Coronavirus: Things US has got wrong - and right
- 8 July 2020
- From the section US & Canada
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Getty Images
So much for a summer lull in the coronavirus pandemic. Instead, the US has seen a resurgence of the disease in numerous states, particularly across the south and west.
The US nation as a whole has topped 60,000 recorded daily new cases this week.
Did it have to be this way, though?
Other industrialised nations, in Europe and Asia, pursued more rigorous mitigation plans, ramped up testing and contact tracing earlier, and eased restrictions in a slower and more co-ordinated fashion.
They have not, at least so far, seen a resurgence of the virus similar to the one the US is currently experiencing.
Read full article Coronavirus: Things US has got wrong - and right
Biden VP pick: Who could be Joe Biden's running mate?
- 7 August 2020
- From the section US Election 2020
During the final Democratic primary debate in March, Joe Biden pledged that if he were to win the party's presidential nomination, he would choose a woman as his running mate.
A lot has happened since then, not the least of which is Biden securing the required Democratic Convention delegates to become his party's presumptive nominee. Even before that point, however, speculation swirled around a dozen or so contenders to be Biden's running mate.
Read full article Biden VP pick: Who could be Joe Biden's running mate?
Trump rally - more rehash than reboot
- 21 June 2020
- From the section US & Canada
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Reuters
Those of us attending the Trump campaign event in Tulsa on Saturday evening were able to see all the colour and character of one of his typical rallies.
There were women in red, white and blue cowboy hats, cut-off jeans and fringed boots. The guy in the red-brick "build the wall" suit turned up, as did perennial warm-up act Diamond and Silk. Mike Lindell, better known as "My Pillow" impresario, worked the crowd, hugging and posing for selfies.
Four reasons why this was a bad week for Trump
- 19 June 2020
- From the section US & Canada
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Getty Images
It's been a trying week for Donald Trump on a number of fronts, as his political challenges appear to be multiplying.
While the mass demonstrations and violent clashes of the past month appear to be in the rear-view mirror, new headaches are emerging while old ones come back with a vengeance.
Read full article Four reasons why this was a bad week for Trump
What Supreme Court's Daca ruling means for Trump and Dreamers
- 18 June 2020
- From the section US & Canada
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Once again the Supreme Court has ruled that a controversial action by the Trump administration is illegal. And once again the biggest stumbling block for the White House isn't that their officials lacked the power to do what they want, it's that they went about it the wrong way.
The Justice Department's attempt to rescind Daca, the Obama-era programme that provides normalised immigration status to some undocumented immigrants who entered the US as children, was "arbitrary and capricious", the court held, in a way prohibited by federal law.
Read full article What Supreme Court's Daca ruling means for Trump and Dreamers
Supreme Court LGBT ruling: Why it is such a big deal
- 15 June 2020
- From the section US & Canada
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Getty Images
The US Supreme Court over the past several decades has slowly but steadily expanded its protections of gay rights.
From striking down a Texas law that criminalised "sodomy" to legalising gay marriage across the nation, the direction of US jurisprudence seemed clear.
Read full article Supreme Court LGBT ruling: Why it is such a big deal
George Floyd death: Is Trump in trouble for stance on US race relations?
- 12 June 2020
- From the section US & Canada
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Getty Images
It's been a rough few weeks for Donald Trump. A spate of polls with bad news, reports of turmoil in his campaign. And his presidency has been beset by a seemingly interminable series of crises. Is his re-election bid in serious peril?
Donald Trump is an instinctual politician. Four years ago, he jumped into the deep end of the electoral pool and - defying all expectations and predictions - won his party's presidential nomination and, subsequently, the White House.
Read full article George Floyd death: Is Trump in trouble for stance on US race relations?
Coronavirus response: Things the US has got right - and got wrong
- 13 May 2020
- From the section US & Canada
It's been two months since the US declared a national emergency over the coronavirus outbreak. The death toll from Covid-19 now stands at more than 83,000 - and tens of millions of Americans are out of work.
There has been a robust ongoing debate over whether the US was adequately prepared for a pandemic and if the proper steps were taken as the virus began to appear on American soil.
Read full article Coronavirus response: Things the US has got right - and got wrong
Why are Trump and Obama in a new spat over Flynn?
- 11 May 2020
- From the section US & Canada
The Justice Department's surprising decision to drop all charges against Donald Trump's former national security adviser has set off a cascade of accusations and counter-accusations. And at the centre of it are the present and previous presidents.
Michael Flynn was forced to resign early in the Trump presidency for lying to Vice-President Mike Pence about his contacts with Russian government officials.
Read full article Why are Trump and Obama in a new spat over Flynn?
Trump's daily briefings may be over. Why the change in script?
- 27 April 2020
- From the section US & Canada
After three days without a coronavirus task force briefing, the White House now says they will take on a new format as the president prepares for a Monday evening press conference instead. Why the change?
Part press briefing, part grievance-airing, the all-Trump spectacle that is the daily coronavirus task force show, broadcast live from the White House for the past month, appears to be coming to a close.
Read full article Trump's daily briefings may be over. Why the change in script?
