| New polls show trouble for Trump and Republicans in GOP strongholds Posted: 19 May 2020 12:05 PM PDT  Just-released polls contain bad news for President Trump and his Senate allies, with Joe Biden expanding the electoral map to states that have long been bastions of the Republican Party.
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| Edward Snowden will not be pardoned in his lifetime, says author of new book on the NSA whistleblower Posted: 21 May 2020 07:03 AM PDT  Author Barton Gellman, who is sympathetic to Snowden but raises questions about some of his actions, said the former NSA contractor will not be able to return to America in his lifetime — unless he comes in handcuffs.
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| China supports "improvement" of Hong Kong's political system Posted: 21 May 2020 12:54 AM PDT  China said on Thursday it supports improving the system and mechanism related to the constitution and basic law of Hong Kong and Macau, in comments likely to stir concern that it could take measures to tighten its grip on Hong Kong. "We will push for the long-term stability of one country, two systems ... and continue to support the improvement of implementing the systems and mechanisms of the constitution and basic law," Wang Yang, the ruling Communist Party's fourth-ranked leader and head of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said in a speech.
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| Whitmer says Michigan will 'hold people responsible' for dam failures Posted: 20 May 2020 01:39 PM PDT  Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) said Wednesday that the state will "hold people responsible" for two dam failures Tuesday that caused severe flooding and forced 10,000 evacuations in areas along the Tittabawassee River.Whitmer said the dam failures were a known threat (regulators had revoked the Edenville dam's license in 2018 over its ability to handle floods) and Michigan will review "every legal recourse that we have" in its investigation into what caused the catastrophe.The flooding, which Whitmer said has been described by experts as a "500-year event," will likely have lasting consequences for the state, which is already dealing with the stresses of the coronavirus pandemic. The governor promised to take aggressive action and procure aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other federal outlets, the Detroit Free Press reports.As for the flooding, Midland, Michigan's city manager said the peak is expected by Wednesday evening when water will have flooded an additional three feet. Read more at the Detroit Free Press.More stories from theweek.com Is QAnon the newest American religion? Trump's lethal aversion to reading Republicans are up in arms about Flynn's 'unmasking.' He was reportedly never masked in the first place.
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| Officials: Loon killed bald eagle by stabbing its heart Posted: 20 May 2020 05:59 PM PDT |
| Granderson: With $100 million, Magic Johnson pays it forward Posted: 20 May 2020 01:06 PM PDT  When Magic Johnson saw that minority- and women-owned businesses were being deprived of coronavirus stimulus relief, he took matters into his own hands.
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| US warns India of China 'aggression' at border Posted: 20 May 2020 01:34 PM PDT  The United States on Wednesday accused China of employing border clashes with India to try to shift the status quo, and encouraged New Delhi to resist. Alice Wells, the top US diplomat for South Asia, drew parallels between the growing skirmishes in the Himalayas and Beijing's years of increasing assertiveness in the dispute-rife South China Sea.
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| QAnon follower wins Senate primary in Oregon Posted: 20 May 2020 08:38 AM PDT  Jo Rae Perkins is a former county chairwoman for the party who prevailed in a four-candidate race and will face incumbent Democrat Jeff Merkley in November.
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| Spain's daily COVID-19 death toll at 48, excluding Catalonia Posted: 21 May 2020 08:17 AM PDT  Spain's daily death toll from the coronavirus fell below 50 on Thursday for the first time since a lockdown was imposed in mid-March, but the figure excludes deaths in the northeastern region of Catalonia. Cumulative deaths climbed by 48 to 27,940, while the number of confirmed cases edged up to 233,037, the health ministry said. Health Emergency Chief Fernando Simon said officials preferred not to release the Catalan data until they were satisfied with its quality.
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| Griffin ‘extremely skeptical’ of airborne lasers for missile defense Posted: 20 May 2020 01:36 PM PDT  "I'm extremely skeptical that we can put a large laser on an aircraft and use it to shoot down an adversary missile, even from fairly close," says Mike Griffin.
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| Korean ‘comfort women’ groups accused of embezzling donations for victims Posted: 20 May 2020 01:41 AM PDT  A second support group for South Korean women forced to work in Japanese military brothels during World War II is being investigated over claims that senior officials have embezzled millions in donations that were meant for the women. A manager and six staff at the House of Sharing - a shelter for the dwindling number of former sex workers euphemistically known as "comfort women" - have claimed that around $5 million in donations has been siphoned off for unrelated projects and that the residents of the facility do not receive the care that they require. The accusations come just days after the other major support organisation for former comfort women was similarly accused of embezzling donations. Those allegations have lead to demands for an official investigation into Yoon Mee-hyang, a former head of the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance for the Issues of Military Sexual Slavery by Japan. Ms Yoon was elected as a member of the ruling Liberal Party to the South Korean parliament in last month's elections, but opposition parties are now claiming that the organisation and Ms Yoon personally exploited surviving comfort women and embezzled donations. Korean media have reported that Ms Yoon is suspected of pocketing donations and government subsidies and using those funds for her own purposes. One outlay that has attracted attention was the payment of more than £22,000 to a bar for an event allegedly to promote the council's work. The operator of the bar has stated, however, that the cost of the event was only £6,440 and that it returned more than £3,500 as a donation.
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| Crump wants Ahmaud Arbery prosecutor to see young man as someone who ‘could have been her child’ Posted: 20 May 2020 05:07 PM PDT  Ahmaud Arbery family attorney Benjamin Crump is "cautiously optimistic" that the newly appointed prosecutor, Cobb County District Attorney Joyette Holmes, will ensure justice. "We want this black woman to think of Ahmaud as somebody who could have been her child," Crump said.
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| Foreigners evacuated from Iraq gas field after protests: sources Posted: 21 May 2020 04:22 AM PDT  Several dozen foreign workers were evacuated from Iraq following protests at a gas facility in the southern province of Basra, industry sources confirmed to AFP on Thursday. Five planes carrying around 40 foreign nationals working alongside the Basra Gas Company were flown out of the country on Wednesday, an industry source and an airport source said.
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| China proposes controversial Hong Kong security law Posted: 21 May 2020 09:32 AM PDT  The law could ban what Beijing defines as subversion and sedition, and may spark new social unrest.
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| Photos show 2.6 million people fleeing after a cyclone stormed through India and Bangladesh in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic Posted: 21 May 2020 01:00 AM PDT  "The next 24 hours are very crucial," Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, India's chief meteorologist told the AP. "This is a long haul."
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| Trump cannot describe how mail-in ballot applications in Michigan were 'done illegally' Posted: 20 May 2020 12:53 PM PDT  Updated – Donald Trump and his top spokeswoman were unable to explain how Michigan officials' sending mail-in ballot applications to their residents "was done illegally," as the president claimed before also threatening to withhold federal aid dollars for the key 2020 battleground state."If people mail in ballots there's a lot of illegality," Mr Trump told reporters Wednesday afternoon. But he declined to offer a single piece of evidence to support his claim; voting experts have found very little fraud in US elections even though Republican officials continue making such claims as mail-in voting typically favors Democratic candidates.
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| 'Not a mask in sight': thousands flock to Yellowstone as park reopens Posted: 19 May 2020 11:01 AM PDT  With support of the Trump administration, Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks have partially reopened after Covid-19 closures * Live global updates * See all our coronavirus coverageOn Monday, thousands of visitors from across the country descended on Yellowstone national park, which opened for the first time since its closure in March due to the coronavirus pandemic."We have been cooped up for weeks," Jacob Willis told the Guardian near a crowd of onlookers at the Old Faithful Geyser. "When the parks opened, we jumped at the opportunity to travel," said Willis, who had arrived from Florida.Yellowstone, America's oldest national park, and the nearby Grand Teton national park are the most recent to have partially reopened with the support of the Trump administration."I hope everybody is listening," Donald Trump announced earlier in May. "The parks are opening, and rapidly, actually."While many have celebrated the reopening of the revered landscapes, others have raised health concerns about large, possibly maskless, groups of out-of-state visitors arriving and potentially skirting social distancing guidelines."We checked the webcam at Old Faithful at about 3.30pm yesterday," said Kristin Brengel, the senior vice-president of government affairs at the National Parks Conservation Association. "Not much physical distancing happening and not a single mask in sight.""I think we're the only car from Teton county," said Mark Segal, a Wyoming local, noting the prominence of out-of-state license plates in Yellowstone on Monday.At the Moran entrance station in Wyoming – the entrance to both Grand Teton and Yellowstone park – cars began to line up at 5.30am. By 11am, an hour before opening, vehicles with license plates from as far away as New York, Washington State and Alaska sprawled along the highway leading to the park entrance.Park fees were waived and masked rangers cheerfully welcomed visitors who streamed through the gate.Many of the visitors drove directly to Old Faithful, Yellowstone's most popular attraction, to watch the 2.20 geyser eruption. The Guardian witnessed rangers having to disperse large groups of onlookers twice.Amy, a 19-year-old from San Diego, traveled to Yellowstone with four college friends. They planned to visit many of the parks that have recently reopened."We wanted to get out and see the country," said Amy, as hundreds of visitors sat on the semi-circle of benches that surround Old Faithful.According to the National Park Service, Yellowstone's phased reopening includes a ban on tour buses, overnight camping and lodging. Only the Wyoming gates into the park are currently open, and the park will provide protective barriers "where needed" and encourage "the use of masks or facial coverings in high-density areas". "The park's goal is to open safely and conservatively, ensure we take the right actions to reduce risks to our employees and visitors, and help local economies begin to recover," said the Yellowstone superintendent, Cam Sholly.For Segal, who came on opening day in hopes of a quiet Yellowstone experience, the number of out of state visitors was disturbing."What if everyone that leaves here goes and gets a bite in Jackson?" he asked, referring to a nearby town and speaking to the Guardian from his car as he and his family waited to get into the park. "This is exactly what we're afraid of."
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| Taiwan swears in President Tsai for second term Posted: 19 May 2020 09:12 PM PDT 
Tsai and her Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) won January's presidential and parliamentary elections by a landslide, vowing to stand up to China, which claims Taiwan as its own and says it would be brought under Beijing's control by force if needed. Tsai says Taiwan is an independent state called the Republic of China, its official name, and does not want to be part of the People's Republic of China governed by Beijing. China has stepped up its military drills near Taiwan since Tsai's re-election, flying fighter jets into the island's air space and sailing warships around Taiwan. Tsai said Taiwan has made the greatest effort to maintain peace and stability in the narrow Taiwan Strait that separates the democratic island from its autocratic neighbour China. China cut off a formal talks mechanism with Taiwan in 2016 after Tsai first won election. China views Tsai as a separatist bent on formal independence for Taiwan.
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| Rand Paul, Andy Biggs: Anthony Fauci wants America closed until there's nothing to reopen Posted: 21 May 2020 08:18 AM PDT  Maybe Anthony Fauci is out of touch with how many Americans are suffering due to our economic shutdown, but our country cannot afford to stay closed.
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| Brutal beating in Iowa should be investigated as hate crime, NAACP says Posted: 20 May 2020 05:05 PM PDT  A black man was leaving his girlfriend's house when he was attacked by white men who accused him of being a burglar, according to the civil rights organization.
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| India-Nepal territorial dispute flares over road to Tibet Posted: 21 May 2020 02:36 AM PDT  A long-running territorial dispute between India and Nepal has flared over a new Indian-built road to a revered Hindu pilgrimage site in Tibet that Nepal says passes through its territory. India has issued a strongly worded statement in which it objected to a new map issued by the Nepalese government showing the disputed areas as part of Nepal. "This unilateral act is not based on historical facts and evidence," India said in the statement late Wednesday.
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| Saudi Ramadan TV dramas invite scrutiny of Israel ties Posted: 21 May 2020 08:35 AM PDT  Two Ramadan dramas on a Saudi-controlled TV network have stirred controversy as they test public perceptions of quietly warming relations between the Gulf kingdom and Israel. Most Arab states including Saudi Arabia have no official diplomatic ties with Israel. Now, two taboo-busting series during the holy fasting month —- the peak television season —- have fuelled speculation that Riyadh is trying to openly normalise closer ties with the Jewish state.
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| F-35 fighter jet crashes at Eglin Air Force Base, days after F-22 crash Posted: 20 May 2020 11:33 AM PDT  The pilot is in stable condition after successfully ejecting from the aircraft.
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| Volkswagen forced to apologise for racist advert Posted: 20 May 2020 06:25 AM PDT  Volkswagen was forced to apologise on Wednesday after it was accused of overt racism in its latest car advert. An extraordinary video released by the German carmaker shows a black man being pushed around by a giant white hand before being flicked dismissively through a doorway. The video, an advert for the latest VW Golf, was released on the company's Instagram account for a few hours before being hastily deleted. In what appears to be intended as a humorous skit, it depicts a giant white hand intervening to prevent a black man from knocking against or touching a brand new Golf parked on a street. "Without question: the video is wrong and tasteless," VW said in a statement. "We distance ourselves from it and apologise for it. We will clarify how this could have happened, and draw the necessary conclusions." "I'm ashamed of this disgusting video," said Bernd Osterloh, the head of the workers' council at the carmaker. "And I speak for the entire workforce when I say that."
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| Michigan Governor Whitmer further opens state economy ahead of Trump visit Posted: 21 May 2020 07:25 AM PDT  Michigan's governor announced more steps to re-open the state's economy on Thursday, offering timelines for the resumption of some businesses and allowing some social gatherings as long as guidelines to curb the spread of the coronavirus are observed. Governor Gretchen Whitmer made the announcement ahead of a trip by President Donald Trump to a Ford Motor Co plant in Michigan making ventilators for patients with COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. In a news briefing on Thursday morning, Whitmer said effective immediately people could meet in groups of up to 10, so long as they observed social distancing restrictions.
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| Woman 'knocked to the ground and injured' by bison at Yellowstone, two days after national park's reopening Posted: 20 May 2020 08:12 PM PDT  Two days after Yellowstone National Park reopened amid the coronavirus outbreak, the park reported its first bison-related injury of the year.
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| Colombia: outrage as warlord's son picked to lead victim support project Posted: 21 May 2020 03:15 AM PDT  * Jorge Rodrigo Tovar's appointment 'offensive' – survivors * Father 'Jorge 40' terrorised civilians along Caribbean coastThe son of a notorious death squad leader has been appointed to run the Colombian government's programmes for victims of the country's long civil war, prompting fury among survivors.Jorge Rodrigo Tovar was this week put in charge of a scheme for compensating victims of the conflict – many of whom were terrorised by his father, Rodrigo Tovar, better known in Colombia as "Jorge 40".During the late 90s and early 2000s, the elder Tovar led the Northern Bloc of the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (or AUC) – which was responsible for a string of massacres and the murder of hundreds of civilians along Colombia's Caribbean coast.In February 2000, militiamen under his command tortured and dismembered over 60 peasant farmers in the isolated village of El Salado, in one of the worst single acts of violence in the five-decade war. Victims – including a six-year old girl and an elderly woman – were stabbed, beaten and strangled to death.Iveth Jiménez's father, Víctor Manuel, a union leader, was forcibly disappeared in 2002 by members of Jorge 40's militia. She was aghast at the news that his son was now coordinating the government's response to victims."They have no right to play with the memory of all those that Jorge 40 has murdered, tortured, disappeared and displaced," said Jiménez. "It's offensive, it's insensitive and it's plain wrong."Her sentiments were echoed by Luz Marina Hache, the spokeswoman for Movice, a group representing victims of crimes committed by state agents."What justice can victims hope for with this announcement?" Hache asked.The conflict between the Colombian state and leftist rebel groups including the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (or Farc) left 260,000 dead and displaced over 7 million. State-aligned paramilitary groups, like the one led by Jorge 40, committed some of the bloodiest atrocities of the 52-year civil war.In 2004, Jorge 40 participated in a controversial demobilisation programme and confessed to about 600 crimes, though he took no blame for any murders. Evidence on his laptop showed that the AUC often collaborated with members of the government.Jorge 40 was extradited to the US in 2008 and is serving a 16-year sentence for drug trafficking offenses. He did not face any charges in American courts related to his militia's conduct during the war.Little is known about the younger Tovar, 30, a lawyer who has participated in several events with former members of the Farc, who themselves demobilised in 2016 following a historic peace deal.Speaking to local magazine Semana, Tovar said he has no intention to resign from his new job. "Everything that is going on fills me with the promise," he said, "to show that I do good work and that the work can speak for me."Some observers saw his new post as evidence of reconciliation in action. Political scientist Katherine Miranda described his appointment as "an example of reconciliation and peace", tweeting: "He shows that hatred and useless wars cannot be inherited, instead turning the page and moving on."
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| A tourist was injured after approaching a bison at Yellowstone just days after the park reopened Posted: 20 May 2020 07:21 PM PDT  From 2000 to 2015, at least 25 people were injured by bison at Yellowstone, 21 of them tourists, most of whom approached the animal.
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| Minneapolis man attacked TV anchor over 'perceived sexual orientation,' cops say Posted: 19 May 2020 02:21 PM PDT  Matt Belanger was struck in the eye by something allegedly hurled by Vennie Jerome Williams, who was charged with assault and harassment.
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| Stacey Abrams endorses candidates in 7 US Senate contests Posted: 21 May 2020 05:00 AM PDT  Alongside discussions of her own national political ambitions, former Georgia gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams is wading into elections outside her home state, endorsing the campaigns of seven Democrats vying for U.S. Senate seats. On Thursday, Abrams announced that she was backing Democratic candidates in Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina. In statements provided ahead of her official endorsement, Abrams called Jaime Harrison, the associate chair of the Democratic National Committee who is seeking to block Sen. Lindsey Graham from a fourth term, "a strong leader for the people of South Carolina" who "will work hard to address inequalities" such as in rural health care and infrastructure.
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| Walmart CEO reveals why the company is shutting down Jet.com and says he would make the $3.3 billion acquisition 'all over again' Posted: 20 May 2020 08:01 AM PDT  Walmart acquired Jet to capture affluent customers and high-end brands, then started attracting those customers and brands on its own.
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| Active Shooter ‘Neutralized’ at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Says Navy Posted: 21 May 2020 05:21 AM PDT  An active shooter in was "neutralized" at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi on Thursday morning after leaving one security force member wounded, the U.S. Navy says.The south Texas base sounded the alarm with a Facebook post early Thursday, writing that an apparent shooter had been sighted near the station's north gate. The warning instructed anyone who was close to the gate to "get out and away to safety" as the rest of the base was ordered to go into its lockdown procedure.Shortly after the initial statement, the base confirmed in a separate Facebook post that the immediate danger appeared to be over.The statement read: "Naval Security Forces at NAS Corus Christi responded to an active shooter at approximately 6:15 a.m. this morning. The shooter has been neutralized. All gates on the installation remain closed while first responders process the scene. NCIS and local law enforcement are on scene."In a further update, the base wrote: "The active shooter is neutralized, however the scene is not clear. Remain in a lockdown status. For your safety, do not move around the base unless cleared to do so."CNN reported that the FBI had responded to the incident.Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| Most Americans still favor working with China to combat coronavirus despite rise in negative feelings, poll shows Posted: 20 May 2020 06:53 AM PDT  There's little doubt that anti-China sentiment is rising in the United States in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. A new poll from Politico and Morning Consult showed that 31 percent of Americans consider China an "enemy," an 11-point jump since January. Coupled with the 30 percent who consider Beijing an "unfriendly" government, that means more than half of the country harbors negative feelings toward China. But, per the poll, that doesn't translate to a rejection of diplomacy.Those surveyed still believe the U.S. and China should work together to combat the coronavirus, and it's by a pretty hefty margin. While 30 percent of Americans think the U.S. needs to focus on holding China accountable for alleged wrongdoing in its handling of the pandemic, even if that means cutting ties, 58 percent of Americans believe Washington should be willing to set aside the blame game and work alongside Beijing. Ultimately, it seems Americans — at least for now — are more concerned with combating COVID-19 than they are about punishing a global power.The Politico/Morning Consult poll was conducted between May 15-18 among 1,994 registered U.S. voters. The margin of error is 2 percentage points. Read more at Politico and Morning Consult.More stories from theweek.com Is QAnon the newest American religion? Trump's lethal aversion to reading Republicans are up in arms about Flynn's 'unmasking.' He was reportedly never masked in the first place.
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| Floodwaters start to recede in Michigan after flooding Posted: 21 May 2020 10:05 AM PDT  Governor Gretchen Whitmer said U.S. President Donald Trump had pledged federal support in the aftermath of the floods. Days of heavy rain caused the Tittabawassee River to overflow its banks and breach two dams, the Edenville and Sanford, in central Michigan earlier in the week. Around 11,000 people in Midland County were evacuated as flood waters lapped around heavy buildings and submerged parts of roads and bridges.
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| Venezuela says Iranian tankers will get military escort Posted: 20 May 2020 09:04 PM PDT  Venezuela on Wednesday said its navy and air force would escort Iranian tankers arriving with much needed fuel, after Tehran warned of "consequences" if the US stopped the ships from reaching their destination. "We're ready for whatever, whenever," President Nicolas Maduro told state-run media, thanking "all the support" from its Middle East ally in its confrontation with the United States. Venezuela has the world's largest proven oil reserves, but its capacity to refine crude into gasoline is limited.
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| Body found identified as WWE pro Posted: 20 May 2020 10:41 AM PDT  The body of former World Wrestling Entertainment pro Shad Gaspard was found early Wednesday on Los Angeles' Venice Beach, after he was caught in a rip current last weekend, police said.
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| A Florida block party that drew 3,000 people got shut down amid violence, calls of racism Posted: 20 May 2020 07:14 AM PDT  The gathering was initially a memorial to honor a victim of gun violence, but devolved into a separate event, said one event coordinator.
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| Connecticut trooper on leave after profane rant caught on camera Posted: 20 May 2020 06:07 PM PDT  The driver was pulled over for speeding and briefly placed in handcuff but was not issued any citations.
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| Trump administration to withdraw from Open Skies Treaty Posted: 21 May 2020 10:17 AM PDT  The Trump administration has made a final decision to withdraw from the Open Skies Treaty and may announce it as soon as this week, sources confirm to Defense News.
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| Despite widespread talk of reopening, WHO just reported a record number of new coronavirus cases in a single day Posted: 20 May 2020 10:24 AM PDT  The World Health Organization said it logged a record number of new coronavirus cases on Wednesday: 106,000 worldwide.
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| Mississippi church suing on virus restrictions burns down Posted: 21 May 2020 05:21 AM PDT |
| U.S. flies coronavirus aid to Russia where cases are climbing Posted: 21 May 2020 12:41 AM PDT  A U.S. Air Force plane delivered a first batch of medical aid including 50 ventilators to Russia on Thursday to help it cope with a rising number of coronavirus cases and deaths. Russia's case tally, the world's second highest, rose to 317,554 on Thursday after 8,849 new infections were reported, while the death toll climbed past the 3,000 mark after 127 people died in the previous 24 hours. At 3,099, Russia's death toll is much lower than many European countries however, something that has sparked debate about the methods it uses to count fatalities.
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| Donald Trump backtracks on funding threat after blasting Michigan and Nevada over mail voting Posted: 20 May 2020 04:11 PM PDT  US President Donald Trump blasted plans to expand voting by mail in Michigan and Nevada and briefly threatened to withhold federal funding for the states, but dropped the warning after an avalanche of criticism from Democrats. Mr Trump, who has repeatedly expressed his opposition to mail-in voting, said the expansion in Michigan and Nevada - two states that could be pivotal in his November 3 re-election bid - could lead to voter fraud. Numerous studies have found little evidence of voter fraud connected to voting by mail. States have broad authority to set their own rules for voting. Many states have pushed to expand vote-by-mail options as a safer alternative in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak, sparking a growing partisan fight with Mr Trump and his Republican allies. "This was done illegally and without authorisation by a rogue Secretary of State. I will ask to hold up funding to Michigan if they want to go down this Voter Fraud path," Mr Trump wrote on Twitter. Mr Trump also threatened Nevada's federal funding, saying the state's move to expand voting by mail created "a great voter fraud scenario". Mr Trump later walked back the threats on the unspecified funds, telling reporters at the White House: "I don't think it's going to be necessary." But he kept up his criticism of voting by mail as "a very dangerous thing". Democrats say mail-in voting is necessary to counter health risks from coronavirus by helping to prevent crowds at polling places. Republicans say it is more susceptible to fraud since voters do not have to appear in person at a polling place. Studies by election researchers have shown neither party has an advantage in states with a history of mail balloting and where officials automatically mail ballots to all registered voters. In Michigan, Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said on Tuesday that all 7.7 million voters would receive absentee ballot applications before the August 4 state primaries and the November general election so that no one "has to choose between their health and their right to vote". Nevada, where the state official responsible for elections is a Republican, has made its June 9 state primaries an all-mail election and sent absentee ballots to registered voters. Ms Benson said on Twitter that Republican counterparts in Georgia, Iowa, Nebraska and West Virginia also were sending absentee ballot applications to voters. "Every Michigan registered voter has a right to vote by mail. I have the authority and responsibility to make sure that they know how to exercise this right," she wrote. Nevada Democrats, who have sued to try to force Republican officials to open more in-person polling places and give voters more options, said Mr Trump's tweets were designed to discourage voter turnout. "The president's tweet is just another tactic in the GOP's handbook of voter suppression," Nevada State Democratic Party spokeswoman Molly Forgey said. Republicans blocked a move by Wisconsin's Democratic governor to make last month's primary an all-mail election amid the coronavirus pandemic.
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| Son of Mexican ex-president Echeverria kills himself Posted: 19 May 2020 10:17 PM PDT  A son of Mexico's former president Luis Echeverria Alvarez, who governed in the 1970s with an iron fist, has killed himself, authorities said Tuesday. Alvaro Echeverria Zuno, 71, died on Tuesday morning at his home in the state of Morelos, south of Mexico City, the local prosecutor's office said in a statement. Former president Echeverria, 98, led the country from 1970-1976 and is considered the main person responsible for Mexico's "dirty war", which featured the targeted assassinations and forced disappearance of students, leftist activists and guerrillas by government agents.
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| Jane Roe’s deathbed confession exposes the immorality of the Christian right Posted: 20 May 2020 07:06 AM PDT  The plaintiff in the landmark supreme court case revealed she was paid to change her mind about abortion. Have anti-abortion activists no shame?What would you do for almost half a million dollars? Would you very publicly denounce your past life and pretend to be an anti-abortion, born-again, ex-gay Christian?Thanks to her newly public deathbed confession, we now know that's what Norma McCorvey, best known for being the plaintiff known as Jane Roe in the 1973 landmark supreme court case abortion rights case Roe v Wade, did.In 1969, a 22-year-old McCorvey was pregnant and scared. She'd had a difficult childhood, allegedly suffering sexual abuse from a family member. She'd been married at 16 but had left her husband. She had addiction issues. She'd had two children already and placed them for adoption. She was depressed. She was desperate for a safe and legal abortion. Texas, however, wouldn't give her one. So she challenged the state laws and her case eventually went before the US supreme court, legalizing abortion across America.After becoming the poster girl of the pro-choice movement, McCorvey performed a very public about-face in the 1990s. She found religion, ended the romantic relationship with her girlfriend, and became a vocal anti-abortion crusader.As it turns out, it wasn't God himself directing this new path. It was leaders from the evangelical Christian right. McCorvey, who died in 2017, delivers this confession in a new FX documentary, AKA Jane Roe, out on Friday. According to the documentary, McCorvey received at least $456,911 in "benevolent gifts" from the anti-abortion movement in exchange for her "conversion"."I was the big fish," McCorvey says in the documentary. "I think it was a mutual thing. I took their money and they'd put me out in front of the cameras and tell me what to say. It was all an act. I did it well, too. I am a good actress. Of course, I'm not acting now."The Rev Flip Benham, one of the evangelical leaders featured in the documentary, apparently has no moral qualms about how McCorvey, who was clearly vulnerable, was used. "She chose to be used," he says. "That's called work. That's what you're paid to be doing!" Ah yes, I remember reading that in the Bible: thou shalt pay others to cravenly lie.The Rev Rob Schenck, another of the evangelical leaders featured, is rather more thoughtful. "For Christians like me, there is no more important or authoritative voice than Jesus," he says. "And he said, 'What does it profit in the end if he should gain the whole world and lose his soul?' When you do what we did to Norma, you lose your soul."Sadly, it seems as though many anti-abortion extremists don't have much of a soul to lose in the first place. While the right claims to stand for morality and family values they – as AKA Jane Roe makes very clear – are more than happy to lie and cheat in order to propagate their fringe beliefs. As Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tweeted: "It turns out a huge part of the anti-choice movement was a scam the entire time." Most Americans have moderate views when it comes to abortion; according to a 2017 Pew study, 69% of Americans don't think Roe v Wade should be overturned. However, a small but powerful group of extremists are doing everything they can to roll back women's rights.Of course, McCorvey, as she admits herself, is not exactly an innocent victim in all this. Her reversal on reproductive rights was national news in the 1990s, and dealt a blow to the pro-choice movement. But, at the end of the day, McCorvey never really set out to be a pro-choice activist. She was a desperate woman battling for the right to have control of her own body; along the way she loaned her name to a bigger fight. McCorvey taking money to lie obviously isn't something she should be applauded for, but the real villains in this story are the hypocrites who preyed on a vulnerable woman in the name of "family values". * Arwa Mahdawi is a Guardian US columnist
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