Latest Stories By Louis Jacobson

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Military bases named for Confederates: Renaming suggestions from military historians

June 16, 2020

President Donald Trump may be opposed to rechristening the 10 U.S. military bases named for Confederate figures, but the idea is getting a serious look from top military brass and lawmakers We wondered why the bases have these names in the first place, so we checked with eight military historians. The historians were unanimous that […]

Fact-checking Donald Trump’s Fox News interview on police brutality protests

June 12, 2020

President Donald Trump in a Fox News interview criticized local officials who he believes have lost control of protesters, defended his controversial tweet that evoked use of excessive force by police and stood by his decision to stage a Bible-hoisting photo op at a church in Washington, D.C. Host Harris Faulkner told Trump he frightened […]

How could reopenings, protests affect coronavirus infections?

June 9, 2020

With most states reopening for business after shutting down for the novel coronavirus, some states are seeing an increase in infections. And with protest marches bringing together large numbers of people, some scientists worry that infections could rise further. However, scientists say that there’s lots of uncertainty about whether, and how much, the coronavirus will […]

Antibody test finger

How helpful can herd immunity be in ending the coronavirus pandemic?

June 3, 2020

As the world waits for scientists to develop a safe and effective vaccine against the novel coronavirus, some have asked if  “herd immunity” could play a part in reducing the virus’ spread. Generally, scientists say that herd immunity does have a role to play in curbing the virus prior to the development of a vaccine, […]

Can Donald Trump really invoke the Insurrection Act to send troops into states?

June 2, 2020

As federal troops and police were pushing peaceful protesters out of Lafayette Square across the street from The White House, President Donald Trump was threatening a similar show of federal force in states to quell demonstrations. In a Rose Garden address June 1, Trump said he “strongly recommended” that every governor deploy the National Guard […]

How a false claim about out-of-state protesters traveled from Minnesota officials to Trump, Pelosi

June 1, 2020

There has been lots of misinformation circulating about the unrest that followed the death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis. On March 30, that information flowed straight from top officials in Minnesota. On the morning of May 30 — five days after Floyd died when an officer pinned his neck under […]

Trump vs. Biden: Where the money race stands today

May 29, 2020

The presidential race may have taken a back seat to the coronavirus pandemic, its economic fallout, and anger over deaths in police custody. But the contest between President Donald Trump and expected Democratic nominee Joe Biden is proceeding, notably in the realm of fundraising. Here’s a look at how the fundraising picture looks as of […]

Hunter Biden and China: Sorting through a murky business deal

May 22, 2020

In recent weeks, President Donald Trump and his allies have ratcheted up attacks against Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden. One line of attack isn’t new: a Chinese business deal involving Biden’s son Hunter. Trump is giving it additional weight amid his criticism of China for its early handling of the coronavirus. In an interview with […]

Voting in a pandemic

How battleground states are preparing for the pandemic election’s massive increase in voting by mail

May 19, 2020

About half of voters in Lee County, Fla., decided to cast their votes by mail in the past two statewide elections. Elections supervisor Tommy Doyle expects that to climb to 70% in November due to concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic. Doyle, a Republican in a conservative-leaning county, home to Fort Myers, has encouraged voters to […]

Michael Flynn’s unmasking: What you need to know

May 14, 2020

Most of the time, few Americans give much thought to “unmasking,” a practice whereby senior officials can request the identities of Americans who show up in U.S. intelligence reports and intercepts. But Republicans have begun using it as a weapon against Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden. On May 13, two Republican senators, Ron Johnson of […]

Vaccine update photo

How close is a coronavirus vaccine?

May 12, 2020

Americans are counting on a safe and effective vaccine against the novel coronavirus. Two months into the pandemic, is the U.S. and the world any closer to one? The short answer is yes, experts say. But creating an effective vaccine will still require a lot to go right. There are more than 100 vaccine projects […]

Flynn reversal

A closer look at Michael Flynn’s reversal of legal fortune

May 8, 2020

After a three-year-plus legal saga involving Russia and the 2016 election, the Justice Department said it was recommending that the judge dismiss the case against former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.  The Justice Department made its request in a filing signed by U.S. Attorney Timothy Shea, shortly after the original line prosecutor, Brandon Van Grack, […]

Showing 469-480 of 1260 items