Articles by USNN World News

Life, Nature and Tradition

California woman gored by bison at Yellowstone National Park after getting within 10 feet to take photos

by USNN World NewsJune 30, 2020June 30, 2020

A nationwide vote on a package of constitutional reforms wrapped up Wednesday local time. Polls have been open for a week to help reduce crowds and to bolster turnout amid the coronavirus pandemic. Putin is all but guaranteed to get the result he wants following a massive campaign to get voters to say "yes" to the changes. However, the referendum -- intended to consolidate his hold on power -- could end up undermining his position because of the unconventional methods used to boost participation and the dubious legal basis for the balloting. FILE: Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, watches the Victory Day military parade marking the 75th anniversary of the Nazi defeat in Moscow. FILE: Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, watches the Victory Day military parade marking the 75th anniversary of the Nazi defeat in Moscow. (Sergei Guneyev/Host Photo Agency via AP) Political analyst Gleb Pavlovsky said Putin's push for holding the vote despite the ongoing pandemic reflects his potential vulnerabilities. "Putin lacks confidence in his inner circle and he's worried about the future," Pavlovsky said. "He wants an irrefutable proof of public support." The balloting completes a convoluted saga that began with Putin’s state-of-the-nation address in January, when Putin first proposed the constitutional changes. He offered to broaden the powers of parliament and redistribute authority among the branches of the Russian government, stoking speculation he might continue calling the shots as parliament speaker or as chairman of the State Council when his presidential term ends in 2024. The Russian president, who has been in power for more than two decades, said he would decide later whether or not to run again in 2024. He argued that resetting the term count was necessary to keep his lieutenants focused on their work. WHITE HOUSE INSISTS 'NO CONSENSUS' ON INTEL OF RUSSIAN BOUNTIES FOR US TROOPS, AS PRESSURE MOUNTS placeholder Putin complicated his constitutional plan by putting it to voters even though parliamentary approval was sufficient to make it law. The move was intended to showcase his broad support and add a democratic veneer to the constitutional changes. The plan backfired weeks later when the coronavirus pandemic engulfed Russia, forcing Putin to postpone the referendum, which had originally been scheduled for April 22. The delay stymied Putin's campaign blitz and left his constitutional reform plan hanging as the damage from the virus mounted and public discontent grew. Amid the uncertainty, Putin rescheduled the vote immediately upon seeing the first signs of a slowdown in Russia's infection rate even though the number of new confirmed daily cases reported remains high. Political analyst Ekaterina Schulmann said the Kremlin faced a difficult dilemma: holding the vote sooner would bring accusations of jeopardizing public health for political ends, while delaying it further raised the risk of defeat. "The early date has an advantage of coming soon after lifting the quarantine restrictions that made voters feel more optimistic," she said. "And in general, people are in a better mood during the summer season." Schulmann argued that the Kremlin's focus isn't so much on boosting overall turnout, but rather on increasing attendance by the public sector workers who make up Putin's base. The authorities have mounted a sweeping effort to persuade teachers, doctors, workers at public sector enterprises and others who are paid by the state to cast ballots. Reports surfaced from many corners of the vast country that managers were coercing people to vote. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Most observers expect the Kremlin to get its way, regardless of the opposition's strategies. Pavlovsky noted, however, that the unusual methods used by authorities to boost turnout and get the result Putin wants would undermine the legitimacy of the vote. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

World

Putin nears goal of changing Russian constitution, letting him stay in power until 2036

by USNN World NewsJune 30, 2020June 30, 2020

Opinion

Matt Schlapp: Trump’s federal court legacy – how these judges will make a difference

by USNN World NewsJune 30, 2020June 30, 2020

World

How much of the United States does China really own?

by USNN World NewsJune 30, 2020May 30, 2025

Opinion

Brian Arbour: Copy Obama and Bush – IF Trump follows their example he can be reelected

by USNN World NewsJune 30, 2020June 30, 2020

Opinion

Kamala Harris will be Joe Biden’s VP pick, Miranda Devine says

by USNN World NewsJune 30, 2020May 14, 2025

Supreme Court

Supreme Court strikes down state ban on taxpayer funding for religious schools

by USNN World NewsJune 30, 2020June 30, 2020

Healthcare

What your doctor might not know about coronavirus

by USNN World NewsJune 29, 2020June 29, 2020

National News

Never Trumpers cross line with party operatives by targeting GOP senators: ‘Taking it too far’

by USNN World NewsJune 29, 2020June 29, 2020

Opinion

Democrats can save our party – by voting Republican

by USNN World NewsJune 29, 2020June 29, 2020

Business

Musk defends Tesla as Texas county considers millions in tax breaks to land ‘gigafactory’

by USNN World NewsJune 29, 2020August 31, 2024

National News

Protesters set up guillotine in front of Jeff Bezos’ DC home

by USNN World NewsJune 29, 2020June 29, 2020

NATIONAL NEWS

Trump abruptly escorted out of White House press briefing, returns to say there was a ‘shooting’ outside

By Alex Pappas | Fox News The president said an armed person was shot by Secret Service and has been taken to the hospital. President Trump on Monday was abruptly ...

Minn. group that saw $$ surge, some from Biden staffers, bailed out alleged violent criminals: report

By Tyler Olson | Fox News Convicted rapist, accused murderer among those helped with donations. A Minnesota nonprofit that saw a huge windfall in donations during the protests and riots that followed ...

Black male leaders warn Biden ‘will lose’ election if he doesn’t name Black female running mate

By Paul Steinhauser, Tara Prindiville | Fox News Black female VP contenders are being ‘unfairly criticized and scrutinized,’ the statement says. A group of over 100 Black male leaders is ...

Trump says Schumer, Pelosi ‘want to meet to make a deal’ on coronavirus relief

By Brooke Singman | Fox News Schumer called Trump’s executive orders ‘laughable’. President Trump said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi “want to meet to make a deal” on the ...

Mark Levin: Dems want mail-in voting ‘extended’ so even if Trump ‘wins they can call him a fake president’

By Talia Kaplan | Fox News Levin says Democrats are ‘suddenly’ interested in mail-in voting to ‘collapse’ and ‘overwhelm’ the system. Democrats want mail-in voting “extended” so even if Trump ...

Sen. Ron Johnson denies getting dirt on Biden from Ukrainian lawmaker, blasts Blumenthal for ‘twisting’ classified briefings

By Andrew O’Reilly | Fox News Johnson denied Blumenthal’s claims that he received documents relating to Joe Biden and his son’s activities in Ukraine. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisc., is ...

Trump says US will be ‘very careful’ after intel community warns of election interference from rival nations

By Adam Shaw | Fox News ‘We’re going to look at it very closely.’ President Trump on Friday said the U.S. will be “very careful” after the intelligence community warned ...

Group sends hundreds of thousands of ‘potentially misleading’ ballot applications

By Morgan Phillips | Fox News The mailings contain legitimate ballot applications but appear to be from a government source. A voter registration group is sending hundreds of ...

Biden walks back African American ‘diversity’ remarks, lauds community’s ‘diversity of thought’

By Joseph A. Wulfsohn | Fox News ‘In no way did I mean to suggest the African American community is a monolith,’ ex-VP says. Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden attempted ...

Trump claims Biden ‘no longer worthy of the Black Vote’ in wake of diversity comment

By Brooke Singman | Fox News ‘Sleepy Joe Biden just lost the Black Vote,’ Trump first said in a now-deleted tweet. President Trump on Friday said his presumptive ...

NRA fights back, files its own suit against NY attorney general seeking to disband organization

By Stephanie Pagones | Fox News President Trump slammed AG Letitia James’ suit against the group, calling it ‘a very terrible thing’. The National Rifle Association is fighting back against ...

Washington Post issues major correction after botching Trump-Twitter post

By Joseph A. Wulfsohn | Fox News The Washington Post sparked massive confusion Wednesday evening after erroneously reporting that President Trump was banned from tweeting because of a claim he ...