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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

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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

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

by USNN World NewsJune 23, 2020June 23, 2020

World

Trudeau slams ‘political’ detentions, after China spy charges

by USNN World NewsJune 23, 2020June 23, 2020

NATIONAL NEWS

Cuomo attempts to deflect blame of deadly nursing home coronavirus debacle on to Trump

By Marisa Schultz | Fox News New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo Saturday doubled down on his state’s now-scrapped nursing home policy that critics say contributed to thousands of coronavirus deaths and ...

US Charges Ousted Hollywood Executive With Defrauding Pandemic Loan Program, BlackRock Fund

By Reuters NEW YORK—U.S. prosecutors have charged the recently ousted owner of a Hollywood movie distributor with defrauding a federal CCP virus emergency relief program and a BlackRock investment ...

Geraldo Rivera torches Nancy Pelosi for ‘brutal hypocrisy’ on Hunter Biden probe

By Joshua Nelson | Fox News Fox News correspondent-at-large Geraldo Rivera said on Friday that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is “guilty of brutal hypocrisy” for criticizing Republican senators’ investigation into ...

Joe Biden expresses regret over ‘you ain’t black’ comments: ‘I shouldn’t have been so cavalier’

By Paul Steinhauser, Allie Raffa, Madeleine Rivera | Fox News Joe Biden expressed regret Friday during a call with black business leaders for suggesting in an earlier interview that African-Americans unsure ...

South Carolina election ballots reportedly found in Maryland this week

By Morgan Phillips | Fox News South Carolina election ballots reportedly ended up in Maryland this week, after mail-in voting for the Palmetto State’s June 9 primary has ...

Philadelphia Dem elections judge admits taking bribes to inflate vote counts

By Bradford Betz | Fox News A former Democratic elections judge has pleaded guilty for his role in accepting bribes to cast fraudulent ballots and certifying false ...

Sanders delegates push back at agreements prohibiting convention dissent: ‘It’s ridiculous’

By Paul Steinhauser | Fox News Sen. Bernie Sanders’ political team – in an apparent bid for party unity – is asking supporters chosen to represent the former presidential ...

Injured bald eagle rescued from California interstate

By James Rogers | Fox News In a Facebook post, California Highway Patrol-Redding explained that it received a report of the injured eagle blocking a lane on ...

NASA will pay people to spend 8 months in a lockdown to simulate missions to Mars and the moon

By Chris Ciaccia | Fox News NASA’s long-term goal is to have astronauts head to Mars in the 2030s, but before it gets there, it’s going to pay people to ...

‘Enough is enough’: Judge Napolitano reacts to calls for NYC lockdown to end

By Julia Musto | Fox News It’s high time for New York — and America — to return to “normal society” with COVID-19 health and safety measures in place to help mitigate ...

Gregg Jarrett: Biden turning to ‘deflection and diversion’ amid new questions about son’s Ukraine work

By Julia Musto | Fox News Joe Biden is trying to deflect legitimate questions surrounding his son Hunter’s 2014 work in Ukraine on the board of natural gas company Burisma Holdings, Fox News ...

‘Shady backroom deal’ could swing upcoming Nevada primary election, RNC tells state attorney general

By Gregg Re | Fox News Together with the Nevada GOP, Republican National Committee (RNC) chairwoman Ronna McDaniel on Wednesday demanded the state investigate what she called ...