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Object-lesson in ruling class privilege? Democrats ditch donor threshold for primary debates so Bloomberg can participate The Democratic National Committee is loosening its debate qualifying criteria, opening the door to billionaire establishment darling Michael Bloomberg and angering candidates that had been excluded from prior events. The same DNC that has held fast to its rules while one candidate after another complained about the seemingly arbitrary means of deciding which polls would count toward a qualifying threshold has opted to discard its individual donor requirement starting with the February debate. The rule had prevented former New York Mayor and billionaire media mogul Bloomberg from joining the previous forums. The polling threshold ...

US declares public health emergency over coronavirus, limits flights from China to 7 cities The US has declared an ongoing coronavirus outbreak a public health emergency, limiting points of entry to incoming Chinese flights and banning from entry some foreign nationals who traveled to China in the last two weeks. “I have today declared that coronavirus presents a public health emergency in the United States,” Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said, announcing the measure on Friday. He stressed that the move was to “complement the work of China and the World Health Organization” that declared a global health crisis on Thursday. The death toll from the novel virus, which originated in China, has leaped to 249, as it spread to over 20 count...

Don't make me repeat myself again! Soros threatens Zuckerberg must be removed from Facebook 'one way or another' Billionaire speculator George Soros has called for Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his COO to be deposed, accusing them of seeking to “maximize profits” without regard for consequences, in perhaps the most ironic attack ever. Zuckerberg and Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg “follow only one guiding principle: maximize profits irrespective of the consequences," Soros snarled on Friday in a New York Times op-ed. While his detractors might have used those exact words to describe the financier's own "guiding principle," Soros meant it as a scathing condemnation. One way or another, they should not be left in control of Facebo...

Libyan government must honor its promise, release ‘illegally detained’ employees - Russian NGO A Russian NGO has accused the government in Tripoli of breaking the pledge it made during peace talks by refusing to release two of its employees, arrested last year on charges of “meddling” in an election that never happened. Maxim Shugalei and Samer Hassan Ali Seifan worked for the Foundation for National Values Protection, a Russian nonprofit. They were arrested in May 2019 by the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA). “We consider that one of the objectives of this arrest of Russian citizens was the urge to prevent the leak of the results of their social studies, which prove the absence of your support by the citizens of Libya,” the Foundat...

‘Boris, everything you’ve said has been marvelous, but we will be watching you’ – Farage to PM Johnson ahead of Brexit trade talks Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage has hailed the moment of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU as the “most significant in modern British history,” adding that Brexit will lead to the “beginning of the end of the European project.” Speaking to RT UK moments before Britain officially left the bloc on Friday, the prominent Leave campaigner and MEP hailed it as the “point of no return” in the country ending it’s EU membership and becoming a “free, independent nation.” “It’s a big day, it’s a great day,” he added. “Boris, we will be watching you.” Nigel Farage tells RT UK that he will ‘be watching’ Boris Johnson as h...

It’s official: Britain leaves the European Union as ‘transition period’ comes into effect A deeply divided United Kingdom has officially ended its 47 years of European Union membership as the clock strikes 11pm in London and midnight in Brussels — and the slated 11-month ‘transition period’ has formally begun. The long and rocky road to the divorce began three-and-a-half years ago when 52 percent of Brits voted to cut their losses and take their country out of the 28-member bloc (now 27).  Three prime ministers, two general elections, and plenty of national anxiety and rancor later, the day has finally arrived, in a moment long-awaited by some and desperately dreaded by others. What are the immediate changes? While Britain’s exit from the EU is a se...

Senate votes down Democrats’ witness demand in Trump impeachment trial The Republican-majority Senate has rejected Democrats’ demand for additional witnesses in the impeachment trial of US President Donald Trump, paving the way for the likely acquittal verdict expected sometime next week. Senators voted 51-49 not to call on more witnesses beyond the 18 that testified in the proceedings led by the House Democrats last year. Two Republicans, Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Mitt Romney (R-Utah), joined the Democrats in calling for additional witnesses – such as former national security adviser John Bolton. The rest of the GOP sided with the president’s lawyers, who argued that all the relevant testimonies and documents should have been produced during the ...

Trump to expand travel ban, targeting immigrants from 6 more countries US President Donald Trump will issue an updated version of his controversial travel ban, acting Homeland Security head Chad Wolf said Friday. The existing ban will remain in place, having been okayed by the Supreme Court in 2018. Speaking to reporters by phone, Wolf said that the updated ban will suspend immigrant visas for nationals of Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar and Nigeria. Non-immigrant visas from these countries will not be affected.  ‘Diversity Visas’ – handed out by lottery to boost immigration from countries with low rates of immigration to the US – for nationals of Sudan and Tanzania will also be restricted. Wolf said that the countries in question have failed to meet A...