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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

Georgia Governor: ‘Signature Audit’ Results of Election Are Almost Ready

By Jack Phillips Gov. Brian Kemp announced the results of the state’s signature verification audit should be released Wednesday or Thursday—coming after Sen. Lindsey Graham ...

Arizona Senators Sue to Enforce Subpoenas for Election Equipment, Records

By Ivan Pentchoukov The president of the Arizona Senate and the chairman of the state senate’s Judiciary Committee filed a lawsuit on Dec. 21 asking the Maricopa County ...

Nunes Plans New Criminal Referral After Internal FBI Texts Released

By Zachary Stieber Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) said on Dec. 20 he’s calling for a criminal referral because “somebody needs to pay a price” for the improper ...

Trump Signs Order Authorizing Durham to Use Classified Material

By Isabel Van Brugen Attorney General William Barr’s special counsel appointee investigating the origins of the Trump-Russia investigation has been granted the authority to use ...

Giuliani: ‘Big Revelations’ Concerning Georgia Voting Machines Coming

By Zachary Stieber President Donald Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani says he’s aware of a few “big revelations” concerning voting machines in Georgia that he believes will become public soon. “I ...

Amistad Project Says State Legislators, Not Executive, Need to Certify Presidential Electors

By Janita Kan A group has brought a lawsuit on Tuesday seeking to block the counting of electoral college votes from several contested states when Congress meets ...

Trump Urges Americans to ‘Stop the Theft of the Presidential Election’

By Mimi Nguyen Ly President Donald Trump in a message to the nation late Tuesday sought to explain why he is determined to pursue all legal ...

Texas Governor Announces Plan to Place Austin Police Under State Control

By GQ Pan Legislation to place the Austin Police Department under state control has been drafted for lawmakers to consider in the coming January session, Texas Gov. ...

Arizona GOP Moves to Intervene in Legal Battle Over Maricopa County Audit

By Zachary Stieber The Arizona Republican Party has filed a motion to intervene in the lawsuit filed by Maricopa County against state senators, as the county fights against subpoenas ...

Senator Lindsey Graham: Georgia Now Has ‘Credible Process’ to Perform Signature Audit of Election

By Jack Phillips Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on Tuesday said he was briefed about Georgia’s mail-in ballot signature verification, saying officials have the ability to conduct ...

IBM, 3M, PepsiCo Among Leading US Firms That House Chinese Communist Party Units: Leaked Database

By Eva Fu Hundreds of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) members are embedded within the Chinese divisions of major U.S. corporations, from IBM to PepsiCo to 3M, a leaked ...

Hostile Reaction in Detroit Forced Election Official Into Hiding

By Charlotte Cuthbertson William Hartmann felt like he was stuck in a “Mission Impossible” movie when he left a Wayne County Board of Canvassers meeting ...