Francisco and she has “compared the police department there to the KKK.” Trump added that Harris wants "socialized medicine," which would dissolve 180,000 Americans' private insurance. “I don’t know why magically she’s going to become this unicorn that somehow rejuvenates Joe Biden who has zero enthusiasm, but, I really believe she was some kind of Christmas present in August for my father and for the campaign,” Trump said. CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APP“We’re really excited that she's on the ticket, to say the least.”Fox News' Paul Steinhauser, Madeleine Rivera, Allie Raffa contributed to this report.

Does "Gen. Bill Belichick" have a better ring to it than coach? President Trump told radio show host Hugh Hewitt in an interview that aired Tuesday he thinks the New England Patriots coach could succeed if he also brought his leadership skills to the battlefield. TRUMP ON TOM BRADY JOINING THE BUCCANEERS: 'HE'S GOING TO SURPRISE A LOT OF PEOPLE'“If I ever had a military battle, I’d call Belichick up and say, ‘What do you think, what do you think? “He’d be as good as any general out there.”Trump gave his answer when he was asked about Tom Brady joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Trump read a letter from Belichick during an appearance in New Hampshire in which the coach congratulated him for his “toughness and perseverance” after the 2016 presidential election.

"Kamala sounds like Marge Simpson," Ellis tweeted of Joe Biden's running mate after the Democratic candidates attended their first campaign event together. That Marge Simpson?" "Calling Kamala Harris Marge Simpson is about the coolest thing you can do for her," one user said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP"She is Marge Simpson," one person wrote. Another agreed, writing, "She really does sound like Marge Simpson."

These states send ballots to all registered voters. No-excuse absentee ballotingThirty-four states now allow for people to vote by absentee ballot without having to provide an excuse. Once a voter asks to be placed on the list, that voter will automatically receive an absentee ballot for all future elections. Excuse neededVoters in just eight states need an excuse to obtain an absentee ballot. For voters in these states, in-person voting at polling stations remains the main option for casting a ballot.

He never had much going for him, but whatever he did have is missing in action!” Trump tweeted. TRUMP APPEARS TO JAB AT COMEDIAN BILL MAHER DURING RALLYLater in the day, Maher responded with a curt tweet chastising the POTUS for spending his time watching his show. This is what the president of the United States does with his time?” the 64-year-old comedian wrote. “The only bipartisan agreement we seem to have these days is that neither party wants Donald Trump at their funerals,” Maher said while setting up the bit. Maher’s scathing mock eulogy scolded Trump as a selfish, unliked “criminal” who will die without many friends.

The sides have been holding talks for several months on finalizing a map spelling out which areas of the West Bank will be annexed by Israel. ISRAEL'S PLANNED WEST BANK ANNEXATION IS A 'DECLARATION OF WAR,' SAYS HAMASNetanyahu has been eager to begin annexing West Bank territory in line with President Donald Trump's Mideast plan. The Palestinians, who seek all of the West Bank as part of a future state, have rejected the Trump plan. Israel captured the West Bank from Jordan in the 1967 Mideast war. UN SECRETARY-GENERAL DEMANDS ISRAEL RENOUNCE WEST BANK ANNEXATION PLANSBut Trump has taken a far more conciliatory line than his Republican and Democratic predecessors.

Trump announces peace deal between Israel and UAECNBC's Ylan Mui reports President Trump announced Israel and the United Arab Emirates will move to normalize ties.

CNBC's Jim Cramer is worried President Donald Trump's administration will keep applying pressure to China into the election, creating a headwind for the market. I expect more negatives about China," Cramer said on "Squawk on the Street." White House spokesman Judd Deere said in a statement to CNBC that Trump "is constantly reviewing our relations with China." Last week, Trump signed a pair of executive orders that banned U.S. firms from transacting with ByteDance and Tencent's WeChat. The Trump administration recently sanctioned 11 people, including Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam.

President Donald Trump will not support a coronavirus relief deal that includes "voting rights" provisions backed by Democrats, White House economic advisor Larry Kudlow said Thursday. It is unclear what provisions related to voting rights, a keystone of American democracy, Kudlow believes are a priority only for Democrats. Postal Service to ensure smooth mail-in voting during a year when casting ballots in person is hazardous due to the virus. "But if they don't get those two items, that means you can't have universal mail-in voting, because they're not equipped to have it." "We knew the GOP opposed voting rights, but this is unmistakable," he wrote.

(CNN Business) President Trump's executive order last week banning TikTok if it doesn't find a buyer by next month potentially threatened to upend a vibrant social network and the broader social media marketplace. But another executive order issued the same day against a different Chinese-owned app has the potential to rattle even more businesses in the global tech industry. According to data from PitchBook, a research firm that tracks private and public capital markets, Tencent has made 53 investments globally in 2020 alone compared to SoftBank's 37 investments. Beyond that, the Trump administration's moves could further disincentivize Tencent and its peers from investing in and partnering with US tech companies. (A Tencent spokesperson told CNN Business in a statement that it is "reviewing the executive order to get a full understanding.")

But in the televised appearances, he's lacked his usual vigor and animation, appearing tired and visibly hunched, veering into bizarre tangents and mispronouncing words. Trump painted a dark, dystopian picture of the United States under a potential Biden administration Thursday, warning of a world without cows or "any form of animals." And he continued to sow doubt in November's election results, saying that Democrats' request for additional United States Postal Service funding are holding up stimulus talks. They want $25 billion, billion, for the post office. "So what does it mean for the United States?

The deal was the product of lengthy discussions between Israel, the UAE and the United States that accelerated recently, White House officials said. Historic Peace Agreement between our two GREAT friends, Israel and the United Arab Emirates,” Trump wrote on Twitter. A signing ceremony including delegations from Israel and the United Arab Emirates will be held at the White House in the coming weeks, Trump added. “After 49 years, Israel and the United Arab Emirates will fully normalize their diplomatic relations. The joint statement said the United Arab Emirates and Israel will immediately expand and accelerate cooperation regarding the treatment of and the development of a vaccine for the novel coronavirus amid the pandemic.

The report from the Labor Department on Thursday did little to change economists’ views that the jobs market recovery was faltering. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits decreased 228,000 to a seasonally adjusted 963,000 for the week ended Aug. 8. The government reported last week that the economy created 1.763 million jobs in July after adding a record 4.791 million in June. It has regained only 9.3 million of the 22 million jobs lost between February and April. Industry groups and Republicans claimed the $600 weekly supplement, which was higher than the minimum wage in many states, was encouraging some unemployed people to stay at home.

The report from the Labor Department on Thursday did little to change economists’ views that the jobs market recovery was faltering. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits decreased 228,000 to a seasonally adjusted 963,000 for the week ended Aug. 8. The government reported last week that the economy created 1.763 million jobs in July after adding a record 4.791 million in June. It has regained only 9.3 million of the 22 million jobs lost between February and April. Industry groups and Republicans claimed the $600 weekly supplement, which was higher than the minimum wage in many states, was encouraging some unemployed people to stay at home.

The deal was the product of lengthy discussions between Israel, the UAE and the United States that accelerated recently, White House officials said. Historic Peace Agreement between our two GREAT friends, Israel and the United Arab Emirates,” Trump wrote on Twitter. A signing ceremony including delegations from Israel and the United Arab Emirates will be held at the White House in the coming weeks, Trump added. “After 49 years, Israel and the United Arab Emirates will fully normalize their diplomatic relations. The joint statement said the United Arab Emirates and Israel will immediately expand and accelerate cooperation regarding the treatment of and the development of a vaccine for the novel coronavirus amid the pandemic.

DUBAI (Reuters) - Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed said on Twitter on Thursday that an agreement had been reached that would halt further Israeli annexation of Palestinian territories. “During a call with President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu, an agreement was reached to stop further Israeli annexation of Palestinian territories. The UAE and Israel also agreed to cooperation and setting a roadmap towards establishing a bilateral relationship,” he said.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo looks on after signing an agreement on the fifth-generation of internet technology in Bled, Slovenia, during his four-nation visit to Central Europe, August 13, 2020. Jure Makovec/Pool via REUTERSVIENNA (Reuters) - An agreement on normalising relations reached between Israel and the United Arab Emirates on Thursday is an “enormous” step forward on the “right path”, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters with him on a trip to central European countries. “This is an enormous, historic step forward,” Pompeo said shortly before taking off from Slovenia for Austria’s capital Vienna, adding that it was a historic opportunity for the Middle East to be stable and peaceful. “Peace is the right path forward.”The agreement, which U.S. President Donald Trump helped broker, will lead to the full normalisation of diplomatic relations between the two Middle Eastern nations. He has scheduled meetings with Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi and Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias on Friday.

REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File PhotoJERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel hailed a U.S.-brokered peace deal with the United Arab Emirates on Thursday as a “great day for peace” and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was due to hold a news conference at 1600 GMT to comment further. Saying he had to deal with a matter of great national interest, Netanyahu abruptly left a cabinet discussion on the coronavirus crisis about an hour before U.S. President Donald Trump announced the agreement to normalise relations between Israel and the Gulf Arab country. On Twitter, Ron Dermer, Israel’s ambassador in Washington, wrote: “A great day for peace! Israel commends the courage of MBZ (de facto UAE leader Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan) for the historic decision of the UAE to join Egypt (1979) and Jordan (1994) in making peace with Israel. Israel deeply appreciates all ... Trump has done to make this breakthrough possible.”

The deal was the product of lengthy discussions between Israel, the UAE and the United States that accelerated recently, White House officials said. Historic Peace Agreement between our two GREAT friends, Israel and the United Arab Emirates,” Trump wrote on Twitter. A signing ceremony including delegations from Israel and the United Arab Emirates will be held at the White House in the coming weeks, Trump added. “After 49 years, Israel and the United Arab Emirates will fully normalize their diplomatic relations. The joint statement said the United Arab Emirates and Israel will immediately expand and accelerate cooperation regarding the treatment of and the development of a vaccine for the novel coronavirus amid the pandemic.

REUTERS/Brendan McDermidUnder the agreement, Israel has agreed to suspend applying sovereignty to areas of the West Bank that it has been discussing annexing, senior White House officials told Reuters. The peace deal was the product of lengthy discussions between Israel, the UAE and the United States that accelerated recently, White House officials said. Historic Peace Agreement between our two GREAT friends, Israel and the United Arab Emirates,” Trump wrote on Twitter. Delegations from Israel and the United Arab Emirates will meet in the coming weeks to sign bilateral agreements regarding investment, tourism, direct flights, security, telecommunications and other issues, the statement said. The joint statement said the United Arab Emirates and Israel will immediately expand and accelerate cooperation regarding the treatment of and the development of a vaccine for the novel coronavirus amid the pandemic.

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel hailed a U.S.-brokered peace deal with the United Arab Emirates on Thursday as a “great day for peace” and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was due to hold a news conference at 1600 GMT to comment further. Saying he had to deal with a matter of great national interest, Netanyahu abruptly left a cabinet discussion on the coronavirus crisis about an hour before U.S. President Donald Trump announced the agreement to normalise relations between Israel and the Gulf Arab country. On Twitter, Ron Dermer, Israel’s ambassador in Washington, wrote: “A great day for peace! Israel commends the courage of MBZ (de facto UAE leader Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan) for the historic decision of the UAE to join Egypt (1979) and Jordan (1994) in making peace with Israel. Israel deeply appreciates all ... Trump has done to make this breakthrough possible.”

FILE PHOTO: U.S. dollar notes are seen in this November 7, 2016 picture illustration. Investors remained focused on the stimulus package talks, which broke down last week. “This remains a key point in favor of the dollar-bearish argument.”The dollar though shrugged off better-than-expected U.S. jobless claims data. The Japanese yen recouped some of its losses from the previous day, against the dollar, which was last down 0.1% at 106.78. The onshore yuan CNY=CFXS briefly rose to a five-month high before steadying at 6.9421 per dollar.

The deal was the product of lengthy discussions between Israel, the UAE and the United States that accelerated recently, White House officials said. Historic Peace Agreement between our two GREAT friends, Israel and the United Arab Emirates,” Trump wrote on Twitter. A signing ceremony including delegations from Israel and the United Arab Emirates will be held at the White House in the coming weeks, Trump added. “After 49 years, Israel and the United Arab Emirates will fully normalize their diplomatic relations. The joint statement said the United Arab Emirates and Israel will immediately expand and accelerate cooperation regarding the treatment of and the development of a vaccine for the novel coronavirus amid the pandemic.

U.S. President Donald Trump | Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images Trump announces normalization of relations between Israel and UAE Israel will suspend its annexation plans as part of the agreement. As part of the agreement, Israel will suspend its plans to annex parts of land claimed by the Palestinians for a future state. Instead, according to the statement, it will “focus its efforts now on expanding ties with other countries in the Arab and Muslim world." The deal is driven in large part by what Israel and the UAE view as a need to unite against a common foe: the Islamist regime in Iran. But it also comes as the cause of the Palestinians has faded to some extent amid the rise of what Arab countries see as the threat from Iran.

President Donald Trump on Thursday announced that Israel and the United Arab Emirates will normalize diplomatic relations, hailing the news as a major breakthrough that will “advance peace in the Middle East.”Trump spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed on Thursday, according to a joint statement issued by the three leaders. Advertisement“All three countries face many common challenges and will mutually benefit from today’s historic agreement,” the statement read.

Trump’s pronouncement marks the latest escalation in his war on mail-in voting. He has, without evidence, claimed that mail-in voting is ripe for fraud and will lead to a “rigged” election. Most acknowledge that mail-in voting has a slightly higher risk of fraud, but it isn’t widespread. As of late, Trump has sought to draw a distinction between absentee voting and mail-in voting. The New York Times estimates that 76 percent of voters live in states where, at a minimum, there is no-excuse absentee voting.

White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow made an eyebrow-raising statement Thursday that President Donald Trump is not interested in voting rights protections in the next pandemic relief package. We don’t want to have voting rights and aid to aliens and so forth. In recent weeks, the White House fueled fears that it will seek to disrupt and delay the mail-in voting process. Trump has repeatedly pushed conspiracy theories linking mail-in voting to rampant voter fraud, despite a lack of evidence. Postal Service in order to kneecap mail-in voting during the pandemic.

The president complained dishwashers, toilets, and showerheads that only provide a "drip, drip, drip." "So showerheads -- you take a shower, the water doesn't come out," Trump said at a White House event last month. Since 1992, federal law has dictated that new showerheads shouldn't pour more than 2.5 gallons of water per minute (9.5 liters). So if there are four nozzles, no more than 2.5 gallons total should come out between all four. The new proposal Wednesday would allow each nozzle to spray as much as 2.5 gallons, not just the overall showerhead.

"They are asking too much money, $3.5 trillion, we have already spent over $3 trillion,” Kudlow said. “So much of the Democratic asks are really liberal left wish lists — voting rights and aid to aliens and so forth.”The HEROES act, crafted by Democratic lawmakers, allocates $3.6 billion for states to go toward election management. Voting rights have risen in importance during the 2020 campaign because of the coronavirus pandemic, which will likely lead to a dramatic increase in mail-in ballots. “They want $3.5 billion for the mail-in votes, OK, universal mail-in ballots. They want $25 billion dollars, billion, for the Post Office,” Trump said.

Israel and the United Arab Emirates have agreed to normalize ties in a breakthrough brokered by the U.S., according to President Donald Trump. "This historic diplomatic breakthrough will advance peace in the Middle East region," according to a joint statement tweeted by Trump. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who is the Deputy Supreme Commander of the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces. Andrew Harnik / AFP via Getty Images file"The United States, Israel and the United Arab Emirates are confident that additional diplomatic breakthroughs with other nations are possible, and will work together to achieve this goal," it added. Delegations from Israel and the United Arab Emirates will meet in the coming weeks to sign bilateral agreements regarding investment, direct flights, security and the establishment of reciprocal embassies, among other things, it added.

Kamala Harris campaign via AP“My mother, who raised me and my sister, was a proud woman,” Harris said while on the campaign trail. Still, Black voters are reliably Democratic — 89 percent of them voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016, compared to 8 percent for Trump. In recent elections, the Asian American and Pacific Islander population has trended left, with 79 percent voting for Clinton in 2016, according to an Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund exit poll conducted in 11 different Asian languages. South Asian Americans in particular voted most strongly Democrat with some subgroups like Pakistanis voting as high as 96 percent for Clinton. In interviews with several Indian Americans in February 2019, South Asian American leaders indicated that many in the community were likely unaware of Harris' Indian heritage.

ADVERTISEMENTMany Democrats see climate change as an urgent crisis. Jay Inslee made action to limit the worst extremes of climate change the core of his presidential bid. Inslee would not have been invited to Wednesday’s climate change forum, either, having fallen short of the polling criteria. Among Democrats seeking the presidency, there is little disagreement that climate change is a building disaster. The relatively minor differences among Democrats on climate change come in sharp contrast to President Donald Trump, who has dismissed and mocked the science of climate change and has reversed course on U.S. climate policy.

BOSTON (AP) — New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, a Yankees fan, worked to whip up support for his presidential bid by venturing into the heart of rival Red Sox territory — a sports bar across from Fenway Park. On Monday, Booker told backers at the fundraising event that fellow Democratic presidential hopefuls should aim higher than just trying to oust President Donald Trump in next year’s election. ADVERTISEMENT“There are now more shelter-in-place drills and active shooter drills in America than fire drills,” he said. Booker participated in last week’s Democratic debate, but has struggled to break through in early state or national polls. Last month, Booker warned he might end his run unless donations from supporters increased quickly.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris spoke at a criminal justice forum at a historically black college on Saturday after a group that honored President Donald Trump with an award was removed as the event sponsor. Organizers at Benedict College in Columbia say the candidate forum in which Harris and other Democratic presidential candidates were speaking was considered separate from the event in which Trump was honored a day earlier, renaming the event and replacing signage from the venue with that of the college. ADVERTISEMENTSeveral other Democrats appeared onstage, including presidential candidate Cory Booker. Soon after, the city’s mayor, Steve Benjamin, told The Associated Press that he would organize an alternative event, working with Benedict officials to coordinate what was renamed as the Collegiate Bipartisan Presidential Forum, which he hosted. The Harris campaign said in a statement that, despite the group’s claims, Harris spoke with the understanding that she was participating in the new forum.

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., acknowledges the crowd during a campaign event at the Old South Meeting House, Friday, Dec. 31, 2019, in Boston. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., acknowledges the crowd during a campaign event at the Old South Meeting House, Friday, Dec. 31, 2019, in Boston. Warren addressed a raucous hometown crowd at Boston’s Old South Meeting House, a Congregational church famous for being the organizing point for the Boston Tea Party in 1773. Warren told the Boston crowd: “The billionaires know which candidates for president are on their side.”“Many corporate executives and career politicians and billionaires on both sides of the aisle want to keep their influence and their wealth. Wheatley was a poet who eventually inspired George Washington and once sat in the pews of the Old South Meeting House.

It was the best fundraising quarter so far for both Klobuchar and Booker. Both typically use more traditional fundraising methods, including frequent gatherings with big donors that Warren and Sanders have shunned. In the third quarter last year, Warren raised $24.6 million as months of strong, summer polling lifted her to front-runner status along with Biden and Sanders. In a message Friday, Warren campaign manager Roger Lau said the senator’s average contribution was $23, proving the grassroots nature of her appeal. Trump’s campaign said it raised $46 million during the last quarter and had more than $102 million cash on hand.

Booker said a looming impeachment trial and other pressing issues in Washington could deal a “big, big blow” to his Democratic presidential campaign by keeping him away from Iowa in the final weeks before the Feb. 3 caucuses. Booker said a looming impeachment trial and other pressing issues in Washington could deal a “big, big blow” to his Democratic presidential campaign by keeping him away from Iowa in the final weeks before the Feb. 3 caucuses. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Cory Booker said a looming impeachment trial and other pressing issues in Washington could deal a “big, big blow” to his Democratic presidential campaign by keeping him away from Iowa in the final weeks before the Feb. 3 caucuses. “If this trial lasts two weeks, that is literally dozens of events we won’t be able to do,” Booker said. ___Follow Julie Pace at http://twitter.com/jpaceDC___Catch up on the 2020 election campaign with AP experts on our weekly politics podcast, “Ground Game.”

Booker has dropped out of the presidential race after failing to qualify for the December primary debate. Booker has dropped out of the presidential race after failing to qualify for the December primary debate. Booker also missed last month’s debate and exits the race polling in low single digits in the early primary states and nationwide. That didn’t land in a Democratic primary that has often rewarded candidates who promised voters they were tough-minded fighters who could take on Trump. Booker’s exit from the presidential race further narrows the once two dozen-strong field, which now stands at 12 candidates.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Uncertainty over when the Senate will begin President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial is complicating crunch-time campaigning for the five Democratic senators seeking the White House. In the absence of a trial, they’re filling time with hastily scheduled campaign events far from Capitol Hill. The dynamic becomes even murkier next week, when a presidential debate in Iowa is set for Jan. 14. A trial could leave them in the early voting states without their top rivals. Taking private flights could make things easier but also might undermine the working-class credibility of some Democratic White House hopefuls.

Georgia Rep. Sanford Bishop was making his first public declaration of support in the Democratic primary. Payne, Hastings and Wilson are the first Black Caucus members to pick new candidates after Booker and Harris ended their campaigns. ADVERTISEMENTThe Biden campaign confirmed the endorsements Tuesday, bringing the 77-year-old candidate’s roster of Black Caucus supporters to 15. Harris had peaked at 11 Black Caucus endorsements. Florida, with 219 pledged delegates at stake March 17, and Georgia, with 105 pledged delegates at stake on March 24, will hold two of the most significant primaries after the March 3 Super Tuesday slate when Democrats will scramble for more than a third of the total 3,979 pledged delegates.

FILE - In this Feb. 8, 2020 file photo, Democratic presidential candidate former Massachusetts Gov. Patrick was the last remaining African American candidate in a Democratic presidential field once defined by its diversity. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)FILE - In this Feb. 8, 2020 file photo, Democratic presidential candidate former Massachusetts Gov. Patrick was the last remaining African American candidate in a Democratic presidential field once defined by its diversity. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)ATLANTA (AP) — Joe Biden secured the endorsement of another former presidential rival on Friday, with former Massachusetts Gov.

Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., walks to the Senate chamber, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2020, on Capitol Hill in Washington, for the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. (AP Photo/ Jacquelyn Martin)Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., walks to the Senate chamber, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2020, on Capitol Hill in Washington, for the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. (AP Photo/ Jacquelyn Martin)WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey has endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden. Booker announced on Twitter early Monday that Biden will “restore honor to the Oval Office and tackle our most pressing challenges.”Booker ended his own presidential bid in January, pledging to do “everything in my power to elect the eventual Democratic nominee for president.”Booker’s decision follows recent Biden endorsements by several failed Democratic presidential candidates, including Sen. Kamala Harris of California and former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick.

New Jersey Democrats and Republicans will choose their candidates for president, Senate and House on Tuesday, but because of the COVID-19 outbreak, they'll be doing it mostly by mail-in ballots. New Jersey Democrats and Republicans will choose their candidates for president, Senate and House on Tuesday, but because of the COVID-19 outbreak, they'll be doing it mostly by mail-in ballots. Though there was little suspense, former Vice President Joe Biden won the Democratic presidential primary, and Democratic incumbent Sen. Cory Booker was victorious against his challenger. New Jersey had no-excuse voting by mail before Tuesday, but the experiment with nearly all mail-in voting stemmed from the COVID-19 outbreak. Murphy mandated that all Democrats and Republicans get mail-in ballots, and unaffiliated voters be sent applications to join a party so they could participate.

Ajaye' Brewington fills out a provisional ballot at a polling site in Hackensack, N.J., Tuesday, July 7, 2020. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)Ajaye' Brewington fills out a provisional ballot at a polling site in Hackensack, N.J., Tuesday, July 7, 2020. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on Tuesday’s primary elections in New Jersey and Delaware (all times local):9 p.m.Cory Booker has won New Jersey’s Democratic Senate primary. ADVERTISEMENT___8:30 p.m.Former Vice President Joe Biden has won New Jersey’s mostly mail-in Democratic presidential primary. ___8:25 p.m.Joe Biden has won Delaware’s Democratic presidential primary, while President Donald Trump has won the state’s Republican presidential primary.

(AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)JERUSALEM (AP) — The Palestinian economy could shrink by as much as 11% in the coming year as the coronavirus pandemic inflicts yet another blow to the Palestinian Authority’s already shaky finances, the World Bank said Monday. The World Bank said the Palestinian economy grew by just 1% in 2019 and is projected to shrink by 7.6% to 11% in 2020, depending on the speed of the recovery and whether a second wave of infections forces a return of some restrictions. The Palestinian Authority is meanwhile expected to face a funding gap of over $1.5 billion this year, up from $800 million in 2019, the World Bank said. “The Palestinian Authority has acted early and decisively to save lives,” said Kanthan Shankar, the World Bank director for the West Bank and Gaza. The World Bank says the figure has likely risen to 30% in the West Bank and 64% in Gaza.

(Ronen Zvulun/ Pool Photo via AP)JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that Palestinians living in the Jordan Valley will remain in what he described as an “enclave” after Israel annexes the territory and will not be granted Israeli citizenship. Netanyahu has vowed to press ahead with plans to annex the Jordan Valley and Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, in line with President Donald Trump’s Middle East plan, a process that could begin as early as July 1. The annexation of the Jordan Valley and the far-flung settlements would make it virtually impossible to create a viable Palestinian state alongside Israel, which is still widely seen as the only way to resolve the decades-old conflict. ADVERTISEMENTIn an interview with the Israel Hayom newspaper, Netanyahu said Palestinians in the Jordan Valley, including residents of the city of Jericho, would remain under limited Palestinian self-rule, with Israel having overall security control. The Trump plan would grant the Palestinians limited statehood over scattered enclaves surrounded by Israel if they meet a long list of conditions.

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. Mideast envoy is trying to arrange a meeting of key global mediators to discuss prospects and threats to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian confl