Articles by Focus Washington

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms condemned violent protests over the death of George Floyd that erupted in her city on Friday, saying in a fiery speech “this is not a protest … this is chaos,” […]

Crowds, Police Clash in NYC, Atlanta, LA, as George Floyd Murder Shakes Nation

Protests around the killing of George Floyd intensified and continued to spread across the country on Friday, with at curfews being issued in Minnesota after several demonstrations turned violent, Newsweek reports. An 8 p.m. curfew was put […]

NASA, SpaceX to Repeat Launch of Astronauts from Florida

Elon Musk’s private rocket company SpaceX was set for a repeat attempt at launching two Americans into orbit on Saturday from Florida for a mission that would mark the first spaceflight of NASA astronauts from […]

Trump Issues Prohibition for Chinese Students and Researchers to Enter U.S.

President Donald Trump issued a proclamation on Friday prohibiting entry to the U.S. for many students and researchers from China, Newsweek reported. The proclamation bans graduate students and researchers with ties to the Chinese government […]

Police Officer Who Killed George Floyd Charged with Murder

A former Minneapolis police officer involved in the death of George Floyd has been charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter, the Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman announced Friday afternoon, The Hill reports. “[Derek] Chauvin has been charged by […]

Twitter Adds Warnings to Trump and White House Tweets

Twitter escalated its confrontation with President Donald Trump on Friday, adding warning labels to two tweets by Trump and the official White House Twitter account that implied that protesters in Minneapolis could be shot, The […]

Afghan Government Shares Important Details Regarding Ceasefire with Taliban

Afghanistan government officials said on Thursday that the skirmishes between Taliban fighters and Afghan security forces recommenced in Afghanistan in the day since a three-day ceasefire expired, but the incidents were minor and the truce […]

Washington to Cancel Visas of Chinese Students in U.S.

According to sources familiar with U.S. – China relations, Washington is planning to cancel the visas of thousands of Chinese graduate students that President Donald Trump believes are tied to China’s military. This was first […]

Travel Disruptions, Cost Cutting Key Issues for U.S. Business in China

Global travel disruptions are the top concern for American businesses in China, of which many are cutting compensation and bonuses amid the fallout of the COVID-19 epidemic, according to a report from a business group, […]

U.N. Delays Crucial Climate Summit for a Year

The coronavirus pandemic has prompted the United Nations to delay until late 2021 a crucial climate summit that had been scheduled for Britain this year, officials said on Thursday, Reuters reported. This year’s meeting, known […]

Hong Kong Warns Against Removing U.S. Special Status

Hong Kong told the United States to keep out of the debate over national security legislation being imposed by China, and warned that withdrawal of the financial hub’s special status under U.S. law could backfire […]

Trump Could Scrap or Weaken Law That Protects Social Media Companies

President Donald Trump said he will introduce legislation that may scrap or weaken a law that has protected internet companies, including Twitter and Facebook, in an extraordinary attempt to regulate social media platforms where he […]

Renault Announces 15,000 Job Cuts Worldwide

Struggling French carmaker Renault on Friday announced 15,000 job cuts worldwide as part of a 2 billion-euro cost-cutting plan over three years. The company said nearly 4,600 jobs will be cut in France in addition […]

Police Across U.S. Speak Out Against Minneapolis Custody Death

Police nationwide, in unequivocal and unprecedented language, have condemned the actions of Minneapolis police in the custody death of a handcuffed black man who cried for help as an officer knelt on his neck, pinning […]

Unrest Rages in Minneapolis Over Racially Charged Killing by Police

Peaceful rallies gave way to a third night of arson, looting and vandalism in Minneapolis on Thursday as protesters vented their rage over the death of a black man seen on video gasping for breath […]

U.S. to Issue Corruption, Drug Trafficking Charges against Venezuela’s First Lady

Back in 2016, Yazensky Lamas, who was the bodyguard of the first lady of Colombia, Cilia Florez, was arrested and extradited to the United States where he was facing drug charges. The extradition of Lamas […]

Twitter’s Jack Dorsey Fires Back at Zuckerberg, Defends Fact-checking Trump Tweets

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey fired back at Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who criticized the tech giant’s decision to fact-check President Donald Trump’s tweets about mail-in voting, Fox News informed. In a preview clip of his interview with Fox News’ Dana Perino, […]

Senate Dems Sound Alarm on ‘Captured’ Federal Courts as Trump, Republicans Keep Judicial Confirmations Coming

Senate Democrats published a 50-plus page report Wednesday sounding the alarm over the rate at which Senate Republicans and President Donald Trump have confirmed federal judges during the President’s first term as Republicans are working on shepherding along even more lifetime-appointed federal judges, Fox News informed. […]

Iran Rejects U.S. Cancellation of Nuclear Sanctions Waivers

Iran says a U.S. move to cancel the last remaining sanctions waivers from the 2015 nuclear agreement will not impact its nuclear work, Voice of America reported. A spokesman for Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization said […]

Pompeo Declares that Hong Kong is No Longer Autonomous from China, Threatening Trade with U.S.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo informed Congress on Wednesday that Hong Kong was no longer autonomous from China, a move that could jeopardize the special administrative region’s favorable trade relationship with the U.S. and open […]

White House Says Trump to Sign an Executive Order on Social Media

President Donald Trump is set to sign an executive order on social media on Thursday, the White House said, Fox News informed. White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Wednesday she could not get ahead of […]

Kayleigh McEnany Defends her Own mail-in Votes after Attacking Expanded Absentee Ballot Access

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany defended her decade-long record of voting by mail, arguing Wednesday that her public opposition to expanding mail-in voting for other people is not incompatible with her personal use of […]

House Dems Adjourn without FISA Vote after Trump Announces Veto Threat

The House of Representatives adjourned late Wednesday without voting on whether to once again authorize advanced surveillance tools used by the law enforcement — a measure that had wide bipartisan support back in March, but which has drawn […]

U.S. to Cancel Visas for Thousands of Chinese Grad Students

The White House plans to cancel visas for thousands of Chinese graduate students affiliated with Chinese universities tied to the People’s Liberation Army, according to a report, Fox News informed. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo discussed the plan with President Trump during a […]

Trump Administration Pursuing New Saudi Arms Sale, Menendez Claims

The Trump administration is pursuing another arms sale to Saudi Arabia, a top Democratic senator Bob Menendez said Wednesday, amid a previous controversial arms sale coming under new scrutiny, The Hill writes. In an op-ed […]

Pentagon Confirms ‘Long-Term’ Commitment With Saudi Arabia

The United States remains committed to long-term defense contracts with Saudi Arabia, Pentagon spokesman Sean Robertson told Arab News sister newspaper Asharq al-Awsat in a statement. U.S. forces maintain “strong capabilities” in various regional operations, […]

World’s Top 2,000 List Includes 40 Arab Companies, Aramco Ranked 5th

This year’s Forbes Global 2000 list saw the inclusion of 40 companies from the Arab world in the magazine’s ranking of the world’s top 2,000 companies, based on assets, profits, revenues, and market value, Zawya […]

Tesla Cuts Prices in North America to Boost Demand

Tesla has cut prices of its electric vehicles by as much as 6% in North America following a decline in auto demand in the region during weeks of lockdown that have now started to ease, […]

Twitter Fact-Checks Trump Tweet for the First Time

Twitter on Tuesday for the first time prompted readers to check the facts in tweets sent by President Donald Trump, warning that his claims about mail-in ballots were false and had been debunked by fact […]

EU to Unveil Virus Recovery Plan

The European Union unveiling a massive coronavirus recovery plan worth hundreds of billions of euros to help countries rebuild their ailing economies, but the bloc remains deeply divided over what conditions should be attached to […]