- PoliticsYahoo News
Rudy Giuliani: Talks of Trump Tower Moscow continued throughout 2016 election
Rudy Giuliani, the former New York mayor who is now President Trump's personal attorney, said Sunday that plans to build a Trump Tower in Moscow may have continued until at least the 2016 presidential election — months later than previously acknowledged. Giuliani said on NBC's “Meet the Press” that Trump recalls discussing the project with his former lawyer Michael Cohen until late 2016. He said Trump doesn't remember the exact dates or sequence of these conversations but that they didn't go anywhere.
- WorldReuters
Mexico fuel pipeline blast kills 71, witnesses describe horror
At least 71 people were killed after a pipeline ruptured by suspected fuel thieves exploded in central Mexico, authorities said on Saturday, as President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador defended the army despite its failure to clear the site before the blast. Forensic experts filled body bags with charred human remains in the field where the explosion occurred on Friday evening by the town of Tlahuelilpan in the state of Hidalgo, in one of the deadliest incidents to hit Mexico's troubled oil infrastructure in years. A number of people at the scene told Reuters that local shortages in gasoline supply since Lopez Obrador launched a drive to stamp out fuel theft had encouraged the rush to the gushing pipeline.
NewsUSA TODAYAirlines already canceling flights into Monday from Winter Storm Harper
PREVIOUS UPDATE (Saturday, 8:25 p.m.): Flight headaches were on the rise Saturday as a potent winter storm moved from the Midwest into the Northeast. Airline cancellations mounted, with some flights on Monday already off the books. For Saturday, more than 2,125 flights had been canceled nationwide and another 2,570 delayed as of 8:25 p.m. ET, according to flight-tracking service FlightAware.
NewsAFPWomen march for safe streets after murder of Israeli student
Thousands of protesters have marched in Australia calling for an end to violence against women, days after the murder of an Israeli student in Melbourne. Demonstrators called for streets to be made safe for women after the body of 21-year-old Aiia Maasarwe was found in bushes near a tram stop on Wednesday. During Sunday's march, campaigners held banners with the words "I'm here for Aiia" and "stop violence against women".
- WorldThe Telegraph
Model who alleged Russian meddling in US election tells Moscow court she will not publish Deripaska recordings
Anastasia Vashukevich, the model who recorded a former employer of Paul Manafort allegedly discussing US relations with a Russian deputy prime minister during the 2016 election, has promised in a Moscow court not to release any further recordings. Ms Vashukevich previously claimed to have evidence of Russian interference in the US election from a fling with Oleg Deripaska, the metals magnate to whom Donald Trump's campaign manager Manafort reportedly promised private briefings, something Deripaska always denied. Video she uploaded to Instagram showed Mr Deripaska speaking on a yacht in 2016 with Sergei Prikhodko, a deputy prime minister and long-time aide to Vladimir Putin.
- PoliticsThe Independent
Government shutdown: US federal workers turn to pawn shops for cash as stalemate goes on
US federal workers who are not getting paid during the longest government shutdown in the country's history are increasingly turning to pawnbrokers for short-term loans, according to shop owners. The turnout is small – a few people per day – pawnbrokers said, but many expect the numbers to increase amid the stalemate. About 800,000 federal workers have missed a paycheck during the nearly month-long shutdown.
BusinessAFPBritish pound recovers as May outlines Brexit 'Plan B'
The pound recovered ground Monday after British Prime Minister Theresa May said she plans to return to Brussels to discuss changes to the Brexit deal she agreed with EU leaders last month despite an overwhelming rejection of the draft text by MPs last week. There was mixed news out of China, with official data showing the country's economic growth at its slowest pace in 28 years offsetting a report that the country has offered to eliminate its massive trade surplus with the United States -- easing trade war tensions between the world's two biggest economies. Britain, meanwhile, is on course to crash out of the European Union on March 29 without a deal unless UK MPs can force a delay or come up with an alternative plan that Brussels is also happy with.
- NewsYahoo News
Divided over leadership, but united in goals, women march and rally in New York
On Saturday, the day designated to mark the second anniversary of the Women's March, women in New York City could march, rally or protest in a variety of locations and under different auspices, but the messages, and even one of the messengers, weren't that different. In the past, New York City's march was led by Women's March Alliance, a grassroots organization unaffiliated with the national organization Women's March Inc., which organized the original rally in Washington in 2017. Spectators and supporters attend the Women's Unity Rally, hosted by a chapter of Women's March Inc., at Foley Square in New York City on Jan. 19, 2019.
- WorldAssociated Press
In rare move, Israel confirms attacking Iran forces in Syria
In an extraordinary statement, the Israeli military confirmed early Monday that it attacked Iranian military targets in Syria, hours after carrying out a rare daylight air raid near the Damascus International Airport. The statement was issued hours after Israeli missile defenses intercepted an incoming missile over the Golan Heights in the wake of the airport raid. "We have started striking Iranian Quds targets in Syrian territory," the military statement said.
- PoliticsBloomberg
A Top House Democrat Offers a Path to a Deal Ending Shutdown Fight
Lawmakers from both parties and Vice President Mike Pence went on Sunday morning political shows -- and Trump took to Twitter -- to talk about a potential deal after the president on Saturday outlined what he called a compromise to secure money for the wall he promised during his 2016 presidential campaign. Blame Game It was Trump's first substantive offer aimed at peeling off moderate Democrats and shifting blame with an American public that so far holds him the most responsible for the month-long shutdown that reached its 30th day on Sunday.
- LifestyleCar and Driver
The Entry-Level 2019 Porsche Cayenne Deserves Your Attention
The route from Los Angeles to our desert testing grounds climbs over the San Gabriel Mountains through 40 miles of corners and clouds that test handling, braking, and power. Of our dozens of commutes over these mountains this year, there are a few memorable standouts: the traffic-free run in a Mustang GT, the 911 GT3's 9000-rpm shriek bouncing off the rock walls, a paradigm-busting drive in an Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio, and this most recent assault in the redesigned Porsche Cayenne. Porsche did spec this one with the optional air springs and adaptive dampers ($4160) and 21-inch wheels wrapped in wide summer tires ($5510).
NewsReutersWinter storm to hit U.S. northeast with up to two feet of snow
A winter storm that has blanketed the U.S. Midwest with snow advanced on the U.S. Northeast on Saturday, forcing the cancellation of flights and train service during a holiday weekend when many Americans were traveling. The Weather Service has issued winter storm warnings or advisories for a swath of the eastern United States that is home to 100 million people, said meteorologist Rich Otto of the U.S. Weather Prediction Center. The storm system, which was moving from west to east and was strengthened by arctic air from Canada, hit many parts of the Midwest on Friday, according to the National Weather Service.
- U.S.KTRK – Houston
5 shot and 3 killed after homeowner opens fire on suspects in east Houston
Houston Police have cleared the scene where 5 men where shot, killing 3.
- WorldThe Telegraph
Congo opposition leader declares himself president as court upholds election result
Congo's political standoff deepend on Sunday after the top court backed the contested presidential election victory of Felix Tshisekedi, then his main rival rejected the ruling, called for protests and declared himself leader. As Mr Tshisekedi's supporters celebrated the ruling in the streets of Democratic Republic of Congo's capital, runner-up Martin Fayulu said the decision had opened the way to a “constitutional coup d'etat”, raising fears of more violence. Rwandan President Paul Kagame - the chair of the African Union which has said it has “serious concerns” about the vote and called for the results to be delayed - was due to arrive in Kinshasa with an AU delegation to discuss the crisis on Monday.
- HealthThe Independent
E-cigarettes could be banned in US, FDA says
E-cigarettes and vaping products face an "existential threat" in the US if their use among young people continues to rise, the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned. Scott Gottlieb spoke on Friday at a public hearing in Maryland focused on eliminating the use of "electronic cigarette and other tobacco product use" among American youth, at a time when the agency has threatened stores selling e-cigarettes to minors and seized thousands of documents from Juul Labs, the maker of a popular vaporising product, during a surprise inspection of the company's corporate headquarters. If the youth use continues to rise, and we see significant increases in use in 2019, on top of the dramatic rise in 2018, the entire category will face an existential threat,” Mr Gottlieb said.
WorldAFPGhosn awaits fate after vowing to stay in Japan if bailed
Carlos Ghosn awaits his fate as a Tokyo court prepares to rule on his bail request after the ousted Nissan boss vowed to remain in Japan if released and offered to provide more collateral. "As the court considers my bail application, I want to emphasise that I will reside in Japan and respect any and all bail conditions the Court concludes are warranted," Ghosn said in a statement released by his US-based representatives. A spokeswoman for Ghosn, Devon Spurgeon, said his family had already rented an apartment in Tokyo where he promised to reside while awaiting trial.
BusinessUSA TODAYWhy the stock market is headed for a swift recovery
In my four earlier ones, I covered why December was lousy and why stocks are on the right side of a swift V-shaped recovery. U.S. stocks have climbed more than 10 percent since the market close on Christmas Eve. Assuming December 24 remains the bottom, this correction ended later in a calendar year than any correction or bear market ever.
- WorldAssociated Press
US airstrike in Somalia kills 52 al-Shabab extremists
The U.S. military on Saturday said it had carried out its deadliest airstrike in Somalia in months, killing 52 al-Shabab extremists after a "large group" mounted an attack on Somali forces. The U.S. Africa Command said the airstrike occurred near Jilib in Middle Juba region. The U.S. statement did not say whether any Somali forces were killed or wounded by the al-Qaida-linked extremists.
- PoliticsYahoo News
Trump offers a deal on immigration and shutdown, and it hits a wall
Trump's new offer includes extensions of legal protections for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders — refugees living in the United States who face persecution or other dangers in their home countries — and the 700,000 beneficiaries of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program, sometimes called “Dreamers. The Trump administration's efforts to dismantle DACA and end TPS for several countries have been derailed by a number of legal challenges. In October, a federal judge in California issued a preliminary injunction against the administration's intention to stop renewing the legal status of 300,000 TPS holders from El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua and Sudan.
- WorldThe Telegraph
First picture: Prince Philip car crash victim 'not getting enough support from Palace'
A mother of two whose wrist was broken when the car she was in collided with Prince Philip's Land Rover has told friends she is “unhappy” with the way Buckingham Palace has handled the accident. The Telegraph can reveal that Emma Fairweather, 45, was the passenger in the Kia car last Thursday when it struck the Duke of Edinburgh's Land Rover near the Queen's Sandringham estate in Norfolk. Ms Fairweather has since complained of feeling “overwhelmed” by the experience of being involved, firstly, in a crash and, secondly, in one involving the husband of the monarch.
NewsReutersFlash freeze of melting snowstorm seen icing over U.S. Northeast
Plunging temperatures after a wet winter storm dumped more than a foot of snow on parts of the U.S. Northeast were expected to flash freeze much of the region on Sunday and make travel dicey during the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday on Monday. "Any water that remains on the road will freeze into a sheet of ice and make conditions quite hazardous," said Rich Otto, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service (NWS). Sub-zero temperatures tied to gusting winds prompted the NWS to issue wind chill advisories and warnings for more than 10 states, from North Dakota and other parts of the central United States to East Coast metropolitan centers including Washington, New York and Boston.
- WorldTime
'We Are All Stakeholders of Our Global Future': Klaus Schwab, Founder of the World Economic Forum, Talks Change and Progress
Klaus Schwab, founder of the World Economic Forum, sat down with TIME to discuss a sweeping vision for a rapidly changing world ahead of this year's summit, which will begin in Davos, Switzerland on Tuesday. “Big issues in the world cannot be solved by governments alone,” Schwab said, speaking with TIME Editor-in-Chief and CEO Edward Felsenthal and National Correspondent Haley Sweetland Edwards in December. Decades ago, Schwab helped define “stakeholder theory,” which holds that businesses are not only responsible to their shareholders, but also to the wider array of “stakeholders” — employees, governments, customers and others — that it impacts.
- BusinessBloomberg
Saudi Crown Prince Shows a 'Chilling' Instability, Graham Says
Saudi Arabia's Mohammed bin Salman has shown “a level of instability that is chilling,” and U.S. lawmakers will take action against the crown prince for his role in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Senator Lindsey Graham said. Sanctions are forthcoming, likely in the next few days or weeks, the Republican senator said in an interview on Saturday in Ankara, without providing any specific details on the penalties that may be imposed. Congress will send a very clear signal to the world and Saudi Arabia that we would not be doing business as usual.
WorldAFPIsrael to open new international airport near Red Sea
Israel was to inaugurate a new international airport Monday in its desert south meant to boost tourism to the nearby Red Sea and serve as an emergency alternative to Tel Aviv's Ben-Gurion airport. The official ceremony was scheduled to begin at 11:30 am (0930 GMT) with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in attendance. Initially Ramon Airport will handle only domestic flights, operated by Israeli carriers Arkia and Israir.
- NewsHuffPost Opinion
Christian Schools Like Karen Pence's Are The Real Threat To Academic Freedom
I say that these schools are not only anti-American, in that they exclude so many Americans, but are also not in the best educational interests of the students who attend them. For too many other institutions, faith provides the material to build a defensive wall rather than a strong foundation. There are about 27,000 religious private K-12 schools in the United States and over 1,000 religious colleges and universities.
