USNN World News

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Chinese virologist accuses Beijing of coronavirus cover-up, flees Hong Kong: ‘I know how they treat whistleblowers’

by USNN World NewsJuly 10, 2020June 20, 2024

World

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

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

NATIONAL NEWS

‘Knowledge Is Power’: Constitutional Scholar Strives to Educate the Public and Rein in the Federal Government

By Matt McGregor Christin McMasters’ strategy for teaching about the U.S. Constitution is first to establish a foundation by answering why we have a government, ...

‘Fundamentally Unfair’: Hall of Fame Swimmer Says Girl Athletes ‘Terrified’ to Critic Transgender Athletes — So She Did

By Michael Wing Few know the struggles transgender women athletes face better than Lia Thomas, who once competed as a male swimmer — claiming several Ivy League ...

Trump Defends Gun Rights, Calls for ‘Security Overhaul’ at Schools Nationwide After Uvalde Mass Shooting

By Mimi Nguyen Ly Former President Donald Trump on Friday called for a “top to bottom security overhaul” at schools nationwide after 21 people died at a mass ...

Elon Musk Says He ‘Strongly’ Believes in Second Amendment, Suggests ‘Special Permit’ Be Required for ‘Assault Rifles’

By Gary Bai Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk joined the right-to-bear arms debate this week by sharing his thoughts on the second amendment after ...

Majorities say Biden shows he is too old, not fit to be president

By Bob Unruh When Joe Biden made those inflated promises at the beginning of his term about how he’d bring the nation together, he probably ...

Florida’s Inspector General Finds Claims of COVID Data Manipulation ‘Unsubstantiated’

By Jannis Falkenstern PUNTA GORDA, Fla.–The Florida Inspector General has found “insufficient evidence” to support the claims of a former employee that she was asked to ...

Top Democrat Blocks Legislation Aimed at Preventing School Shootings

By Zachary Stieber Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on May 25 blocked legislation that proponents say could help prevent school shootings. The bill, known as the Luke and ...

Police Waited to Enter Texas School as Shooter Opened Fire: Witnesses

By Jack Phillips Several witnesses on the scene of the Texas mass shooting said that police waited to enter as videos surfaced of parents telling officers to “Go protect ...

Twitter to Pay $150 Million After Being Accused of Improperly Selling User Data

By Mimi Nguyen Ly Twitter has agreed to pay $150 million after it was accused of having sold private information from users to target advertising, without ...

Biden’s ATF Pick, Senator Clash Over ‘Assault Weapon’ Definition During Judiciary Hearing

By Joseph Lord The Senate Judiciary Committee on May 25 met to consider the nomination of Steven Dettelbach to be director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, ...

18 Major Airlines, FAA, and DOT to Be Sued Over COVID Vaccine Mandates

By Enrico Trigoso John Pierce Law has filed a lawsuit against Atlas Air, on behalf of US Freedom Flyers (USFF) and Atlas employees, and plans ...

Ex-Clinton Lawyer Told Different Stories to Congress and FBI About Origin of Trump-Russia Info, Jury Hears

By John Haughey and Zachary Stieber WASHINGTON—A lawyer representing Hillary Clinton’s campaign told members of Congress in 2017 that he took information about Donald Trump and Russia to the ...