General News

• Mexico's foreign ministry says it will monitor U.S. DACA program developments    (2020-06-18)
  Mexico's foreign ministry said on Thursday it would monitor the continuity of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) immigration program in the United States after the U.S. Supreme Court blocked President Donald Trump's bid to abolish it.
• U.S. Senate votes to confirm McConnell protege to influential appeals court    (2020-06-18)
  The U.S. Senate on Thursday voted to confirm a federal judge who is a protege of Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell to an influential appeals court in Washington.
• What is next for immigrant 'Dreamers' after U.S. Supreme Court ruling?    (2020-06-18)
  The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday ruled 5-4 against President Donald Trump's move to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program that offers work permits and deportation relief to certain immigrants who came to the country illegally as children.
• Pelosi urges Senate to take up 'Dreamers' bill after top court ruling    (2020-06-18)
  U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday urged the Senate to take up legislation previously passed by the Democratic-led House in support of so-called "Dreamers" now that the Supreme Court has blocked President Donald Trump's effort to end their protections.
• Trump says process to deal with Dreamer immigrants must start all over    (2020-06-18)
  U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday said a legal solution was needed to address the hundreds of thousands of so-called Dreamer immigrants after the nation's top court blocked his earlier effort to end their protections, but gave no other details on how he planned to proceed.
• U.S. House panel hears from Facebook, Google, Twitter on election security    (2020-06-18)
  Top officials from Facebook, Google and Twitter were grilled by U.S. lawmakers on Thursday at a virtual hearing on foreign influence and election security ahead of the Nov. 3 presidential contest.
• Trump to release new list of conservative Supreme Court nominees    (2020-06-18)
  President Donald Trump said on Thursday he planned to release a new list of conservative nominees to the U.S. Supreme Court after the high court dealt him a major setback on his hardline immigration policies.
• Former White House aide Bolton says Trump not 'fit' to be president    (2020-06-18)
  Former top White House aide John Bolton delivered a damning indictment of his former boss, saying Donald Trump's behavior in office and dealings with foreign leaders showed he was unfit to be president of the United States.
• U.S. Supreme Court blocks Trump bid to end 'Dreamers' immigrant program    (2020-06-18)
  The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday dealt President Donald Trump a major setback on his hardline immigration policies, blocking his bid to end a program that protects from deportation hundreds of thousands of immigrants - often called "Dreamers" - who entered the United States illegally as children.
• Pelosi says Trump 'ethically unfit' for presidency, will continue oversight    (2020-06-18)
  U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Thursday revelations in a book by a former top White House aide show President Donald Trump is unfit and unprepared to be president and Democrats will continue oversight of the Republican president's behavior.
• Trump: U.S. Supreme Court decisions 'horrible'    (2020-06-18)
  President Donald Trump on Thursday railed against the U. S. Supreme Court's "horrible" decisions, seemingly referring to recent rulings that gay and transgender workers are protected under federal employment laws and blocking his bid to end legal protections for immigrants known as "Dreamers."
• Portraits of former Confederate House speakers to be removed: Pelosi    (2020-06-18)
  Portraits of four former House of Representatives speakers who served the Confederacy will be removed from the U.S. Capitol, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Thursday.
• Factbox: Who are the immigrant 'Dreamers' affected by the U.S. Supreme Court ruling?    (2020-06-18)
  The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that President Donald Trump's administration erred in ending a program that offered work permits and protection from deportation to hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought to the United States illegally as children, a group often called the "Dreamers."
• U.S. lawmakers offer bill to block Trump from German troop withdrawal    (2020-06-18)
  U.S. congressional Democrats introduced legislation on Thursday to block President Donald Trump's plan to remove 9,500 troops from close ally Germany by prohibiting funding for a withdrawal of U.S. forces from Europe without congressional approval.
• U.S. Supreme Court rules against Trump bid to end 'Dreamers' immigrant program    (2020-06-18)
  The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday dealt a President Donald Trump a major setback on his hardline immigration policies, ruling against his bid to end a program that protects from deportation hundreds of thousands of immigrants, dubbed "Dreamers," who entered the United States illegally as children.
• Democrats consider next steps after Bolton revelations on Trump    (2020-06-18)
  Democratic lawmakers on Thursday said they were considering next steps, including a subpoena, on how to respond to allegations by former top White House aide John Bolton that President Donald Trump sought foreign help to get re-elected.
• Jean Kennedy Smith, last surviving sibling of JFK, is dead at 92    (2020-06-18)
  Jean Kennedy Smith, the last surviving sibling of slain President John F. Kennedy, who as U.S. ambassador to Ireland in the 1990s played a pivotal role in the Northern Irish peace process, died on Wednesday at age 92.
• Biden launches first major advertising campaign in battle against Trump    (2020-06-18)
  Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden launched his first major advertising blitz in six battleground states on Thursday as he intensified his effort to defeat President Donald Trump in November's election.
• U.S. senators unveil bill to curb foreign espionage, influence on campuses    (2020-06-18)
  A bipartisan group of U.S. senators unveiled legislation on Thursday aimed at protecting research and innovation on U.S. campuses and prevent suspected theft of intellectual property by China and other countries.
• Months before election, Trump finds himself at odds with most Americans' views    (2020-06-18)
  The temporary fences that separated protesters from the White House have come down. But its occupant, President Donald Trump, appears to be more isolated than ever.
• China says it has no intention of interfering in U.S. elections    (2020-06-18)
  China said on Thursday it has no intention of interfering in the U.S. elections, responding to U.S. President Donald Trump's former national security adviser, John Bolton, who has said that Trump had sought Chinese President Xi Jinping's help to win re-election.
• Republican U.S. Senator Scott unveils police reforms, Democrats push for broader changes    (2020-06-18)
  U.S. Senate Republicans unveiled a law enforcement reform bill on Wednesday as a rival to more sweeping Democratic legislation, as Congress sought to curb racial discrimination and police abuses three weeks after the death of George Floyd.
• Factbox: All the president's countries featured so far in ex-Trump adviser's book    (2020-06-17)
  China was not the only country mentioned in a litany of allegations that former national security adviser John Bolton makes about U.S. President Donald Trump in excerpts https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-bolton-book/trump-asked-china-to-help-him-win-in-2020-offered-favors-to-dictators-bolton-says-idUSKBN23O3B7 published on Wednesday of his book, "The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir."
• Atlanta prosecutors hope to persuade jury to second-guess officer who shot Brooks    (2020-06-17)
  Prosecutors seeking to convict Atlanta police officer Garrett Rolfe for murder in the shooting death of Rayshard Brooks must try to persuade jurors to do something they rarely do - second guess split-second police decisions.
• Trump administration proposes rolling back protections for big tech    (2020-06-17)
  The U.S. Justice Department proposed on Wednesday that Congress take up legislation to curb protections big tech platforms like Alphabet's Google and Facebook have had for decades, a senior official said, following through on President Donald Trump's bid to crack down on tech giants.
• Trump asked China to help him win in 2020, offered 'favors to dictators,' Bolton says    (2020-06-17)
  In a withering behind-the-scenes portrayal, President Donald Trump's former national security adviser John Bolton accused him of sweeping misdeeds that included explicitly seeking Chinese President Xi Jinping's help to win re-election.
• Factbox: What's the difference between three U.S. plans for police reform    (2020-06-17)
  President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to address police misconduct following the killing of an African American man, George Floyd, in police custody.
• Biden says Trump is 'surrendering' to coronavirus, putting lives at risk    (2020-06-17)
  Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden on Wednesday accused President Donald Trump of "surrendering" to the coronavirus pandemic and failing to stay prepared for a resurgence that could put a U.S. economic recovery at risk.
• Ex-security adviser Bolton says Trump sought China's Xi's help to win re-election    (2020-06-17)
  In a series of allegations, U.S. President Donald Trump's former national security adviser, John Bolton, said on Wednesday that Trump sought Chinese President Xi Jinping's help to win re-election during a closed-door June 2019 meeting.
• Trump sought China's Xi's help to win re-election, Bolton alleges    (2020-06-17)
  In a series of bombshell allegations, U.S. President Donald Trump's former national security adviser, John Bolton, said on Wednesday that Trump sought Chinese President Xi Jinping's help to win re-election during a closed-door June 2019 meeting.
• U.S. government proposes rolling back protections for big tech    (2020-06-17)
  The U.S. Justice Department proposed on Wednesday that Congress take up legislation to curb protections big tech platforms like Alphabet's Google and Facebook have had for decades, a senior official said, following through on U.S. President Donald Trump's bid to crack down on tech giants.
• U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes major conservation bill    (2020-06-17)
  The U.S. Senate on Wednesday passed a major conservation bill that would permanently direct $900 million a year to a long-standing federal program aimed at acquiring and protecting public lands.
• House panel debating $494 billion infrastructure measure    (2020-06-17)
  A U.S. House of Representatives panel is debating on Wednesday a Democratic plan to boost infrastructure spending that aims to fix crumbling roads and highways and reduce carbon pollution.
• U.S. Justice Department proposes rolling back protections for big tech    (2020-06-17)
  The U.S. Justice Department proposed on Wednesday that Congress take up legislation to curb protections that big tech platforms like Alphabet's Google and Facebook have had for decades, a senior official said, following through on U.S. President Donald Trump's bid to crack down on tech giants.
• Biden focuses on economic recovery in battleground state trip    (2020-06-17)
  Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden will highlight his plan to safely reopen a U.S. economy ravaged by the coronavirus pandemic on Wednesday on his third visit this month to the must-win election battleground state of Pennsylvania.
• Republicans launch another pro-Biden Super PAC to help defeat Trump    (2020-06-17)
  Republicans who worked for U.S. Presidents Donald Trump and George W. Bush have formed a Super PAC to support Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden in November, the latest group launched by members of Trump's own party who will work to see him defeated.
• Republican Sen. Scott unveils police reforms, Democrats push for broader changes    (2020-06-17)
  U.S. Senate Republicans unveiled a law enforcement reform bill on Wednesday as a rival to more sweeping Democratic legislation, as Congress sought to curb racial discrimination and police abuses three weeks after the death of George Floyd.
• Trump supports Senate Republicans' policing bill: White House    (2020-06-17)
  U.S. President Donald Trump fully backs Senate Republicans' police reform bill unveiled earlier on Wednesday, White House spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany told reporters at a briefing.
• U.S. lawmaker says seeking bipartisan legislation on airline mask rules    (2020-06-17)
  A U.S. senator said on Wednesday he was hoping for bipartisan support in Congress for mandatory rules on masks for air travel after the head of the Federal Aviation Administration again resisted calls for a mandate.
• Insider-trading investigation against U.S. senator dismissed    (2020-06-17)
  The U.S. Senate Ethics Committee has cleared Senator Kelly Loeffler of wrongdoing in connection with stock trades, her office said on Wednesday, after the wealthy Republican - who is in a tough election race - was criticized over share sales during the coronavirus outbreak.
• Iowa governor pledges to restore voting rights to some felons    (2020-06-17)
  Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds has committed to restoring voting rights to those with past felony convictions, according to a Radio Iowa report, potentially expanding the electorate in a state that could be competitive in the Nov. 3 presidential election.
• U.S. Republicans unveil police reforms as Democrats advance more aggressive plan    (2020-06-17)
  U.S. Senate Republicans unveiled a law enforcement reform bill on Wednesday as a rival to more sweeping Democratic legislation, as Congress sought to curb racial discrimination and police abuses three weeks after the death of George Floyd.
• Biden to discuss economic recovery plan in key battleground visit    (2020-06-17)
  Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden will discuss plans to safely reopen a U.S. economy ravaged by the coronavirus pandemic when he visits the must-win election battleground of Pennsylvania on Wednesday for the third time this month.
• U.S. Senate Republicans launch police reform bill to rival Democrats    (2020-06-17)
  U.S. Senate Republicans unveiled a new police reform bill on Wednesday as a rival to more sweeping Democratic legislation, as Congress struggled to address racial disparities in law enforcement three weeks after the death of George Floyd.
• U.S. Justice Department to propose rolling back protections for big tech    (2020-06-17)
  The U.S. Justice Department is preparing to proposes legislation as soon as Wednesday to try to remove protections that big tech platforms like Alphabet's Google and Facebook have had for decades, a department official said on Wednesday, speaking on condition of anonymity.
• In Tulsa, fears that Trump rally may worsen racial unrest, spread of coronavirus    (2020-06-17)
  When President Donald Trump takes the stage at his first rally in three months on Saturday night, the scene in Tulsa, Oklahoma, will be familiar: A large venue filled with ardent supporters wearing "Keep America Great” hats and T-shirts.
• U.S. Senate Republicans ready police reform bill to rival Democrats    (2020-06-17)
  Police reforms will take center stage in Congress on Wednesday as Senate Republicans unveil their effort to address racial disparities in law enforcement and Democrats in the House of Representatives advance their own, more sweeping proposal.
• Biden opens 13-point advantage as Trump popularity drops to seven-month low: Reuters/Ipsos poll    (2020-06-17)
  Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has opened up a 13-point lead over President Donald Trump - the widest margin this year - according to the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll as Americans grow more critical of Trump over the coronavirus pandemic and protests against police brutality.
• Pence says campaign looking at other venues for Trump Tulsa rally    (2020-06-17)
  Officials are considering other venues in Tulsa, Oklahoma, for President Donald Trump's first campaign rally since the coronavirus shutdown, Vice President Mike Pence said on Tuesday, as virus cases climb in Oklahoma and other states.
• Facebook closes political ads loophole ahead of U.S. presidential election    (2020-06-17)
  Facebook Inc said on Tuesday it would affix labels to political ads shared by users on their own feeds, closing what critics have said for years was a glaring loophole in the company's election transparency measures.