NATO Wants Monitoring of Russian Nerve Program After Dissident Poisoning
The NATO military alliance demands that Russia reveals its Novichok nerve agent program to international monitors, after the poisoning of activist Alexei Navalny.
NATO
Hungary Closing Borders Stirs EU Anger
Hungary’s fiercely anti-migration government has closed its borders to most foreigners, citing an increase in coronavirus cases, prompting an angry reaction from the European Union’s executive.
Montenegro Facing Political Turmoil After Uncertain Government Victory
Official results from Sunday’s parliamentary vote in the Balkan nation of Montenegro suggest that the pro-Western party of the long-serving president Milo Djukanovic may struggle to form a government. Despite its narrow victory, pro-Russian and pro-Russian parties seem in a better position to get enough mandates to form a ruling coalition.
Top Kerry Aide, Key Conduit for Dossier, Once Worked for Russian Oligarch, as Did Steele
Jonathan Winer, a former top aide to Secretary of State John Kerry who was a key conduit for disseminating the discredited Steele dossier in the U.S. government, worked as a lobbyist for Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska in years preceding the Russiagate affair. This revelation raises new questions about Russian efforts to influence American foreign policy — far afield from any Kremlin efforts to favor Donald Trump.
NATO Denies Assembling Troops At Belarus Border
Member states of the NATO military alliance are denying allegations by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko that their troops are preparing to invade Belarus. The wrangling came ahead of Sunday’s expected massive protests against the authoritarian head-of-state.
Ohio Evangelical leaders ask state Health Department to declare pornography a public health crisis
Seventy-four evangelical leaders in Ohio submitted a resolution Tuesday, asking the state Board of Public Health to declare pornography a public health crisis, CBN News reports. The document was submitted even as ‘House Resolution 180,’ which declares pornography to be a “public health hazard that leads to a spectrum of individual and societal harms,” is being considered by the Ohio General Assembly.
Trump: US to demand ‘snap back’ of UN sanctions against Iran
President Trump said his administration will call for all United Nations sanctions against Iran to be reimposed after the United States failed to extend a U.N. arms embargo.
Senate report details ‘counterintelligence threat’ posed by Russian influence campaign in 2016 election
The Senate Intelligence Committee released the fifth and final volume of its report on Russian interference during the 2016 presidential election, revealing new details about Russia’s efforts and about flaws with the U.S. government’s response and investigations.
Sanders Urges Progressives to Keep Agenda Alive with Vote for Biden
For the second time in four years, progressive voters’ hopes to elevate Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont to the top of the Democratic ticket were dashed this spring, when Sanders’ call for a social revolution and Medicare for All fell flat, and former Vice President Joe Biden surged to victory in the race for the presidential nomination.
Facing Durham interview, John Brennan lashes out over Trump-Russia ‘collusion’
Former CIA Director John Brennan fumed about the announcement that the Senate Intelligence Committee found no evidence of collusion between the 2016 Trump campaign and Russia.
Pro-life Democrats call on party to moderate “extreme” stance on abortion
Calling on the Democratic National Committee (DNC) to reintroduce moderate language on its abortion platform, pro-life Democrats are warning their party’s current “extreme” stance on the issue risks alienating voters who would otherwise vote for the Biden-Harris ticket, Fox News reports. A draft platform released by Politico shows that the DNC supports the codification of Roe v Wade and tax-payer funding of abortion.
Democrat Platform Calls for Health Insurance Coverage of ‘All Medically Necessary Care for Gender Transition’
The platform that was approved by the Democratic Party’s platform committee on July 27 calls for health insurance coverage of “all medically necessary care for gender transition.”
State senator charged with ‘injury’ to Virginia Confederate monument
A Virginia state senator has been charged with damaging a Confederate monument in Portsmouth during protests that also led to a demonstrator being critically injured when a statue was torn down, authorities said Monday.
Ron Johnson apparently implies committee Republicans are blocking subpoenas of Comey, Brennan and others
Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chair Ron Johnson appeared to imply Wednesday that Republican committee colleagues are preventing him from subpoenaing FBI Director James Comey, former CIA Director John Brennan, and other Obama administration officials who investigated allegations of collusion between President Trump’s 2016 campaign and Russia, Politico reports. Johnson’s apparent implication during a radio interview was made even though his committee has given him unilateral authority to issue the subpoenas.
Thousands Detained As Tensions Escalate In Belarus
Authorities in Belarus acknowledged Wednesday that they detained as many as 6,000 anti-government protestors who disputed the victory of authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko in Sunday’s election. Clashes continued for a third straight night with police violence reported in the capital Minsk and other cities after main opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya fled the troubled nation.
Biden Chooses Kamala Harris As Vice Presidential Running Mate
Presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden has chosen Senator Kamala D. Harris of California as his vice presidential running mate on Tuesday.
Bipartisan US bill aims to advance normalized ties between Israel, Arab states
Two US senators introduced bipartisan legislation last week aimed at promoting normalized relations between Israel and Arab countries.
Israel closes Gaza border crossing after spike in arson balloon attacks
Following waves of explosive balloons launched from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory over the last few days, Israel will shut the Gaza Strip’s Kerem Shalom commercial crossing beginning Tuesday morning “until further notice,” the Israeli military liaison to the Palestinians announced.
US to Have Permanent Troop Presence in Poland as Defense Pact Agreed
The United States will establish a permanent military presence in Poland as it deploys around 1,000 additional U.S. troops there, Poland‘s Defense Ministry said on Friday.
Appeals court allows Alabama voter ID law to go forward
Federal appeals judges upheld a lower court Tuesday and rejected claims that an Alabama law which requires voters to show government-issued photo identification at the polls is racially discriminatory.