Six states, D.C. file lawsuit against Postal Service over service changes

Six states led by Pennsylvania on Friday sued the U.S. Postal Service and the new postmaster general, saying service changes in recent weeks have harmed the ability of states to conduct free and fair elections.

The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Pennsylvania, was joined by California, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, North Carolina and the District of Columbia.

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said “to the Trump Administration, delivering your paycheck, medication or ballot is a joke but there’s nothing funny about the wages you earn, your health, or right to vote. That’s why today we’re standing with Pennsylvania and other states, taking the Postmaster General to court.”

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Trump’s ex-lawyer Michael Cohen says to reveal president’s ‘skeletons’ in upcoming book

Michael Cohen, U.S. President Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer and fixer, on Thursday promised to show how Trump cheated in the 2016 election with Russian help in an upcoming book titled “Disloyal, A Memoir.”

“Trump had cheated in the election, with Russian connivance, as you will discover in these pages, because doing anything — and I mean anything — to ‘win’ has always been his business model and way of life,” Cohen writes in the book’s foreword, which was published online on Thursday.

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Beirut explosion: Angry residents rage at leaders after blast

People in Beirut have expressed anger at the government over what they say was negligence that led to Tuesday’s huge explosion.

President Michel Aoun said the blast was caused by 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored unsafely in a warehouse.

Many have accused the authorities of corruption, neglect and mismanagement.

The blast killed at least 137 people and injured about 5,000 others, while dozens are still missing. A two-week state of emergency has begun.

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New York sues to break up NRA, accuses it of financial mismanagement

New York state’s attorney general sued to dissolve the National Rifle Association on Thursday, alleging senior leaders of the non-profit group diverted millions of dollars for personal use and to buy the silence and loyalty of former employees.

The lawsuit filed in a Manhattan court by Attorney General Letitia James alleges NRA leaders paid for family trips to the Bahamas, private jets and expensive meals that contributed to a $64 million reduction in the NRA’s balance sheet in three years, turning a surplus into a deficit.

James alleged in a statement that NRA leaders “used millions upon millions from NRA reserves for personal use,” failing to comply with the NRA’s own internal policies in addition to state and federal law.

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Pelosi: Democrats, Republicans still far apart on coronavirus aid but making some progress

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Thursday that negotiations with the Trump administration over the next phase of coronavirus aid are making some progress and proceeding in a positive way, but they remain far apart on key issues such as extending supplemental unemployment benefits.

Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer told a news conference they did not believe Senate Republicans understand the “gravity” of the economic damage being caused by the coronavirus pandemic.