Розділ: Повідомлення
Biden Nominates US Haiti Ambassador to State Department Position
U.S. President Joe Biden has nominated U.S. Ambassador to Haiti Michele Sison for the position of assistant secretary of state for international organization affairs.Sison, a career ambassador, the highest rank in the U.S. Foreign Service, has served in Haiti since 2018. She is a respected diplomat in Port-au-Prince, where she has been outspoken about democratic governance, the rule of law and respect for human rights.”We are very concerned about any action that risks undermining democratic institutions in Haiti,” Sison told VOA during an exclusive interview in February.Before arriving in Port-au-Prince, she served as U.S. deputy representative to the United Nations with the rank of ambassador from 2014 to 2018.She is experienced in global coalition building, transnational threats, peacekeeping, international development and humanitarian relief.Among Sison’s prior posts are U.S. ambassador to Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates; assistant chief of mission in Iraq; and deputy chief of mission in Pakistan.At the State Department, she held the position of principal deputy assistant secretary of state for South Asian affairs.Sison has been recognized with multiple awards, notably the Distinguished Service Award and the Presidential Meritorious Rank Award.The U.S. Senate must confirm her nomination before it becomes effective.
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By Polityk | 04/16/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Former VP Pence Undergoes Surgery to Implant Pacemaker
Former Vice President Mike Pence has undergone surgery to have a pacemaker implanted. His office says that Wednesday’s procedure went well and that Pence “is expected to fully recover and return to normal activity in the coming days.” The 61-year-old Pence, who recently launched a new advocacy group and signed a book deal, had previously been diagnosed with a heart condition called asymptomatic left bundle branch block. His office says that over the past two weeks, he experienced symptoms associated with a slow heart rate and underwent the procedure in Virginia in response. Pence is considered a likely 2024 presidential candidate if former President Donald Trump declines to run again. He is expected to deliver his first public speech since leaving office later this month in South Carolina.
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By Polityk | 04/16/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Московське бюро Радіо Свобода подало терміновий позов проти Росії в ЄСПЛ
RFE/RL вважає, що Росія порушує права на свободу вираження думки та свободу преси
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By VilneSlovo | 04/16/2021 | Повідомлення, Свобода слова
US Further Punishes Russia for Cyberattacks, Election Meddling
The United States cannot allow a foreign power to intervene with impunity in American elections, President Joe Biden said Thursday, after he took action to punish Russia for that and a major cyberattack. “Today I’ve approved several steps, including expulsion of several Russian officials, as a consequence of their actions,” Biden said at the White House. “I’ve also signed an executive order authorizing new measures, including sanctions to address specific harmful actions that Russia has taken against U.S. interests.” Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures during a meeting via video conference at the Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow, Russia, April 15, 2021.Biden said he told Russian President Vladimir Putin in a phone call earlier this week that he could have gone further but chose to be proportionate and does not seek to escalate tensions between Washington and Moscow. “If Russia continues to interfere with our democracy, I’m prepared to take further actions to respond,” he added. Thirty-two entities and individuals linked to Moscow are being sanctioned for disinformation efforts and interference in the 2020 U.S. presidential election. Ten personnel from Russia’s diplomatic mission in Washington were expelled, including ”representatives of Russian intelligence services,” according to the White House. The Biden administration is formally blaming the SVR, the external intelligence agency of Russia, for the massive cybersecurity breach discovered last year involving SolarWinds, a Texas-based software management company that allowed access to the systems of thousands of companies and multiple federal agencies. The Russian flag flutters on the Consulate-General of the Russian Federation in New York City, April 15, 2021.The Russian spy agency reacted by calling the accusation “nonsense” and “windbaggery.” The Russian Foreign Ministry said it told U.S. Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan that the new sanctions are a serious blow to bilateral relations and that Moscow’s response to them will follow soon. The Foreign Ministry, in a statement, added that it was entirely inappropriate for Washington to warn Moscow against further escalation. Besides Thursday’s widely anticipated moves by the Biden administration, ”there will be elements of these actions that will remain unseen,” said a senior U.S. official speaking to reporters on condition of not being named. Biden, during his seven minutes of remarks in the East Room on Thursday afternoon, said he believed he and Putin would meet for a summit this summer somewhere in Europe. At that meeting, the president said, the two countries “could launch a strategic stability dialogue, to pursue cooperation in arms control and security,” as well as address such issues as reining in nuclear threats from Iran and North Korea, the coronavirus pandemic and “the existential crisis of climate change.” Congressional reaction U.S. Representative Adam Schiff, who heads the House Intelligence Committee, said the president’s actions demonstrate the United States ”will no longer turn a blind eye to Russian malign activity.” But Schiff, in a statement, predicted sanctions alone will not be enough to deter Russia’s misbehavior. Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., looks on before a House Intelligence Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, April 15, 2021.”We must strengthen our own cyber defenses, take further action to condemn Russia’s human rights abuses, and, working in concert with our allies and partners in Europe, deter further Russian military aggression,” Schiff said. “I am glad to see the Biden administration formally attributing the SolarWinds hack to Russian intelligence services and taking steps to sanction some of the individuals and entities involved,” said Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner. “The scale and scope of this hack are beyond any that we’ve seen before and should make clear that we will hold Russia and other adversaries accountable for committing this kind of malicious cyber activity against American targets.” Numerous Republican members of Congress, while praising the president’s action, are calling for more measures — particularly to halt the controversial Nord Stream 2 project. “If the Biden administration is serious about imposing real costs on the Putin regime’s efforts to undermine U.S. democratic institutions and weaken our allies and partners, then it must ensure the Russian malign influence Nord Stream 2 pipeline project is never completed,” House Foreign Affairs Committee lead Republican Michael McCaul said in a statement. FILE – Workers are seen at the construction site of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, near the town of Kingisepp, Leningrad region, Russia, June 5, 2019.Nord Stream 2 is a multibillion-dollar underwater gas pipeline project linking Russia to Germany. Work on the pipeline was suspended in December 2019 after it became a source of contention between Russia and the West. Nord Stream officials said Russia resumed construction on the gas pipeline in December. The United States has opposed the joint international project because of possible threats to Europe’s energy security. Nord Stream 2 is intended to double the annual gas capacity of an existing Nord Stream pipeline. “Nord Stream 2 is a complicated issue affecting our allies in Europe,” Biden replied to a reporter following his speech. He said that he has been opposed to the project for a long time and it is “still is an issue that is in play.” US sanctions Biden’s administration had already sanctioned seven Russian officials and more than a dozen government entities last month in response to Russia’s treatment of opposition leader Alexey Navalny. The U.S. actions taken Thursday expanded prohibitions on primary market purchases of ruble-dominated Russian sovereign debt, effective June 14. “There’s no credible reason why the American people should directly fund Russia’s government when the Putin regime has repeatedly attempted to undermine our sovereignty,” said a senior administration official in explaining the move. ”We’re also delivering a clear signal that the president has maximum flexibility to expand the sovereign debt prohibitions if Russia’s malign activities continue or escalate.” Russia has largely ignored previous U.S. sanctions, which were narrower and primarily targeted individuals. “These are ’unfinished business’ sanctions that telegraph the Biden administration’s more forceful approach to dealing with Russia. The measures are dialed to make good on Biden’s promise to significantly impose costs on Russia without provoking a downward spiral in relations,” said Cyrus Newlin, associate fellow with the Europe, Russia and Eurasia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. A street sign marking Boris Nemstov Plaza is seen at the entrance of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Washington, April 15, 2021.”I think we could continue to see targeting against the Russian intelligence agencies, potentially against Russian government figures and their families, which is something that many sanctions experts have been pushing for,” according to Nina Jankowicz, a Wilson Center disinformation fellow. ”This is only the tip of the iceberg of the full range of responses available to the U.S. government, both public and nonpublic, that we can take in response to Russia’s malicious cyberactivity.” “The economic consequences for Russia will be fairly minor: The Russian financial system is much more insulated from sanctions than it was in 2014, and new restrictions on sovereign debt don’t extend to secondary markets. I suspect Moscow will respond reciprocally with diplomatic expulsions, but preserve political space for a bilateral summit, which the Kremlin places high value on,” said Newlin, of CSIS. “The Biden administration has reserved more punishing sanctions options in the event of further Russian aggression in Ukraine,” Newlin added. ”These could be an expansion of sovereign debt restrictions to secondary markets or measures targeting Russian state-owned companies and banks. Against the backdrop of Ukraine, today’s measures also serve as a warning shot.” Jankowicz said she agreed with that assessment, noting ”the timing of this is pretty significant, because we’ve seen a buildup of Russian troops along the Ukrainian border, the most significant buildup since 2014.” According to Andrea Kendall-Taylor, senior fellow and director of the Transatlantic Security Program at the Center for a New American Security, this package of sanctions does not really relate to what is going on with Ukraine. She terms it the Biden administration’s way of wrapping up unfinished business with other issues, allowing a pivot ”to a more proactive, future-oriented relationship with Russia.” VOA’s Katherine Gypson and Patsy Widakuswara contributed to this report.
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By Polityk | 04/16/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Рада на пів року продовжила пільгове розмитнення авто на єврономерах
Умови розмитнення «євроблях» вже неодноразово спрощували, а штрафи відтерміновували
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By Gromada | 04/16/2021 | Повідомлення, Суспільство
Хмельницький отримав щорічну найвищу премію ПАРЄ, Львів – другу найвищу
Відзнаки ПАРЄ органам місцевої влади присуджують за особливі досягнення в галузі європейської інтеграції
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By Gromada | 04/15/2021 | Повідомлення, Суспільство
В Україні законодавчо зрівняли права жінок і чоловіків на відпустку по догляду за дитиною
Законопроєкт, серед іншого, надає рівне право кожного з батьків дитини брати відпустку з догляду за дитиною до трьох років
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By Gromada | 04/15/2021 | Повідомлення, Суспільство
Japanese PM Faces Tough Balancing Act Between US, China
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Friday will become the first foreign leader to visit the White House since U.S. President Joe Biden took office.The meeting underscores the importance of the U.S.-Japan alliance, especially as the countries’ shared rival, China, grows in strength and aggressiveness.Since taking office last year, Suga’s government has at times taken a slightly more critical stance toward China, calling out Beijing’s human rights abuses and incursions into disputed areas of the East and South China seas.It represents a slight recalibration of Japan’s relationship with China, its longtime rival and largest trading partner. However, many analysts expect Suga to refrain from overly antagonizing Beijing during his meeting with Biden.“There is unease in some Japanese policy circles about being too forward-leaning in countering China and sacrificing the carefully orchestrated rapprochement initiated a few years ago,” said Mireya Solis, who focuses on East Asia at the Brookings Institution, a Washington D.C.-based research and analysis organization.Sorry, but your browser cannot support embedded video of this type, you can
download this video to view it offline.Download File360p | 7 MB480p | 10 MB540p | 13 MB720p | 26 MB1080p | 53 MBOriginal | 64 MB Embed” />Copy Download AudioAhead of Suga’s visit, China’s Foreign Affairs Ministry warned Japan against “being misled by some countries holding biased views against China.” Earlier this month, China also sent a naval strike group near Okinawa, where the U.S. has troops — a signal Beijing is prepared to counter the U.S.-Japan alliance.Japan hosts approximately 55,000 U.S. troops. The two sides routinely describe their alliance as the “cornerstone” of peace and stability in Asia.Biden, who took office in January, has focused on revitalizing the U.S.-Japan alliance, as well as U.S. involvement in multilateral institutions, which were often criticized or shunned by former U.S. President Donald Trump.Koji Tomita, Japan’s ambassador to the United States, said Tokyo “fully supports President Biden‘s resolve to revert to multinationalism and to restore leadership in the international community.”In an interview with VOA, Tomita also said it is critical to take a multilateral approach toward China.“We are seeking a stable relationship with China, but at the same time, will continue to be very clear about our concerns,” he said.Specifically, Tomita mentioned Beijing’s treatment of Uyghur Muslims, its abuses against pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong, and its unfair trade practices.“From Japan’s perspective, it is particularly troubling to see their maritime practices which attempt to unilaterally change the status quo in the region,” he added.Japan’s new approachTaiwan — the self-ruled island that China views as its own — has emerged as another flashpoint. Some Japanese leaders have suggested cooperating more closely with the United States to discourage China’s intimidation of Taiwan.James D.J. Brown, an associate professor at Temple University in Tokyo, said Suga likely feels pressure from the parts of Japanese society and political circles that sympathize with Taiwan.“I think that if [Suga] is seen as avoiding taking a tough stance on China, he might have to worry not only about getting criticism from the United States but also potentially from within his own party,” Brown said.There’s a limit to how far Suga will go in criticizing China, though, Brown said.“So I think overall Japan is … deeply uncomfortable with being urged to take a stronger stance” against China, he said.“They’re very happy in Tokyo for the United States to do that, but they’re reluctant to do so themselves because they recognize that China both economically, militarily, has a lot of ways and a lot of leverage that they can use to make things very uncomfortable for Japan.”However, Japan’s new approach is encouraging to many U.S. lawmakers, who have become increasingly hawkish on China. Republican Sen. Bill Hagerty, who until 2019 was ambassador to Japan, said he believes U.S. allies are beginning to see the threat posed by China.“I think what’s happening is the rest of Asia is seeing this. I think the rest of Asia is going to be drawn toward our model. That’s my hope,” Hagerty told VOA.“I want to see us bring them all into the fold and demonstrate that our democratic values, and that our free-market principles are the best possible posture to undertake,” he added.Natalie Liu contributed to this report
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By Polityk | 04/15/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Адвокат Тупицького заявив про його госпіталізацію
Документального підтвердження того, що Тупицький у лікарні, адвокат на засіданні не надав, але пообіцяв зробити це згодом
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By Gromada | 04/15/2021 | Повідомлення, Суспільство
«Книжковий арсенал» перенесли на кінець червня
Квитки на Х Міжнародний фестиваль «Книжковий Арсенал» продаватимуть онлайн
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By Gromada | 04/15/2021 | Повідомлення, Суспільство
Підпал автомобіля журналістки Радіо Свобода: суд переходить до розгляду справи по суті
Галицький суд призначив перше засідання по суті в справі про підпал автомобіля журналістки Радіо Свобода на 29 квітня
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By VilneSlovo | 04/15/2021 | Повідомлення, Свобода слова
Japan’s Suga Faces Tough Balancing Act Between US, China
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Friday will become the first foreign leader to visit the White House since U.S. President Joe Biden took office.The meeting underscores the importance of the U.S.-Japan alliance, especially as the countries’ shared rival, China, grows in strength and aggressiveness.Since taking office last year, Suga’s government has at times taken a slightly more critical stance toward China, calling out Beijing’s human rights abuses and incursions into disputed areas of the East and South China seas.It represents a slight recalibration of Japan’s relationship with China, its longtime rival and largest trading partner. However, many analysts expect Suga to refrain from overly antagonizing Beijing during his meeting with Biden.“There is unease in some Japanese policy circles about being too forward-leaning in countering China and sacrificing the carefully orchestrated rapprochement initiated a few years ago,” said Mireya Solis, who focuses on East Asia at the Brookings Institution, a Washington D.C.-based research and analysis organization.Ahead of Suga’s visit, China’s Foreign Affairs Ministry warned Japan against “being misled by some countries holding biased views against China.” Earlier this month, China also sent a naval strike group near Okinawa, where the U.S. has troops — a signal Beijing is prepared to counter the U.S.-Japan alliance.Japan hosts approximately 55,000 U.S. troops. The two sides routinely describe their alliance as the “cornerstone” of peace and stability in Asia.Biden, who took office in January, has focused on revitalizing the U.S.-Japan alliance, as well as U.S. involvement in multilateral institutions, which were often criticized or shunned by former U.S. President Donald Trump.Koji Tomita, Japan’s ambassador to the United States, said Tokyo “fully supports President Biden‘s resolve to revert to multinationalism and to restore leadership in the international community.”In an interview with VOA, Tomita also said it is critical to take a multilateral approach toward China.“We are seeking a stable relationship with China, but at the same time, will continue to be very clear about our concerns,” he said.Specifically, Tomita mentioned Beijing’s treatment of Uyghur Muslims, its abuses against pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong, and its unfair trade practices.“From Japan’s perspective, it is particularly troubling to see their maritime practices which attempt to unilaterally change the status quo in the region,” he added.Japan’s new approachTaiwan — the self-ruled island that China views as its own — has emerged as another flashpoint. Some Japanese leaders have suggested cooperating more closely with the United States to discourage China’s intimidation of Taiwan.James D.J. Brown, an associate professor at Temple University in Tokyo, said Suga likely feels pressure from the parts of Japanese society and political circles that sympathize with Taiwan.“I think that if [Suga] is seen as avoiding taking a tough stance on China, he might have to worry not only about getting criticism from the United States but also potentially from within his own party,” Brown said.There’s a limit to how far Suga will go in criticizing China, though, Brown said.“So I think overall Japan is … deeply uncomfortable with being urged to take a stronger stance” against China, he said.“They’re very happy in Tokyo for the United States to do that, but they’re reluctant to do so themselves because they recognize that China both economically, militarily, has a lot of ways and a lot of leverage that they can use to make things very uncomfortable for Japan.”However, Japan’s new approach is encouraging to many U.S. lawmakers, who have become increasingly hawkish on China. Republican Sen. Bill Hagerty, who until 2019 was ambassador to Japan, said he believes U.S. allies are beginning to see the threat posed by China.“I think what’s happening is the rest of Asia is seeing this. I think the rest of Asia is going to be drawn toward our model. That’s my hope,” Hagerty told VOA.“I want to see us bring them all into the fold and demonstrate that our democratic values, and that our free-market principles are the best possible posture to undertake,” he added.
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By Polityk | 04/15/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Для виготовлення спецквитків для транспорту Києва бюджетні кошти не залучали – КМДА
Департамент транспортної інфраструктури цього року видав 500 тисяч перепусток
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By Gromada | 04/15/2021 | Повідомлення, Суспільство
Biden Announces End to ‘America’s Longest War’
President Joe Biden announced his plan to withdraw all 2,500 American troops from Afghanistan by Sept. 11, months later than the May 1 deadline that the Trump administration and the Taliban agreed on last year. White House correspondent Patsy Widakuswara has this report.
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By Polityk | 04/15/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
US Senate Panel to Consider Biden Postal Board Nominees April 22
The U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee will hold an April 22 hearing on President Joe Biden’s three nominees to serve on the U.S. Postal Board of Governors, the panel announced Wednesday.The announcement comes after the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) in March outlined a proposed 10-year strategic plan that would slow current first-class delivery standards and raise some prices to stem $160 billion in forecasted red ink over the next decade.The plan has drawn criticism from many U.S. lawmakers including some calling for the board to fire Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and others who have urged Biden to remove the existing board members.DeJoy, a supporter of former President Donald Trump, was named head of the Postal Service last year. After heavy criticism, DeJoy suspended operational changes in August ahead of the 2020 presidential election.Democrats said the service cuts were an attempt to boost Trump’s re-election chances. DeJoy denied that and in testimony before Congress noted USPS delivered more than 135 million ballots ahead of the 2020 elections and “went to extraordinary lengths” to get ballots delivered.Biden nominated Anton Hajjar, former general counsel of the American Postal Workers Union; Amber McReynolds, CEO of the National Vote at Home Institute, a nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to expanding vote-by-mail systems and former elections official in Denver; and Ron Stroman, a former deputy postmaster general.The six current board members and DeJoy are all white men and the board’s lack of diversity has also come under criticism.USPS officials told Reuters last month they were optimistic Congress would pass financial reforms providing the money-losing agency with as much as $60 billion in relief. DeJoy has warned without changes USPS would need a “government bailout.”Representative Carolyn Maloney, who chairs the committee overseeing USPS, has circulated draft legislation that would eliminate a requirement USPS pre-fund retiree health benefits. It also would require postal employees to enroll in government-retiree health plan Medicare.USPS reported net losses of $86.7 billion since 2007. One reason is 2006 legislation mandating it pre-fund more than $120 billion in retiree health care and pension liabilities, a requirement labor unions have called an unfair burden not shared by other businesses.DeJoy’s revamp plan would revise existing one-to-three-day service standards for first-class mail letters to one to five days. USPS said 61% of current first-class mail volume would stay at its current standard.
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By Polityk | 04/15/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Republicans Simmer Over Voting Stand by Some US Corporate Leaders
New voting laws under consideration by state legislatures across the United States are pitting the traditionally business-friendly Republican Party against some major American corporations that have criticized the proposed legislation. Republicans, who say the measures are necessary to improve the integrity of elections, have faulted CEOs for getting involved, but the business leaders don’t seem to be listening. In recent days, more than 100 CEOs and other senior figures from U.S. companies, including iconic brands like Starbucks, Target, Levi Strauss, and airline firms Delta, American and United, gathered virtually to discuss publicly supporting measures making it easier, not more difficult, for Americans to vote. The movement signals a break between the Republican Party and a business world that has largely supported conservatives. FILE – Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky walks from the Senate floor to his office on Capitol Hill, Jan. 6, 2021.The schism has infuriated Republican lawmakers, leading Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, the party’s highest-ranking elected official, to say, “My advice to the corporate CEOs of America is to stay out of politics.” He added, “Corporations will invite serious consequences if they become a vehicle for far-left mobs to hijack our country from outside the constitutional order.” McConnell backed off somewhat a day later, saying he had not spoken very “artfully” and that corporations are “certainly entitled to be involved in politics” but should have read the Georgia bill more carefully. Years in the making The decision by corporate leaders to take a stand on the question of voting rights is the latest and most visible example of a trend that has been accelerating for several years, said Gerald F. Davis, a professor of management at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business. “Historically, companies had done everything possible to avoid being politically active,” he said. “The last thing you wanted was to do anything controversial, because you didn’t want to alienate either side.” However, that attitude has been replaced by a recognition of two major factors guiding American businesses’ behavior. One is social media, and the concern that being out of step with public opinion could lead to concerted online attacks. An even larger factor is the preferences of those businesses’ own employees. “Millennials are way more liberal than prior generations,” Davis said. “And they seem to be way more activist, way more willing to get activated by political issues. MBA students 30 years ago just stayed scrupulously neutral. And that is not the case anymore. They have pretty strong values that they bring to the workplace.” Leading the charge The movement to speak out against restrictive voting laws was spearheaded by Kenneth Chenault, a former chief executive of American Express, and Kenneth Frazier, the chief executive of Merck. The two men, both African Americans, brought together 72 Black business leaders to sign a statement published as a full-page “Memo to Corporate America” in The New York Times last week. FILE – Merck Chairman and CEO Kenneth Frazier, left, accompanied by President Joe Biden, speaks in the South Court Auditorium in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House Campus, March 10, 2021.”The stakes for our democracy are too high to remain on the sidelines,” the letter said. “Corporate America must support our nation’s fundamental democratic principles and marshal its collective influence to ensure fairness and equity for all. … Corporate America should publicly oppose any discriminatory legislation and all measures designed to limit Americans’ ability to vote. When it comes to protecting the rights of all Americans to vote, there can be no middle ground.” The statement being considered by the broader group of companies last weekend is said to build on that original open letter. Origins of the new laws The movement of top business leaders follows a major political battle that erupted after Georgia enacted a raft of new policies that the Republican-dominated state legislature and Republican Governor Brian Kemp said were meant to ensure election security. The push to change voting rules began after the 2020 elections, in which Georgia voters chose Joe Biden over Republican incumbent Donald Trump, prompting Trump to repeatedly claim that he had been cheated — something even the state’s most senior elections officials, themselves Republicans, said was a falsehood. There is debate about how restrictive the rules are, but experts say some elements of the law will make it more difficult to vote in the state’s urban areas, which are racially diverse and skew Democratic, and will make voting easier in the rural and predominantly white areas that favor Republicans. The law also gives the GOP-controlled legislature extraordinary power over the apparatus of Georgia’s election system, making it possible for lawmakers to replace local officials with election administrators of their own choosing. Corporations take stand After the measures were signed into law, Major League Baseball announced that it would relocate this summer’s All-Star Game from Atlanta in protest, and a number of Georgia-based companies, including Coca-Cola and Delta Airlines, issued strong statements denouncing the law. FILE – Ground crews work at Sun Trust Park, now known as Truist Park, in Atlanta, Oct. 7, 2018. Truist Park lost the 2021 All-Star Game on April 2, when Major League Baseball moved the game over the objections to Georgia’s new election law.From the law’s opponents, the companies received a mix of praise for speaking out and criticism for waiting until it had been signed to do so. The new move by corporate executives to take a position on restrictive voting laws seems to be an effort to avoid further criticism as many other states consider taking up laws similar to those Georgia passed. Republican reaction The response from Republican lawmakers at the local and national levels has been swift and angry, on the one hand castigating businesses for taking a stand on what they see as a “political” issue while simultaneously claiming that their proposals are being misrepresented. In some cases, supporters of the laws are correct about misinformation being spread about the measures — from no less a source than President Joe Biden. For example, Biden has incorrectly claimed that the Georgia law requires polls to close at 5 p.m., which is not true. Whether Biden was misinformed or purposefully misrepresented the facts is not clear, but the Republican National Committee did not give him the benefit of the doubt. FILE – Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel speaks in Grand Rapids, Mich., March 28, 2019.”Joe Biden’s lies have real consequences, and Georgia’s Black-owned small businesses are paying the price for his reckless misinformation campaign,” RNC Chairman Ronna McDaniel wrote in an open letter about the decision by Major League Baseball to move the All-Star Game. “The RNC is using every tool to counter Democrats’ woke mob mentality and debunk their false narrative around commonsense election integrity protections in Georgia and across the country.” Genie out of the bottle After this fight, said Davis of the University of Michigan, it will probably become ever more difficult for corporations to maintain the apolitical stances they have tried to project in the past. But that does not mean that they will all align in the same way. “It’s really hard for me to see a way for them to step back,” he said. “If the level of polarization that we saw in the previous few years continues or exacerbates, you can imagine a world where we separate not just into red states and blue states, but red companies and blue companies.”
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By Polityk | 04/15/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Ларису Мудрак призначили головою УКФ – Мінкультури
Лариса Мудрак – громадська діячка, медіаекспертка, публіцистка, багато років працювала в медіасфері, зокрема у 1993–2000 роках – на Радіо Свобода
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By Gromada | 04/14/2021 | Повідомлення, Суспільство
Уряд посилив вимоги для надання житлових субсидій
Документ, зокрема, пропонує посилити вимоги під час призначення житлових субсидій у частині здійснення одноразових вартісних покупок, наявності банківських депозитів, здійснення операцій із купівлі іноземної валюти, банківських металів, перетину кордону
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By Gromada | 04/14/2021 | Повідомлення, Суспільство
Іспит на знання державної мови складається з письмової та усної частин – рішення уряду
Методику та інструкції проведення іспиту визначатиме та затверджуватиме своїм рішенням Національна комісія зі стандартів державної мови
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By Gromada | 04/14/2021 | Повідомлення, Суспільство
За коментатора підсанкційних каналів Дудкіна внесли заставу
За словами речниці суду Тетяни Геведзе, заставу внесли напередодні
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By Gromada | 04/14/2021 | Повідомлення, Суспільство
Biden to Address Congress April 28
U.S. President Joe Biden is scheduled to give his first address to a joint session of Congress on April 28.The speech will come as Biden hits 100 days in office, an unofficial milestone upon which modern U.S. presidents have been judged for what their administrations have accomplished at the start of their four-year term.The address will take place in the House of Representatives. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi invited Biden to speak in a letter Tuesday, asking him to “share your vision for addressing the challenges and opportunities of this historic moment.”A White House statement said Biden accepted.It was not immediately clear how the event will be handled considering the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and health precautions.Joint sessions typically feature a packed House chamber with members of the House and Senate along with guests watching from the gallery above.Current House guidelines require lawmakers to conduct floor votes and other business in smaller groups, while everyone is required to wear masks and members of the public are not allowed to visit the chamber.
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By Polityk | 04/14/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Акція під ОП: розгляд апеляції на арешт двох учасників відклали через підозру на COVID-19 у судді
Сергія Філімонова (на фото) та Олексія Білковського відправили під цілодобовий домашній арешт у справі про «хуліганство» після акції під Офісом президента
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By Gromada | 04/14/2021 | Повідомлення, Суспільство
Biden Invited to Address US Congress on April 28
U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday invited President Joe Biden to address a joint session of Congress on April 28.”I am writing to invite you to address a Joint Session of Congress on Wednesday, April 28, to share your vision for addressing the challenges and opportunities of this historic moment,” Pelosi wrote in a letter to Biden that was released by her office.The speech will give Biden an opportunity to give a sales pitch to millions of viewers for his $2.3 trillion infrastructure proposal, which is the subject of a partisan debate in Congress.It comes as he faces several daunting challenges, both domestic and international, such as his battle to persuade more Americans to take the coronavirus vaccine, a growing number of migrants crossing the border with Mexico, and confrontations with Russia over Ukraine, China over Taiwan and Iran over its nuclear program.In February, Pelosi said she would invite Biden to deliver the speech after Congress passed his $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill. Biden signed the legislation on March 11.
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By Polityk | 04/14/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Biden, Lawmakers Honor US Capitol Police Officer Slain in Car Attack
President Joe Biden and U.S. lawmakers Tuesday paid tribute at a ceremony in the Capitol rotunda to the U.S. Capitol Police officer killed when a motorist rammed a car into two police officers and brandished a knife earlier this month.William Evans, an 18-year veteran of the Capitol Police force and father of two young children, died in a hospital after he was struck by the vehicle on April 2.His flag-draped casket sat in the middle of the rotunda surrounded by appropriately spaced rings of attendees, including members of Evans’ family.Biden told them: “You are going to make it by holding each other together,” referencing his own grief after losing members of his own family. “My prayer for all of you is that a day will come when you have that memory that will make you smile. I promise you it will come.”Immediately following the remarks, Biden walked over to members of Evans’ family and gave what appeared to be a large coin or medallion to Evans’ son.A military choral quartet then sang an a cappella rendition of Bridge Over Troubled Water, during which time Shannon Terranova, the mother of Evans’ children, cried while Evans’ daughter Abigail, 7, appeared to comfort her.Lying in honor — the public viewing of a person’s casket — is one of the highest possible honors Congress has for a civilian. Only five other people have received the distinction since the honor was created in 1998.Three of those people were Capitol Police officers who died in attacks on the Capitol, including Brian Sicknick, the officer who died from injuries suffered on January 6, when hundreds of supporters of former President Donald Trump stormed the institution.A second police officer who was hit by the car was also injured.
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By Polityk | 04/14/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
До ранку середи в Києві очікується туман і погіршення видимості на дорогах – КМДА
Видимість найближчої ночі та завтра вранці – 200-500 метрів
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By Gromada | 04/13/2021 | Повідомлення, Суспільство
Концентрація військ Росії на кордоні: депутати розповіли, до чого готуватись Україні (відео)
Яким чином може розвиватися ситуація і чи очікувати посилення російської агресії щодо України? Про це Радіо Свобода запитало у народних депутатів.
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By Gromada | 04/13/2021 | Повідомлення, Суспільство
