TV News LIES

Tens of thousands of loans worth billions of dollars may have been subject to fraud, waste and abuse in the $659 billion taxpayer-funded Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) aimed at helping small U.S. businesses survive the coronavirus pandemic, a congressional panel said on Tuesday.

Over $1 billion went to companies that received multiple loans, in violation of the program’s rules, the House of Representatives Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis said.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is due to testify before the panel at 1:00 pm (1700 GMT) on Tuesday.

Democrats in Congress and the Trump administration have been at loggerheads since July over further steps to bolster the economy after Congress approved trillions of dollars in March to respond to the coronavirus pandemic.

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Sen. Tim Scott, who delivered the closing speech at the Republican National Convention Monday night, said he is not concerned about potential fraud due to expanded mail-in-voting, contradicting President Donald Trump who accused Democrats of "trying to steal the election."

"I have a lot of confidence in our electoral process," the South Carolina Republican said when asked about Trump's fraud concerns on NBC's "Today" show Tuesday morning. "I'm very confident that we will have fair elections throughout this country."

Several states – including some with Republican governors or secretaries of state – have eased requirements for absentee ballots, or moved to send ballots to all registered voters, to give those concerned about coronavirus infection the option of avoiding potentially crowded polling stations. Trump has repeatedly railed against those efforts as opening the door to potential fraud, though experts say there is little evidence to support those concerns.

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"It is with heavy heart I share that my wonderful brother, Robert, peacefully passed away tonight," the president said in a statement issued late Saturday. "He was not just my brother, he was my best friend. He will be greatly missed, but we will meet again. His memory will live on in my heart forever.

"Robert, I love you. Rest in peace."

The White House announced Friday that Robert Trump had been hospitalized with an undisclosed illness. The president visited him Friday afternoon at New York-Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan.

TVNL Comment: Are they hiding a COVID death?  Secrecy raises questions.

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White House spokeswoman Sarah Matthews said that Robert Trump was admitted to a hospital but declined to provide additional details.

ABC News, citing anonymous sources, reported that Robert Trump was "very ill" and had been admitted to a hospital in New York.

Trump, who is scheduled to spend the weekend at his golf club in Bedminster, N.J., is expected to visit his brother on Friday, officials said on condition of anonymity to discuss the president's travel.

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Trump also falsely stated that Democrats were pushing for universal mail-in voting and made the unfounded claim that mail-in voting would lead to massive voter fraud in the November election. Polls indicate Trump is in for a tough reelection fight against Democrat Joe Biden.

The Republican president said on Fox Business Network that among the sticking points over a new virus relief package were Democrats’ demand for billions of dollars to assist states in protecting the election and to help postal workers process mail-in ballots.

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Hundreds of people have been wounded in a huge blast that ripped through Lebanon's capital, Beirut, according to the country's health minister.

The powerful blast on Tuesday shook several parts of Beirut, sending huge plumes of smoke into the sky. Initial reports suggested the explosion took place in the capital's port area containing warehouses. Ambulances were seen heading towards the scene in central Beirut.

The cause of the blast remained unknown.

Hamad Hassan, Lebanon's health minister, said hundreds were wounded in the explosion.

The blast wave from the explosion caused extensive damage to buildings,

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