Tag - congress

 
 

CONGRESS

Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
May 9, 2020
U.S. lawmakers urge support for Taiwan at WHO, amid COVID-19 fight
The leaders of U.S. congressional foreign affairs committees wrote to nearly 60 countries on Friday asking them to support Taiwan's participation in the World Health Organization, citing the need for the broadest effort possible to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
Japan Times
WORLD
May 2, 2020
White House blocks top U.S. health official Anthony Fauci from testifying to Congress
Top U.S. health official Anthony Fauci will not testify next week to a congressional committee examining the Trump administration's response to the coronavirus pandemic, the White House said on Friday, calling it "counterproductive" to have individuals involved in the response testify.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Apr 29, 2020
Xi’s annual political pageant to start in late May after virus-caused delay
China’s plan to resume annual parliamentary sessions delayed by the coronavirus outbreak next month could be seen as a statement of the country’s commitment to get back to normal. The actual gathering may end up showing how much has changed.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
Apr 18, 2020
Voting by mail in the spotlight as U.S. Congress debates how to secure November elections
Congress is scrambling for ways to safeguard the Nov. 3 U.S. elections amid the coronavirus pandemic, with a partisan fight shaping up over a Democratic proposal to require states to offer the option of voting by mail.
WORLD
Apr 9, 2020
U.S. senators told to avoid Zoom over security concerns, FT reports
The U.S. Senate has told its members to not use Zoom's video conferencing app due to data security concerns, the Financial Times reported on Thursday, even as the company attempts to stem a global backlash against its fast-growing app.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Mar 28, 2020
11 flyers amid a sea of seats: Airlines' woes dwarf U.S. aid
Miguel Diaz's JetBlue flight from New York to Orlando cost just $79 with a checked bag and was nearly empty. The 11 passengers each had a row of seats to themselves, spaced at least 6 feet (1.8 meters) apart to maintain social distancing.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Mar 21, 2020
U.S. senators defend selling shares before coronavirus crash
Two Republican senators defended themselves on Friday against heavy criticism, including calls that they resign, for selling substantial amounts of stocks before the coronavirus-induced market meltdown and after closed-door briefings on the outbreak.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Feb 29, 2020
New coronavirus case of unknown origin emerges in California as U.S. looks to curtail infections
The United States will invoke a federal defense law to boost production of masks, gloves, gowns and other items to protect against the new coronavirus, the Trump administration said, as a new case of unknown origin was confirmed in California on Friday.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Feb 29, 2020
Trump again nominates U.S. Rep. John Ratcliffe as intelligence director
President Donald Trump said on Friday he again was tapping Republican Rep. John Ratcliffe to be the nation's top spy, naming a loyalist whose first nomination he had dropped last year amid questions about a lack of experience and possible resume embellishment.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Science & Health
Feb 28, 2020
U.S. CDC aggressively evaluating whether coronavirus survives on surfaces, chief says
Robert Redfield, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), told the U.S. Congress on Thursday that his agency is aggressively evaluating how long coronavirus can survive and be infectious on surfaces.
Japan Times
WORLD / Society
Feb 27, 2020
Climate activist Thunberg heads growing field of Nobel Peace Prize candidates
Teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg, pro-democracy campaigners in Hong Kong and the NATO military alliance are among those tipped for the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize, following nominations by politicians.
Japan Times
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Feb 26, 2020
Trump loyalist Roger Stone to ask U.S. judge for a new trial
U.S. President Donald Trump's longtime friend Roger Stone will urge a federal judge on Tuesday to grant him a new trial, after she sentenced him last week to serve more than three years in prison in a case that angered Trump and rattled the Justice Department.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Feb 19, 2020
U.S. judge rejects Huawei challenge to federal law restricting its business
A federal judge in Texas on Tuesday rejected Chinese telecommunications equipment maker Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd.'s constitutional challenge to a U.S. law that restricted its ability to do business with federal agencies and their contractors.
Japan Times
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Feb 17, 2020
Over 1,000 ex-Justice Department officials call on U.S. Attorney General William Barr to resign
More than 1,000 former U.S. Justice Department officials Sunday called for Attorney General William Barr to resign over his handling of the trial of a longtime adviser of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Japan Times
WORLD
Feb 15, 2020
White House tells Congress killing of Iran's Soleimani was response to past — not imminent — attacks
President Donald Trump ordered a drone strike that killed a top Iranian military commander last month in response to past attacks, the White House said in a memo released on Friday, despite previous administration assertions that it was due to an imminent threat.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Feb 13, 2020
Plant a trillion trees: U.S. lawmakers offer fossil fuel-friendly climate fix
Republican lawmakers on Wednesday proposed legislation setting a goal for the United States to plant a trillion trees by 2050 to fight global warming, a plan intended to address climate change by sucking carbon out of the air instead of by cutting emissions.
Japan Times
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Feb 13, 2020
U.S. Senate advances resolution limiting Trump's ability to wage war against Iran
The U.S. Senate advanced legislation on Wednesday intended to limit President Donald Trump's ability to wage war against Iran, paving the way for a final vote as eight Republicans joined Democrats in supporting the war powers resolution.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Feb 13, 2020
Trump denies meddling in Roger Stone case and then scolds prosecutors
President Donald Trump denied meddling in his former associate Roger Stone's criminal prosecution, saying that tweets he issued about the case don't amount to political interference.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Feb 13, 2020
Organizers cancel Barcelona's Mobile World Congress over coronavirus fears
The Mobile World Congress (MWC), the annual telecom industry gathering that draws more than 100,000 visitors to Barcelona, Spain, was canceled on Wednesday after a mass exodus by exhibitors due to fears over the coronavirus outbreak.

Longform

Visitors to Kyoto walk along a street near Kiyomizu Temple in April. A popular tourist spot, Kyoto has seen what locals feel to be an overwhelming amount of tourists in 2024.
Is Japan ready for 60 million tourists?