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

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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

NATIONAL NEWS

2020 Election Nullification, Audit Bills Dead or Dying in State Legislatures

By John Haughey Nine of 10 bills filed in six states seeking to audit 2020 election results—including three that would have nullified Joe Biden’s victory—have ...

Michigan Election Official Charged With Ballot Tampering, Misconduct

By Jack Phillips A Michigan county elections official and former township clerk was charged with ballot tampering related to the August 2020 primary election, according to state ...

DHS Collected Americans’ Financial Records in Bulk: Sen. Wyden

By Ken Silva The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has collected Americans’ financial records in bulk, according to Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). Wyden revealed the existence of a ...

Massachusetts to Reduce ‘Significant Overcount’ of COVID-19 Deaths

By Harry Lee The Massachusetts Public Health Department announced Thursday that the state would lower its COVID-19 death count by 3,700 due to new measuring ...

Democrat Spending Bill Contains ‘Serious Expansion of Federal Gun Control’: Gun Rights Group

By Joseph Lord Democrats’ $1.5 trillion omnibus spending package, unveiled early Wednesday, includes provisions that constitute “a serious expansion of federal gun control” according to ...

Illinois Illegally Denied Elections Group Access to Voter Records, Federal Court Rules

By Matthew Vadum A federal court ruled that Illinois violated the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) when it refused to provide an election integrity group with access ...

US Inflation Rises 7.9 Percent in February, Hitting a New 40-year High

By Andrew Moran The U.S. annual inflation rate surged to 7.9 percent in February, matching the market estimate, new data show. Last month, the core inflation rate, which strips the ...

House Passes $1.5 Trillion Spending Bill With $13.6 Billion for Ukraine

By Isabel Van Brugen The U.S. House of Representatives voted on Wednesday to pass a $1.5 trillion omnibus spending bill that includes $13.6 billion in ...

Facebook Called Out For Vaccine Marketing Alliance

By Alice Giordano A health alliance formed by Facebook in June of 2021 has been funding research into “how best to use behavioral science, social media and digital platforms ...

10,000 Uncounted Ballots Found in Texas County: Officials

By Jack Phillips Officials in Texas said they discovered about 10,000 uncounted ballots in last week’s primary election, which led to a delay in the results. The Harris County Elections ...

Industry Calls on Biden to Lift Moratorium on New Oil, Gas Leases

By John Haughey Domestic producers in the United States welcomed President Joe Biden’s March 8 order banning Russian oil and gas imports but say his ...

GOP Expects Midterm Sweep as Gas Prices Spike

By Joseph Lord Democrats are blaming rising gasoline prices—which have reached unprecedented levels in various parts of the country—on monopolies and price gouging. Republicans have called ...