Focus Washington February 2022

IRS Changed Its Mind on Using Facial Recognition Tech

February 8, 2022 Elizabeta Bozinovska

US taxpayers will not be required after all to prove their identity through facial recognition software, the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has informed in a press release, reversing on the move that was set […]

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Biden Threatens Russia He’ll Shut Down Nord Stream 2 Pipeline

February 8, 2022 Elizabeta Bozinovska

US President Joe Biden has threatened to bring an end to the crucial Germany-Russia natural gas pipeline Nord Stream 2 if Moscow sends Russian troops across the border with Ukraine and has promised the US […]

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France’s Macron Flies to Moscow in Attempt to Ease Ukraine Tensions

February 7, 2022 Elizabeta Bozinovska

French President Emmanuel Macron has landed in Moscow today in order to persuade Russian President Vladimir Putin to de-escalate ongoing tensions with Ukraine. The Kremlin gave Macron’s visit a guarded welcome, and said that it […]

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Frontier and Spirit to Merge Creating Fifth-Largest Airline

February 7, 2022 Elizabeta Bozinovska

The two largest low-case airlines in the United States have agreed to merge, creating what will become the fifth-largest airline. Frontier Airlines and Sprint Airlines approved the deal over the weekend, valued at $6.6 billion. […]

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Peng Shuai Emerges at Olympics, Gives Controlled Interview

February 7, 2022 Elizabeta Bozinovska

Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai gave what has become a very rare appearance lately, in an extremely controlled interview in Beijing. The interview was with French sports newspaper L’Equipe, the first time Peng has spoken […]

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UK’s Johnson Looks to Offer Russia Reassurance about NATO

February 7, 2022 Elizabeta Bozinovska

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is looking to offer Russia reassurances over NATO’s role while also making it clear that some of Moscow’s demands and fears are unfounded. Johnson’s spokesman said that NATO is a […]

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Trump’s Incendiary Texas Speech May Have Deepened His Legal Troubles

February 7, 2022 Elizabeta Bozinovska

Former President Donald Trump’s incendiary call at a recent Texas rally for his supporters to be ready for massive protests against “radical, vicious, racist prosecutors” could constitute obstruction of justice as well as other crimes, […]

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Putin Not to Participate in Any Format at Munich Security Conference

February 7, 2022 Elizabeta Bozinovska

Russian President Vladimir Putin has no plans to join this year the 35 heads of state and prime ministers, which, alongside NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg and European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen, will attend […]

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CDC Weighs Increasing Time Between Jabs to Lower Myocarditis Risk

February 7, 2022 Elizabeta Bozinovska

Health officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are considering imposing new changes to Covid-19 vaccine guidance that would lengthen the amount of time between doses to decrease myocarditis’ risk. According to […]

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Couple in Hawaii Shocked with $18,000 Electric Bill

February 7, 2022 Elizabeta Bozinovska

The Hawaiian Electric Company(HECO) has left a Waianac-based couple dumbfounded at the end of January charging them with a whopping $18,000 for their electric bill, claiming they’re legal owners of the street and therefore responsible […]

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German Chancellor to Meet Biden to Discuss United Front on Ukraine

February 7, 2022 Elizabeta Bozinovska

Amid growing dissatisfaction with the German hesitance to take a clear stance on Russia’s stirrings of war over Ukraine, German chancellor Olaf Scholz will meet Monday with US President Biden in Washington. White House meeting […]

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‘Freedom Convoy’ Protests Prompts State of Emergency in Ottawa

February 7, 2022 Elizabeta Bozinovska

Citing serious danger and threat to the safety and security of residents, Ottawa mayor Jim Watson has declared a state of emergency as Freedom Convoy truckers and their pedestrian supporters continued to occupy the capital […]

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Senate Election Reform Facing Mounting Pressure, Hurdles

February 6, 2022 Maja Popovska

Former President Donald Trump’s criticism of efforts to amend an obscure election rule has given bipartisan deliberations in the Senate a fresh sense of urgency – and uncertainty, The Hill said in a report. Trump […]

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Texas Man Kills Family and Himself in Shooting Frenzy

February 6, 2022 Maja Popovska

On Saturday, a man from a Texas suburb killed four members of his family, including a kid, before committing suicide. The nighttime gunfire frenzy in Navarro County is suspected to have wounded three more people. […]

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US Army Lands in Europe in a Move to De-escalate Ukraine Tension

February 6, 2022 Maja Popovska

With US Army troops landing in Europe, France’s head of state Emmanuel Macron continued his proactive diplomacy, holding talks on North Atlantic Treaty Organization unity, Bloomberg reports. Any battle involving Russia and Ukraine, according to […]

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Joe Rogan gets 70 episodes of his podcast removed from Spotify

Joe Rogan’s Podcast Removed from Spotify after N-word Videos Appear

February 6, 2022 Maja Popovska

After a montage video appeared exposing him for constantly repeating the N-word, Joe Rogan, a renowned American podcaster, apologized for the second time in a week, this time for using racist slurs, Reuters reported. Rogan […]

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Minneapolis crowd protests killing of Amir Locke after no-knock raid

Minneapolis Protesters Demand Justice over Police Killing of a Black Man

February 6, 2022 Maja Popovska

Hundreds of demonstrators marched through downtown Minneapolis on Saturday, seeking justice for Amir Locke, a young Black man who was fatally shot by law enforcement officers during a “no-knock” search on his residence earlier this […]

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France Rejects Draft Resolution Seeking Political Asylum for Assange

February 5, 2022 Elizabeta Bozinovska

The draft resolution that contained a call on the French government to provide political asylum for Julian Assange, the founder of the WikiLeaks whistleblowing website, was rejected on Friday by the French National Assembly with […]

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NC Supreme Court Finds GOP’s Congressional Map Unconstitutional

February 5, 2022 Elizabeta Bozinovska

Split 4-3 along party lines on Friday, the justices of the North Carolina Supreme Court deemed GOP-led redistricting maps unconstitutional and unlawful partisan gerrymanders, handing Democrats one of their biggest legal victories so far in […]

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Youngkin’s Opt-Out School Mask Order Frozen by Court

February 5, 2022 Elizabeta Bozinovska

Arlington Circuit Court issued on Friday a temporary restraining order against Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s executive order that allowed parents to opt-out of school mask mandates for their children, which means that masks mandates […]

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CMA Slaps Meta with £1.5 Mill Fine for Breaching Giphy Related Order

February 5, 2022 Elizabeta Bozinovska

The US tech giant Meta was slapped £1.5 million fine for breaching its obligation under the terms of an earlier order issued by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) watchdog, related to its acquisition […]

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Cheney, Kinzinger Censured by RNC over Criticism of Trump

February 5, 2022 Elizabeta Bozinovska

GOP Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger were formally censured on Friday by the Republican National Committee (RNC) over their vocal criticism of former President Trump and participation in the special House committee investigating the […]

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LUNCHTIME POLITICS: Ukraine Conflict – Nevada Senate – Newsom in California – Minnesota – Biden vs. Putin

February 4, 2022 John Ganjei

Your Daily Polling Update for Friday, February 4, 2022 BIDEN JOB APPROVAL: AVERAGE 42%Up 1 from Wednesday RON’S COMMENT: Today’s average is based on six polls, ranging from 38% (Monmouth) to 45% (Reuters, Economist). Biden’s […]

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The US Adds Surprising Half Million Jobs in January

February 4, 2022 Elizabeta Bozinovska

The US economy added nearly half a million new jobs in January, as the country appears to shake off economic slumps created by the Omicron variant. It comes as a welcome surprise to the U.S. […]

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Winter Olympics Begin In China amid Covid and Boycotts

February 4, 2022 Elizabeta Bozinovska

The most divided Olympic Games to happen in decades began in Beijing today. Despite tensions and boycotts surrounding the Olympics over allegations against China for committing human rights abuses, as well as growing restrictions over Covid, […]

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TurboTax Will Let Users Deposit Tax Refunds into Crypto Accounts

February 4, 2022 Elizabeta Bozinovska

Software company TurboTax is getting into cryptocurrency. TurboTax has partnered with Coinbase in order to allow users the option to deposit both state and federal tax returns into cryptocurrency. Coinbase, a U.S. company that operates a […]

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China Joins Russia in Opposing NATO Expansion

February 4, 2022 Elizabeta Bozinovska

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jingping today, as the two countries and their leaders look to project themselves internationally as a counterweight to Western allies and the U.S. Putin’s visit […]

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The US Claims Russia Planning Graphic Fake Propaganda Video

February 4, 2022 Elizabeta Bozinovska

U.S. officials claimed yesterday that Russia is plotting to make a “very graphic” fake video of a Ukrainian attack in order to justify a military invasion into Ukraine. Officials painted a gruesome scene to stage […]

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Scientists Confirm Super-Mutant HIV Strain Discovered in the Netherlands

February 4, 2022 Elizabeta Bozinovska

The University of Oxford’s researchers has discovered a new dangerous and highly transmissible HIV strain that has confirmed scientists’ worst expectations that the new HIV mutations could make the virus even more infectious and more […]

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UNICEF Confirmed Children’s Deaths in the US Raid in Syria

February 4, 2022 Elizabeta Bozinovska

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) confirmed that at least six children were killed and one girl was badly injured during the overnight heavy violence caused by the US raid in the border town of […]

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