- PoliticsYahoo News
Donald Trump's week of living dangerously
A Quinnipiac University poll taken right at the time Trump visited the Texas border found that 59 percent of Americans considered a wall a bad use of taxpayer money, while just 40 percent agreed with the president. While there was no shortage of polls concluding that more Americans blamed Trump than Congressional Democrats for the shutdown, the data that might have concerned him more showed that he was losing support from his vaunted political base. An NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll, for instance, showed Trump's support among suburban white men had dropped 18 points, his approval rating among white evangelicals was down 13 points, and there was an overall dip among all Republicans of 10 points.
- BusinessUSA TODAY
Omaha airport reopens after Southwest Airlines plane goes off runway
A Southwest Airlines plane went off the runway Friday after landing at Eppley Airfield in Omaha, Nebraska, resulting in the airport's closure and the suspension of all flights. The airport reopened Friday following the closure, with a statement on Twitter warning there would be continued flight delays. "Initial reports indicate Southwest flight #1643, a Boeing 737-800, traveling from Las Vegas to Omaha, slid onto a runway overrun area after landing and while taxiing to the terminal," Southwest confirmed to USA TODAY in a statement.
WorldReutersKenyan authorities investigate local role in Nairobi attack
Officials have released few details about the five-man assault team that carried out Tuesday's siege at the dusitD2 hotel complex, an attack that killed 21 people and was claimed by al Shabaab, a Somalia-based al Qaeda affiliate. How did he get to where he is?" said a private security official in Kenya, who asked not to be identified for operational reasons. "If al Shabaab can replicate this model, then there is a fundamental problem." All five assailants were killed in Tuesday's attack, the country's president said in a televised address the next morning.
- NewsMashable
Mexican airline trolls Americans with brilliant ad
While the debate over immigration and a border wall between the United States and Mexico has helped grind the U.S. federal government to a halt, Mexico's national airline, AeroMexico, is trolling Americans with a new ad called "DNA Discounts." The ad features purported residents of Wharton, Texas, a town about 60 miles southwest of Houston, professing a variety of opinions about Mexico and its citizens. The ad also drops some knowledge about the long history of immigration from Mexico to the U.S., and notes that many in southern and southwestern states have a touch of Mexican DNA.
- WorldThe National Interest
China's Worst F-35 and Aircraft Carrier Nightmare Is About to Come True
David Axe Security, Asia Japan's cabinet on Dec. 18, 2018 approved a plan to modify the Japanese navy's two Izumo-class helicopter carriers to embark F-35B stealth fighters. If other navies' experiences are any indication, the Izumos could embark a dozen or more F-35s plus supporting helicopters. It's worth noting that the Japanese army is buying V-22 tiltrotor transports that also could operate from the navy's carriers.
- NewsThe Independent
Women's March NYC 2019: Everything you need to know about the events in New York
Thousands of demonstrators will take up the streets of the Big Apple this weekend for the third annual Women's March in New York City. The mass protest began in January 2017 on the inauguration of President Donald Trump to protest his election win, notably racist and sexist policies, and his history of alleged sexual misconduct. One of the marches, organised by the Women's March Alliance—the same organisation that spearheaded the 2017 and 2018 marches in New York—will start from the Upper West Side and into Midtown.
- BusinessBloomberg
Singapore Plans to Buy F-35 Fighter Jets to Replace F-16 Fleet
Singapore has identified Lockheed Martin Corp. s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter as the most suitable replacement for its fleet of F-16 fighter jets and plans to buy a small number for evaluation, the Ministry of Defense said in a statement on Friday. The Air Force's F-16s that were in service since 1998 will retire soon after 2030, Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen said in a Facebook post the same day.
WorldAssociated PressMerkel's Bavarian allies elect new head, ushering in new era
Chancellor Angela Merkel's Bavarian allies elected a new leader Saturday, a change that offers Germany's center-right a chance to move past their persistent bickering over recent years. The 52-year-old Markus Soeder was elected unopposed in Munich with more than 87 percent of the votes to lead the Christian Social Union. The CSU is the Bavaria-only sister party to Merkel's Christian Democratic Union, an independent-minded and sometimes-awkward ally despite the fact that they have a joint group in Germany's national parliament.
- U.S.KABC – Los Angeles
Calabasas campground murder: Family of Tristan Beaudette file $90M claim over his death
The family of the man shot and killed while camping with his daughters at Malibu Creek State Park has filed a $90 million claim over his death.
PoliticsAFPSpecial counsel disputes explosive report on Trump lawyer testimony
Special Counsel Robert Mueller's office took the rare step Friday of disputing a news report on his Russia investigation, saying a BuzzFeed article alleging that US President Donald Trump directed his former lawyer to lie to Congress is "not accurate." Trump's lieutenants had already strongly pushed back against the report, which said that the president ordered Michael Cohen to lie about a Russian skyscraper project they pursued during the 2016 election. "BuzzFeed's description of specific statements to the Special Counsel's Office, and characterization of documents and testimony obtained by this office, regarding Michael Cohen's Congressional testimony are not accurate," spokesman Peter Car...
- NewsUSA TODAY
Snow: Flight cancellations now stretch into Sunday
SATURDAY UPDATE: Flight headaches were on the rise Saturday as a potent winter storm moved from the Midwest into the Northeast. Airline cancellations were mounting, with some flights on Monday already off the books. All big U.S. airlines were waiving change fees at many airports in the storm's path.
- BusinessCar and Driver
Tesla Is Cutting 3150 Jobs to Increase Model 3 Production
In an email sent to Tesla employees that was later published on its website, CEO Elon Musk announced that approximately 7% of Tesla's full-time employees will be let go. The cuts will hopefully help Tesla's quest to increase Model 3 production and finally introduce the $35,000 Standard Range variant that has been talked about since the Model 3's inception. In the email, Musk states "we unfortunately have no choice but to reduce full-time employee headcount," adding that "there isn't any other way" to achieve Tesla's goals.
- WorldReuters
Syrian opposition sees window for political solution in Syria
Syria now has a good opportunity to reach a political solution to its devastating eight-year war as ceasefires have brought calm to many areas of the country, Syria's chief opposition negotiator said on Saturday. quot;I think now that we have an opportunity, because nearly in Syria we have a ceasefire now, in the northeast of Syria and the north of Syria, and the efforts of fighting terrorism has achieved good results," Nasr Hariri told Reuters in an interview in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh, where he is based. Hariri, the opposition's chief negotiator in U.N. peace talks, met with the newly appointed United Nations Special Envoy to Syria Geir Pedersen on Friday.
- NewsAssociated Press
The Latest: Officer to plead not guilty after man's death
The Latest on the criminal case against a white Nashville police officer who shot and killed an armed black man who was fleeing (all times local): 4:05 p.m. The attorney for a white police officer indicted in Tennessee on a charge of first-degree murder in the death of an armed black man says the officer will plead not guilty. David Raybin says in an email that Nashville office Andrew Delke acted in accordance with his training and Tennessee law when he shot 25-year-old Daniel Hambrick from behind during a foot chase in July.
- WorldThe Independent
US Navy chief hints aircraft carrier could be sent through Taiwan Strait, despite threat of new Chinese missiles
The US Navy could still send an aircraft carrier through the Taiwan Strait in spite of Chinese military technology advances which pose a greater threat to American warships than ever before, the US chief of naval operations has said. Such an operation would inevitably increase the risk of military conflict between the world's largest superpowers, which are currently locked in an escalating trade war and ongoing disputes over territorial claims in the South China Sea. Washington sent ships through the strategic waterway, which separates Taiwan from the Chinese mainland, three times last year, but has not dispatched a carrier in more than 10 years.
NewsUSA TODAYTSA officers open up about what the government shutdown is doing to their families
Standing in the security line at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in Arizona, passengers likely haven't felt the impact of the partial shutdown of the federal government. Employees of the Transportation Security Administration are working without pay, but wait times have consistently been 5-10 minutes at most checkpoints. Like TSA officers elsewhere in the country, these officers missed their first paycheck on Jan. 11.
- LifestyleThe Telegraph
Netflix tidying guru sparks charity shop boom
A Netflix tidying guru has sparked a charity shop boom, as branches of Salvation Army, Scope and the British Heart Foundation have said she has led to increase in donations. It comes as decluttering expert Marie Kondo has rapidly risen to fame with her "KonMari" household organisation method, which promises to provide not only a de-cluttered house, but also a clean mind. Through her hit Netflix show she is teaching those with messy tendencies to get their homes in order by throwing out old and unwanted items to create a calmer home environment.
- PoliticsYahoo News Photo Staff
PHOTOS: Protesters take part in third annual Women's March
Women will march in hundreds of U.S. cities and overseas on Saturday to mark the second anniversary of demonstrations that drew millions of protesters to the streets the day after Republican President Donald Trump's inauguration in January 2017. Women's March, a national nonprofit organization that evolved from the initial Washington march, is again hosting its main event in Washington, with hundreds of “sister” marches in other cities. March On, a separate grassroots coalition that also grew from the original march, has coordinated hundreds of marches in cities such as Boston, Houston, Baltimore and Denver.
- NewsYahoo News
Non-zero tolerance: DHS is still separating families at the border
In the five months since President Trump issued an executive order indefinitely suspending his administration's zero-tolerance family separation policy, immigration officials have continued to separate immigrant children and parents — at steadily increasing rates. According to a report released Thursday by the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), between July 1 and Nov. 7 last year, at least 118 immigrant children were separated from parents or adult guardians by officials at the border and referred to the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), the department in HHS that is responsible for the care of unaccompanied immigrant children in U.S. custody. The key takeaway of the report, which prompted immediate calls for accountability from immigration advocates and some Democratic lawmakers, was that the total number of immigrant families separated by border officials under the Trump administration is unknown and likely significantly larger than what had previously been announced.
BusinessReutersWinter storm disturbs travel as it rolls toward U.S. Midwest, Northeast
A major winter storm was expected to clobber a large swath of the northern United States with heavy snow, gusty winds and frigid temperatures making travel difficult and dangerous starting on Friday and through the weekend, forecasters said. The storm system will dump 6 to 10 inches (15 to 25 cm) of snow in the Plains and Midwest on Friday night and Saturday and as it moves east at least a foot of snow in parts of the Northeast on Saturday and Sunday, the National Weather Service (NWS) said in several advisories. The system was expected to also bring freezing rain, wind gusts of 35 miles (56 km) per hour and quickly dropping temperatures that will to dip into the teens and even below zero Fahrenheit in several areas, the service said.
- NewsThe Telegraph
Prince Philip crash: As Duke takes delivery of another Land Rover, will he be back on the road soon?
A replacement Land Rover, previously driven by the Duke of Edinburgh, has been delivered to the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, hours after his car was involved in a horror crash. A black Land Rover Freelander was driven into Sandringham inside a delivery truck on Friday morning. The Land Rover is the same model as the one Prince Philip, 97, was driving in yesterday's crash, which also involved a Kia.
PoliticsFOX News VideosKen Starr on Mueller's office disputing accuracy of Buzzfeed report that Trump told Cohen to lie to Congress
Former Whitewater independent counsel Ken Starr weighs in on the rare public statement by Special Counsel Robert Mueller's office.
NewsAssociated PressThe Latest: Police chief calls 14-year-old's death 'tragic'
A suburban Phoenix police chief has offered her condolences to the family of a 14-year-old burglary suspect who was shot and killed by an officer. Tempe Police Chief Sylvia Moir called the death this week "tragic" and asked that the public withhold judgment until an investigation is completed. The boy, identified by his family as Antonio Arce, was carrying a replica handgun when he was shot by a Tempe officer identified only as Officer Jaen.
WorldAFPIsrael demolishes home of accused Palestinian killer
Israeli forces demolished the West Bank home on Friday of a Palestinian accused of the fatal September stabbing of an Israeli-American. Residents of the town of Yata, near the flashpoint city of Hebron, said that troops arrived at the home of Khalil Jabareen and were met by stone-throwing Palestinians. The Israeli army said the structure destroyed was an apartment where Jabareen lived.
- BusinessUSA TODAY
What is open and closed on Martin Luther King Jr. Day?
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a federal holiday falling on the third Monday of every January. The day, also celebrating King's birthday, honors his legacy and shines a light on civil rights. King was assassinated in April 1968 on a motel balcony in Memphis. On Nov. 2, 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed a bill marking the third Monday of every January as Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
