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When U.S. blamed Saudi crown prince for role in Khashoggi killing, fake Twitter accounts went to war
Craig Timberg and Sarah Dadouch, The Washington Post
March 2, 2021
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Saudi-based Twitter accounts using fake profile pictures, repetitive wording and spammy tactics sought to undermine the conclusion by U.S. intelligence officials, made public Friday, that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved the operation that led to the killing of Washington Post contributing columnist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.
One element of the online influence campaign apparently targeted an American audience by directly responding to tweets by several U.S.-based news organizations, including The Post, both before and after the Biden administration declassified the intelligence report detailing U.S. conclusions about Khashoggi s killing. The Saudi accounts sought to deflect blame from the crown prince, often referred to as MBS, who is heir to the throne and eff
Democrats take fight for voting access to Congress
Mike DeBonis and Amy Gardner, The Washington Post
March 2, 2021
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WASHINGTON - The turbulent debate over the nation s elections reached Congress s doorstep this week, with House Democrats poised to pass sweeping nationwide standards for voter access Wednesday just as Republican lawmakers in dozens of states move to restrict polling access after Donald Trump s November loss.
Both parties have mobilized for the fight in unprecedented ways, reflecting the immense public attention on election issues - thanks to Trump s months-long campaign of falsehoods and the subsequent attack on the Capitol, as well as the stakes for the 2022 midterm elections.
Supreme Court appears to favor upholding voting laws lower court found unfair to minorities
Robert Barnes, The Washington Post
March 2, 2021
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WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court on Tuesday seemed inclined to make it more difficult to challenge widely used voting laws that in practice might be more of a burden to minority voters.
The justices spent two hours in a teleconference hearing reviewing the protections provided by the Voting Rights Act, first passed in 1965 to forbid laws that result in discrimination based on race.
The cases involve two voting regulations in Arizona that are in common use across the country. One throws out the ballots of those who vote in the wrong precinct. The other restricts who may collect ballots cast early for delivery to polling places, a practice then-President Donald Trump denounced as ballot harvesting.
Biden moves to get all teachers a vaccine shot by the end of March
Laura Meckler, The Washington Post
March 2, 2021
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WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden said Tuesday that he would use federal authority to offer coronavirus vaccinations to K-12 teachers and child care workers, with the aim of getting at least the first shot administered to all educators by the end of March.
The goal is to remove one of the major barriers to reopening schools - an urgent step for parents and children alike - but one that has been enormously controversial and complicated. Teachers, who have resisted going back in many communities, have said that they would be much more willing to return to school buildings if they are vaccinated first.
Tanden withdraws as budget nominee in Biden s first Cabinet defeat
Seung Min Kim and Tyler Page, The Washington Post
March 2, 2021
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WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 10: Neera Tanden, President Joe Bidens nominee for Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), testifies during a Senate Committee on the Budget hearing on Capitol Hill on February 10, 2021 in Washington, DC. Tanden helped found the Center for American Progress, a policy research and advocacy organization and has held senior advisory positions in Democratic politics since the Clinton administration. (Photo by Andrew Harnik-Pool/Getty Images)Pool/Getty Images
WASHINGTON - The White House withdrew Neera Tanden s nomination to be director of the White House Office of Management and Budget on Tuesday evening after she faced bipartisan opposition for the job - dealing President Joe Biden his first Cabinet defeat in the evenly split Senate.