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 fields audience questions on mail-in voting, riots, says Democrats ‘destroying our country’

By Brie Stimson | Fox News President Trump’s Fox News town hall with Sean Hannity on Thursday night presented a rare opportunity for the nation’s commander-in-chief to answer questions coming directly ...

Trump says violence in Chicago, Baltimore, other US cities like ‘living in hell,’ in ‘Hannity’ town hall

By Andrew O’Reilly | Fox News President Trump, in a Fox News town hall with Sean Hannity on Thursday, tore into the soaring violent-crime rates in cities including Chicago ...

BET founder Robert Johnson says Dems taking black voters ‘for granted,’ calls for BLM to form party

By Marisa Schultz | Fox News BET founder Robert Johnson says the Democratic Party has taken black voters in America for granted, and he urges the ascendant Black Lives Matter (BLM) ...

Biden cancer nonprofit paid its top execs millions. It spent little to eradicate cancer

By Joe Schoffstall | Washington Free Beacon Nearly two-thirds of the money the Biden Cancer Initiative spent since its founding in 2017 went toward staff compensation and six-figure ...

NASCAR: Driver’s ‘Hate Crime Noose’ Was Really A Garage Pull Rope

By Allison Schuster The Federalist Separate FBI and NASCAR investigations found what some claimed was a “noose” in NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace’s garage at Talladega Superspeedway ...

Space expert says 110 people is ‘minimum number’ to start life on Mars

By Chris Ciaccia | Fox News If you’ve ever wondered how many people it will take to start a new civilization on Mars, you’ve got your answer. At least ...

Insurgents from the left threaten to upend Dem Party plans in Tuesday primaries

By Paul Steinhauser | Fox News The progressive wing of the Democratic Party hasn’t had much to celebrate at the ballot box since populist Sen. Bernie Sanders suspended his presidential campaign two-and-a-half months ...

Officers clear protesters from outside White House, as ‘Defund the Police’ graffiti removed

By Gillian Turner, Brooke Singman | Fox News Law enforcement officers cleared protesters Tuesday from outside the White House following a clash the night before, pushing them beyond ...

Hackers just leaked sensitive files from over 200 police departments that are searchable by badge number

By Aaron Holmes A hacktivist group on Friday published hundreds of gigabytes’ worth of potentially sensitive files from police departments across the US in the ...

Trump urges AOC to run against Schumer, says she’d win

By Edmund DeMarche | Fox News President Trump urged Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., to run against the state’s longtime Sen. Chuck Schumer in the 2022 primary in November, saying ...

Sarah Sanders slams Bolton as man ‘drunk on power,’ in her forthcoming book

By Brooke Singman | Fox News Former White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders slams former National Security Adviser John Bolton as a man “drunk on power” in her forthcoming book ...

Owner of Ohio store ransacked by rioters says she’s receiving threats for cooperating with police

By Talia Kaplan | Fox News An Ohio business owner told “Fox & Friends” on Monday that she is receiving threats for cooperating with law enforcement officials investigating the looting of her ...