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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

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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

World

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

by USNN World NewsJune 23, 2020June 23, 2020

NATIONAL NEWS

The Year 2023 Could See Mass Layoffs as Tech Job Cuts Soar 649 Percent From 2021

By Naveen Athrappully Tech companies laid off a large number of employees in 2022, with firms seemingly set to terminate even more employees this year ...

Damar Hamlin ‘Awake’ After On-Field Cardiac Arrest: Teammate

By Jack Phillips A teammate of Damar Hamlin said Thursday that the Buffalo Bills safety is awake, while his agent revealed he is holding hands with his family in ...

Longtime Democrat Senator Announces She Won’t Seek Another Term

By Zachary Stieber Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) said she will step away from Congress at the end of her term, leaving an open seat as ...

Alan Dershowitz Asks Judge to Be Excused From Sanctions Linked to Kari Lake Lawsuit

By Jack Phillips Retired Harvard University law professor Alan Dershowitz said he wasn’t part of the legal team that represented Kari Lake and Mark Finchem in connection to a ...

New York Gun Control Law Unconstitutional: NY Supreme Court

By Zachary Stieber The New York law that enables the confiscation of guns from people who haven’t committed a crime is unconstitutional, a state Supreme Court judge ...

150,000 Votes in the 2020 Election Not Tied to a Valid Address in Wisconsin: Election Watchdog

By Steven Kovac Election Watch (EW), a Wisconsin election integrity watchdog organization, has discovered that more than 150,000 votes cast in the 2020 presidential election ...

Trump Breaks Silence on McCarthy as Contender for House Speaker After Failed Votes

By Tom Ozimek Former President Donald Trump has thrown his weight behind Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) for House speaker ahead of a fourth round vote Wednesday after McCarthy failed ...

Kari Lake Files Petition to Transfer Election Lawsuit to Arizona Supreme Court

By Jack Phillips Arizona GOP candidate Kari Lake filed a petition to transfer her election case from Maricopa County to the Arizona Supreme Court over the past ...

McCarthy Fails in Votes for Speaker of the House; Bitter Battle Erupts Among GOPers

By Mark Tapscott and Madalina Vasiliu WASHINGTON—Chaos walked into the chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives Tuesday and made itself home as members of the new ...

Republicans Plan to Start a Committee to Probe ‘Weaponization of the Federal Government’

By Tom Ozimek House Republicans want to investigate allegations of collusion between federal agencies and private companies, and, to that end, they’re looking to establish a ...

Pro-Trump MAGA Hat Is Free Speech: Court

By Zachary Stieber A teacher who wore a “Make America Great Again” hat to school was engaging in constitutionally-protected free speech, a U.S. appeals court ...

Opposition to McCarthy Grows as House of Representatives Prepare to Elect New Leader

By Zachary Stieber The U.S. House of Representatives is set to elect a new leader on Jan. 3 as Republicans take control of the lower chamber. Speakers typically ...