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CENTCOM commander doubts Russian bounty intel tied to US troop deaths in Afghanistan

by USNN World NewsJuly 8, 2020July 8, 2020

World

Jeffrey Epstein’s confidant Ghislaine Maxwell transferred to NY prison after arrest

by USNN World NewsJuly 6, 2020July 6, 2020

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Sasse slams ‘Chairman Xi’s spy web’ after reports UK will freeze Huawei out of 5G networks

by USNN World NewsJuly 6, 2020March 26, 2025

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China appoints Communist Party hardliner to oversee Hong Kong’s new security office

by USNN World NewsJuly 3, 2020July 3, 2020

World

Behind the top-secret Russian military intelligence unit accused of paying insurgents to kill Americans in Afghanistan

by USNN World NewsJuly 2, 2020June 13, 2025

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

World

How much of the United States does China really own?

by USNN World NewsJune 30, 2020May 30, 2025

World

Inside ‘Office 39’: North Korea’s illicit global smuggling network

by USNN World NewsJune 28, 2020June 28, 2020

World

Trump pushes back on NY Times report on Russian Afghan attacks, says ‘nobody briefed’ him, Pence

by USNN World NewsJune 28, 2020June 13, 2025

World

Lightning kills 83 people across India’s Bihar state

by USNN World NewsJune 25, 2020June 25, 2020

World

Everywhere Statues Are Torn Down By The Mob, History Promises People Are Next

by USNN World NewsJune 24, 2020August 15, 2025

World

Trudeau points to ‘direct link’ between detained Canadians and arrest of Huawei executive

by USNN World NewsJune 23, 2020June 23, 2020

NATIONAL NEWS

Trump Defends Pence After Discovery of Classified Documents at Indiana Home

By Frank Fang Former President Donald Trump defended former Vice President Mike Pence on Tuesday, after classified documents were found at Pence’s home in Indiana. “Mike Pence is an innocent ...

Ghislane Maxwell on Jeffrey Epstein’s Death: ‘I Believe That He Was Murdered’

By Tom Ozimek Former socialite and convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell told Britain’s Talk TV in a jailhouse interview that she believes her former associate and disgraced ...

Social Security Will Be Bankrupt by 2033 on Current Trajectory: CBO Report

By Naveen Athrappully A recent report by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects that two major Social Security funds in the United States will dry out in ...

‘EV Mania May Be Over’ as Car Production Estimates and Executive Enthusiasm Wane: Institute for Energy Research

By Naveen Athrappully Electric vehicle (EV) “mania” might be at an end, or, at a minimum, easing down, according to research, as concerns about supply ...

Climate Activists Panic That Twitter Under Musk Allows More Dissenting Views on Global Warming

By Bryan Jung An organization that says it is a coalition of “climate and anti-disinformation organisations” says Twitter under CEO Elon Musk is allowing more dissenting views ...

More Documents With Classified Markings Found at Biden’s Delaware Home

By Mimi Nguyen Ly A search by Department of Justice (DOJ) authorities has yielded more documents with classification markings at President Joe Biden’s home in ...

McCarthy Ends Controversial Proxy Voting in House of Representatives

By Caden Pearson Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) on Thursday ended the controversial practice of proxy voting that allowed lawmakers to cast their votes remotely during the ...

Trump Calls Out DOJ’s Alleged ‘White Glove Treatment’ of Biden Over Classified Documents

By Samantha Flom Former President Donald Trump criticized what he described as “two standards of justice” in the United States on Jan. 19 pointing to the Justice ...

House Oversight Launches Probe Into Border Crisis Under Biden Administration

By Mimi Nguyen Ly The Republican-led House Oversight Committee on Jan. 19 is investigating the Biden administration’s handling of the border crisis amid record numbers of illegal ...

Leaders of Florida’s College System Vow Not to ‘Fund or Support’ Critical Race Theory

By Patricia Tolson In a show of support for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, the leaders of the Florida College System (FCS) vowed not to support or ...

Federal Judge Sanctions Trump, Lawyer Nearly $1 Million Over Russiagate Lawsuit Against Hillary Clinton

By Mimi Nguyen Ly A federal judge has imposed over $900,000 in sanctions on former President Donald Trump and his legal team for what the judge deemed a ...

FAA Reveals Cause of Outage That Grounded Over 11,000 Flights

By Tom Ozimek The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has revealed the cause of a systems outage that on Jan. 11 led to a ground stop ...