Biden to announce 2020 bid for president

Former Vice President Joe Biden will join the crowded 2020 Democratic presidential race early Thursday morning, according to multiple media reports. Biden reportedly will make his announcement in an online video and will appear in Pittsburgh on Monday for an event at a local union hall. Biden’s decision answers the final major question of the early 2020 Democratic primary season, which now features more than 20 candidates. After a pair of failed presidential runs, Biden’s second act as President Barack Obama’s No. 2 catapulted him into a new position of power. Given his high profile, Biden, now 76, would enter the race as one of the front-runners. 

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The first round of the 2019 NFL draft kicks off in Nashville

Put the Cardinals on the clock. Arizona holds the No. 1 pick in the draft, and the team isn’t tipping its hand on the selection. Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray is the front-runner to have his name called first, though Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury said Tuesday that “I wouldn’t say the hay is in the barn.” Ohio State defensive end Nick Bosa and Alabama defensive tackle Quinnen Williams also are candidates to be the top pick but are expected to land somewhere among the first five selections. And while the class is heavy on defensive talent, the draft’s top passers other than Murray (Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins, Missouri’s Drew Lock and Duke’s Daniel Jones) will spark plenty of interest. 

NFL draft rankings: Nick Bosa, Quinnen Williams lead defense-heavy top 50

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You can now read the records of 85,000 cops who have been investigated for misconduct

USA TODAY releases on Thursday an exclusive nationwide database of 30,000 law enforcement officers whom state governments banned from the profession by revoking their certification. Of 200,000 incidents, USA TODAY found 22,924 investigations of officers using excessive force; 3,145 allegations of rape, child molestation and other sexual misconduct; 2,307 cases of domestic violence by officers and 2,227 instances of perjury, tampering with evidence or witnesses or falsifying reports. We spent more than a year creating the biggest collection of police misconduct records, showing not only misdeeds, but also how many officers escape their pasts in one place to become police chief somewhere else. USA TODAY is publishing these records to give the public an opportunity to examine their police department and the broader issue of police misconduct. You can search the database here. . 

Russia’s Putin and North Korea’s Kim hold historic meeting in Russia’s far west

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for their first face-to-face talks on Thursday, with Putin saying that the summit should help plan joint efforts to resolve a standoff over Pyongyang’s nuclear program. The meeting, on Russky Island near the far western Russian city of Vladivostok ,came two months after Kim’s second denuclearization summit with President Donald Trump broke down because of disputes over U.S. sanctions. Putin voiced confidence that Kim’s visit will “help better understand what should be done to settle the situation on the Korean Peninsula, what we can do together.” Putin, who analysts say wants to expand Moscow’s clout in the region and get more leverage with Washington, said “we welcome your efforts to develop an inter-Korean dialogue and normalize North Korea’s relations with the United States.” 

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Showdown could involve liberal activists occupying Venezuela’s embassy

Liberal activists are bracing for a showdown with the Trump administration Thursday at an unusual location: Venezuela’s embassy, a stately building in an exclusive Washington, D.C. neighborhood. The building was vacated earlier this year after President Donald Trump denounced Venezuela’s president Nicolas Maduro as illegitimate and recognized Juan Guaido as the country’s true leader. Maduro then recalled most of his diplomatic staff, leaving the embassy nearly empty. The State Department issued an April 24 deadline for all Maduro-loyal staff to leave the embassy. But a Maduro representative gave the building’s keys to a group of American protesters, who have taken it over to prevent the U.S. from installing Guaido’s diplomats. Margaret Flowers, co-director of PopularResistance.org said they don’t plan on leaving, despite the Wednesday deadline.  

 

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