Newsletter Archive

After a last-gasp attempt to challenge Donald Trump’s claim to the Republican nomination was shouted down Monday, conventioneers in Cleveland are poised to officially bestow the title of nominee on Trump Tuesday night.  Melania Trump gave a glowing endorsement of her husband Monday night, though portions of the speech had a 2008 feel to it.  Most of Monday’s other speakers focused on security issues, accusing Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama of making America less safe.

Donald Trump’s influence is apparent in the party platform Republicans adopted this week: it calls for a border wall – one of the hallmarks of Trump’s candidacy – as well as taking a stronger stance against China on the South China Sea debate and trade.  There’s plenty there for more traditional Republicans too, including the usual opposition to abortion, gay marriage and gun laws.  Many of those positions are being debated outside the convention hall, where protesters face off over a variety of issues – and some of them are carrying guns.

Whoever wins in November will have to deal with one foreign policy issue President Obama pledged to resolve when he first ran for president eight years ago: the U.S. troop presence in Afghanistan.  Analysts who talked to VOA, however, said that while Obama’s goal of complete troop withdrawal eluded him, reducing the numbers of soldiers there sent a clear signal that the U.S. won’t stay forever.

Tweeting that those who oppose him are “scum,” Turkish President Recep Erdogan encouraged Turks to continue rallies and demonstrations on his behalf, while purges of teachers and civil servants continue.  That worries many rights activists, dissidents, and minority groups.  There are already reports of attacks on Protestant and Catholic churches.  As anti-American sentiment in Turkey grows, the U.S. and Ankara are at odds over Turkey’s request to extradite a Muslim cleric the Erdogan government accuses of plotting last week’s attempted coup.

Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, is in Africa this week, meeting women who will be resettled in the U.S. as refugees.  In Ethiopia, she attended a graduation ceremony for a new course that teaches young women coding and other computer skills.

China is amping up its rhetoric on the South China Sea, following a UN court ruling that poo-pooed China’s claim to most of the disputed territory.  Some experts say it’s part of a “hard and soft line” strategy, as diplomatic lines are also being pursued. But at least one China watcher believes the nation doesn’t really have a clear strategy.

The International Olympic Committee will take its time before deciding whether to ban Russia from next month’s games in Brazil after a report alleged a widespread, state-sponsored Russian doping program.  Russian President Vladimir Putin suspended his minister of sport Monday, but also questioned the integrity of the report, which detailed the alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs by Russian athletes at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.