Month: May 2020

The global pandemic has drawn attention to just how vital foreigners are to the Arab Gulf countries where they work, particularly as countries like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Oman expel foreigners from certain sectors to […]

Coronavirus Spread Swiftly Around World From Late 2019, Study Shows

A genetic study of samples from more than 7,500 people infected with COVID-19 suggests the new coronavirus spread quickly around the world after it emerged in China sometime between October and December last year, scientists […]

Detained American Claims He Plotted Maduro’s Capture

A former U.S. soldier captured in Venezuela said on Wednesday that he had been contracted by a Florida security firm to seize control of Caracas’ airport and bring in a plane to fly President Nicolas […]

Trump Administration Shelves CDC Guide to Reopening Country

A detailed report created by the nation’s top disease investigators meant to give step-by-step advice to local leaders deciding when and how to reopen public places such as mass transit, day care centers and restaurants […]

U.S. Unemployment Increases as Coronavirus Restrictions Bite

Millions more Americans likely sought unemployment benefits last week, suggesting a broadening of layoffs from consumer facing industries to other segments of the economy and could remain elevated even as many parts of the country […]

Trump Vetoes Iran War Powers Resolution

President Donald Trump on Wednesday vetoed legislation passed by both houses of Congress to limit a president’s ability to wage war against Iran, as Trump wages a campaign of maximum pressure against the Islamic Republic, […]

Canadian Doctor Fighting COVID19 in NYC Denied Green Card

A doctor that was born in Canada and now is on the frontline treating U.S. coronavirus patients was not allowed permanent status in the country due to President Donald Trump’s move against immigration during the […]

Judge Reinstates New York Presidential Primary

A U.S. judge has reinstated a presidential primary canceled last week by New York state, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak, over concerns that voting would have been an unnecessary risk, Reuters writes. Former Vice […]

Facility Near Pyongyang Airport Connected to North Korea’s Missile Programme

A new facility near Pyongyang International Airport is almost certainly linked to North Korea’s expanding ballistic missile programme, according to a report from a Washington-based think-tank, Reuters reported. The Center for Strategic and International Studies […]

Trump Better Suited for Economy, Coronavirus Response Than Biden, Poll Shows

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s advantage over President Donald Trump in popular support has eroded in recent weeks as the former Vice President struggles for visibility with voters during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a […]

Trump Administration Drafting ‘Artemis Accords’ Pact for Moon Mining

The Trump administration is drafting a legal blueprint for mining on the moon under a new U.S.-sponsored international agreement called the Artemis Accords, people familiar with the proposed pact told Reuters. The agreement would be […]

NYC’s Subways Shut Down for Virus Cleaning

New York City’s subway system went silent in the early morning hours of Wednesday, as part of a plan for the normally round-the-clock system to shut down for train cleaning, The Associated Press reports. The […]

UN Leader Says People With Disabilities Hard Hit by Virus

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the world’s 1 billion people living with disabilities are among the hardest hit by the coronavirus and called for them to have equal access to prevention and treatment of COVID-19, […]

Trump Denies Ties to Venezuelan Attack With Two U.S. Citizens Jailed

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Washington had nothing to do with an alleged incursion into Venezuela that landed two U.S. citizens behind bars in the crisis-stricken South American nation, The Associated Press reported. Trump […]

LUNCHTIME POLITICS: Picking a VP – World Leaders Rated – Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Iowa, North Carolina, Texas – Tuesday Trivia

May 5, 2020 John Ganjei

Your Daily Polling Update for Tuesday, May 5, 2020 TRUMP JOB APPROVAL: AVERAGE 44%Same as Thursday RON’S COMMENT: Today’s average is based on five polls, ranging from 41% (Emerson) to 46% (Rasmussen). Without these extremes […]

Tom Cruise, NASA, SpaceX to Make Movie in Space

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said on Tuesday that the space agency is working with Tom Cruise to create a film aboard the International Space Station. “We need popular media to inspire a new generation of […]

FBI, DHS Warns Russia May Try to Infiltrate U.S. 2020 Presidential Campaigns

The FBI and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) warned officials to increase security and to do additional checks for possible Russian operatives appearing as political advisers working in U.S. politics for the upcoming […]

NYC Mayor de Blasio Accuses Trump of ‘Stabbing his Hometown in the Back’ over Bailouts

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio on Tuesday called President Donald Trump a “hypocrite” who “seems to enjoy stabbing his hometown in the back” after Trump rejected the idea of coronavirus bailouts for the hardest-hit states, which […]

FBI Issues Statement Defending Wray’s Leadership after GOP Criticism

The FB defended Director Christopher Wray in a written statement after recent accusations that he was not quick enough to release evidence of wrongdoing under the bureau’s previous leadership in the former national security adviser Michael Flynn’s […]

Another 1,700 Virus Deaths Reported in NY Nursing Homes

New York state is reporting more than 1,700 previously undisclosed deaths at nursing homes and adult care facilities as the state faces scrutiny over how it’s protected vulnerable residents during the coronavirus pandemic, The Associated […]

Iran Renames Currency, Cuts Four Zeros to Fight Hyperinflation

Iran’s parliament has voted to slash four zeros from the national currency, the rial, to fight hyperinflation caused by crippling U.S. sanctions and the coronavirus pandemic, Radio Liberty reported. Lawmakers also decided on May 4 […]

Coronavirus Health Fears Outweigh Concern for Economy, Global Survey Shows

A substantial majority of people around the world want their governments to prioritize saving lives over moves to restart economies being hammered by measures aimed at halting the spread of the new coronavirus, a global […]

Researchers Double U.S. COVID-19 Death Forecast

A newly revised coronavirus mortality model predicts nearly 135,000 Americans will die from COVID-19 by early August, almost double previous projections, as social-distancing measures for quelling the pandemic are increasingly relaxed, researchers said on Monday, […]

Trump’s Anti-China Rhetoric Looks to Boost U.S. Leverage

The Trump administration is making ever louder pronouncements casting blame on China for the COVID-19 pandemic, aiming to sidestep domestic criticism of the President’s own response, tarnish China’s global reputation and give the U.S. leverage […]

Putin Awards Commemorative WWII Medal to Kim Jong-un

Russian President Vladimir Putin has awarded Kim Jong-un a commemorative war medal marking the 75th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany, the Russian embassy in Pyongyang said Tuesday, The Associated Press reported. The medal […]

Saudi Arabia Hit With Moody’s Downgrade, Prepares for ‘Painful’ Measures

Saudi Arabia is preparing to enact “strict, painful measures” in the face of its worst growth contraction in two decades brought on by the twin shock of coronavirus lockdowns and low oil prices, its finance […]

Italy Starts Slow Return to Normal Life

Nearly two months after ordering Italians to stay home in an effort to slow one of the worst outbreaks of the new coronavirus in the world, the Italian government on Monday cautiously eased a few […]

May 4, 2020 Focus Washington

NASA Chooses SpaceX, Blue Origin, Dynetics to Return Humans to Moon

NASA announced that SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Dynetics will be the three commercial companies that are going to build lunar landers for its Artemis missions to return humans to the moon by 2024. The three […]

May 4, 2020 Focus Washington

US Navy Sends Destroyers into Barents Sea for First Time since Cold War

Four U.S. Navy ships sailed into the Barents Sea near Russia’s Arctic coast for the first time since the Cold War, the Navy stated on Monday. According to NBC News, destroyers USS Donald Cook, USS […]

May 4, 2020 Focus Washington

NRA Lays Off Dozens of Staffers, Cuts Pay during Coronavirus Pandemic

The National Rifle Association has fired dozens of employees, canceled its national convention and curtailed on fundraising, membership and shooting events just months before the presidential election and during an unprecedented pandemic, as gun advocates are […]