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This is VOA news. I'm Marissa Melton.
Seven candidates for the Democratic Party's nomination in the U.S. presidential race are beginning a debate this hour in the southern state of South Carolina. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders is the front-runner of the moment. But former Vice President Joe Biden has been gaining some ground and hopes to make a good showing in South Carolina. Tuesday's debate is not only a chance for the candidates to make an impression on the voters of South Carolina, but also [those of the] some of those of the [40 ... 14] 14 states and one U.S. territory holding primaries on March 3, a day that has been nicknamed Super Tuesday. U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Supreme Court Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg should remove themselves from cases involving him or his administration. Trump's call for the [lib... liberal] liberal-leaning justices to recuse themselves came during a news conference in New Delhi. Sotomayor wrote a dissenting ... opinion late Friday criticizing the Trump administration for routinely claiming emergencies and asking the Supreme Court to act quickly to implement controversial policies. Sotomayor also targeted her conservative coworkers in the dissent, saying they are too willing to accommodate the Trump administration on such requests. Sotomayor's dissent came in response to the court's 5 to 4 decision allowing a Trump administration rule banning most legal immigrants from receiving public assistance. The Supreme Court is preparing to hear arguments on whether Mr. Trump must abide by congressional subpoenas for his financial records and whether he is exempt from criminal probes while president. Trump also took aim at Ginsburg on Tuesday, claiming she "went wild" in criticizing him during the 2016 campaign season. Ginsburg said in July 2016 that Trump, then a presidential candidate, was a "faker." You're listening to VOA news. Movie mogul Harvey Weinstein spent the night in a hospital last night rather than a notorious Rikers Island prison where he is expected to await his March 11 sentencing day. Weinstein [comp...] complained of chest pain Monday after being convicted of third-degree rape and sexual assaults. Weinstein defense team is expected to [afeal] appeal the verdict. Meanwhile, a group of women in Los Angeles who say he also assaulted them are celebrating the conviction. [AP] AP correspondent Margie Szaroleta reports. The group of women who include TV reporters, former Harvey Weinstein employees and actresses including Rosanna Arquette call themselves "Silence Breakers" because they spoke up about what they say he did to them. Weinstein has said all sexual contact was consensual and proclaimed his innocence even as he was convicted. The women say the verdict means that abuse survivors will be believed even if they go up against the man with the money and power that Weinstein has. Former actress Louisette Geiss says her message to Weinstein is that he no longer holds all the cards. "We will see you here in Los Angeles, where hopefully your conviction will leave you in jail for life." I'm Margie Szaroleta. Longtime Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak has died at the age of 91. Edward Yeranian files this report for VOA from Cairo. Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who took power in 1981 after his predecessor Anwar Sadat was killed in a hail of bullets, ruled the country with a firm hand for nearly 30 years, presiding over what some call a long era of peace and prosperity and others condemn for corruption and stagnation. Following the announcement of his resignation on February 11, 2011, Mubarak remained in Egypt eventually being put on trial for the killings of protesters during 18 days of demonstrations that ousted him. Edward Yeranian, for VOA news, Cairo. President Trump is trying to minimize fears about the coronavirus. AP Washington correspondent Sagar Meghani has more. "...very well under control in our country." At a news conference in India, the president said very few Americans have the virus. Hours later on Capitol Hill, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said more will get it. "We cannot hermetically seal off the United States to a virus." Azar defended the administration's response so far and its emergency request for $2.5 billion to get ready for a potential outbreak. Republican Senator Richard Shelby is among those from both parties questioning whether that's enough, warning a spreading virus could become an existential threat. "If you lowball something like this, you'll pay for it later." Sagar Meghani, Washington. The U.S. military says a senior al-Shabab leader behind the deadly January 5 attack in Kenya was killed February 22 in precision airstrikes. VOA news. |