World - USNN World News

World

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

World

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

World

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

Arizona Senator Arrested for Suspected Sexual Conduct With Child

By Zachary Stieber A Democrat senator in Arizona was arrested on Thursday for allegedly being sexually involved with a minor. State Sen. Tony Navarrete was taken into custody, local ...

Wisconsin Election Officials Remove Over 205,000 From Voter Rolls

By Zachary Stieber Election officials in Wisconsin have deleted more than 205,000 names from voter registration rolls as part of maintaining the lists, they announced on Aug. ...

Senator Proposes Bill to Mandate Voter ID for States That Mandate Vaccine Passports

By Jack Phillips A Republican senator introduced a bill that mandates voter identification laws for states that mandate COVID-19 vaccine passports. So far, no state has mandated ...

School Board President Rips Mic Away From Mother Speaking Out Against CRT

By Isabel Van Brugen A Pennsylvania school board president is facing backlash after he cut off an Iranian immigrant mother who was speaking out against ...

Carey, Brown Win in Ohio Special Election Primaries

By Zachary Stieber Candidates backed by former President Donald Trump and House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) appear to be headed to Congress after winning primaries in special elections ...

Fight Social Media Censorship by Suing for Discrimination, Think Tank Head Urges

By Matthew Vadum The best way to fight social media censorship is to promote model state legislation all across the country that gives users the right to sue ...

Maricopa County, Dominion Defy Arizona Senate’s Subpoenas

By Zachary Stieber Officials in Arizona’s largest county and Dominion Voting Systems on Monday announced their defiance of the state Senate’s latest round of subpoenas, continuing ...

Newsom Recall Backers Sue to Block Framing of Effort as ‘Republican Takeover’ of California

By Tom Ozimek Key backers of the recall election against California Gov. Gavin Newsom have filed a lawsuit to prevent the Democrat governor from framing the contest as a Trump-aligned Republican ...

GOP Report Says Wuhan Lab Leak Source of CCP Virus

By Tom Ozimek House Republicans have released an addendum to their Origins of COVID-19 (pdf) report released last year, concluding that evidence points to a leak from ...

Trump Amends Big Tech Lawsuit as 65,000 Americans Submit Censorship Stories

By Tom Ozimek Former President Donald Trump’s legal team has amended his class action lawsuit against Big Tech to incorporate additional class representatives and more censorship stories provided by ...

Most Georgia Voters Did Not Sufficiently Check Their Paper Ballots in 2020 Election: Study

By Zachary Stieber A majority of voters in Georgia either did not check or only briefly glanced at paper ballots after they chose who to vote for ...

Nearly 2 Million US Households Owe $15 Billion in Back Rent: Report

By GQ Pan An estimated 1.95 million U.S. renter households owed more than $15.3 billion in back rent when the federal eviction moratorium expired on July 31, ...