MOSCOW (Sputnik) - China has prepared for a worst-case scenario, in which all Chinese journalists will have to leave the United States amid an ongoing row, and is ready to take retaliatory measures concerning US journalists based in Hong Kong, Hu Xijin, the editor-in-chief of the country's official newspaper the Global Times, said on Tuesday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The US will reduce its military presence in Afghanistan to about 4,000 troops "very soon", US President Donald Trump said.

The order comes after Trump suspended the issuance of H-1B and several other types of temporary worker visas until the end of the year amid the pandemic in the country.

According to meteorologists, the hurricane will bring widespread heavy rain and strong winds to many parts of the US east coast through early Wednesday.

Anti-racism protests, often turning into violent riots, have been non-stop in the United States since Floyd's death in late May, after an officer pinned him to the ground for several minutes as the man repeatedly told him he could not breathe.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The Trump administration pulled the nomination of retired Army General Anthony Tata, under fire from lawmakers for past criticism of Islam, to take over a key Defence Department post, the White House said in a press release.

Several lawmakers in Congress are calling on former acting Undersecretary of Homeland Security for Intelligence and Analysis Brian Murphy for answers following reports that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has been actively compiling “intelligence reports” on journalists covering the federal deployment of cops to Portland, Oregon.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - An attempt by a county government in the US state of Maryland to force all private and religious schools to remain closed prompted an emergency order that returns the decision to schools themselves, Governor Larry Hogan said in a press release on Monday.

The campaign added that the former vice president has already agreed to participate in the three upcoming debates, while the US president has yet to do so.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The US Treasury Department factored expectations that Congress will approve a new COVID-19 relief bill for at least $1 trillion into its borrowing estimates for the final six months of the year, which are expected to exceed $2 trillion, according to a press release.

US President Donald Trump dismissed the ongoing investigation into his personal finances, calling it part of a continuing "witch hunt" by the Democrats.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The defence team of Russian citizen Viktor Bout, who is imprisoned in the United States, has been unable to contact their client for two weeks, lawyer Alexey Tarasov said on Monday.

A Chicago, Illinois, Dunkin’ Donuts location recently fired an employee shortly after he was arrested and slapped with several charges for allegedly adding saliva to an Illinois State Police (ISP) District Chicago trooper’s coffee order.

American pharmaceutical firm Eli Lilly and Company announced Monday that it has started a third-phase trial of its COVID-19 antiviral drug known as LY-CoV555.

Tropical Storm Isaias isn’t the only tempest bearing down on New York: court filings by state prosecutors on Monday revealed their investigation into the finances of US President Donald Trump includes probes into other possible financial crimes, such as insurance fraud and bank fraud, and not just hush money payments.

US Naval Special Warfare Command (NSWC) officials have launched an investigation into a recently republished video that went viral over the weekend and depicted military working dogs attacking a kneeling man wearing a Colin Kaepernick jersey.

Federal US Judge Esther Salas made her very first public statement Monday, weeks after a gunman disguised as a FedEx deliveryman killed her son and severely wounded her husband.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The Trump administration will remain wary of popular video sharing app TikTok even if Microsoft and other US tech companies bought into the Chinese firm, White House adviser Peter Navarro said on Monday.

Officials have said the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas - the new home of the Raiders NFL franchise - is almost complete and ready for action. The Raiders have moved from Oakland, California, but they arrive as “Sin City” is struggling with the economic consequences of the coronavirus crisis.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – US President Donald Trump threatened on Monday to take legal action after the state of Nevada said it would mail all voters ballots so they can safely take part in the November presidential election amid the coronavirus pandemic.