PoliticsUSA TODAY'But, Mr. President, he's dead': Trump defends his attacks against McCain in Fox interview
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump defended his harsh criticism of the late Sen. John McCain in an interview with Fox Business Network, blaming the news media for bringing up the feud and continuing to highlight it in daily coverage. "I don't talk about it. People ask me the question, I didn't bring this up," Trump told host Maria Bartiromo in an interview set to air Friday.
NewsReutersJustice Thomas speaks as U.S. top court confronts racial bias in jury selection
U.S. Supreme Court justices appeared poised to side with a black Mississippi death row inmate put on trial six times for a 1996 quadruple murder who accused a prosecutor of repeatedly blocking black potential jurors, though the court's only black member sounded skeptical. Justice Clarence Thomas, who had not posed a question during an oral argument in three years, asked several in the case involving Curtis Flowers, 48, who has argued that his constitutional right to a fair trial was violated. Thomas, an idiosyncratic conservative and only the second African American ever appointed to the court, signaled through his questions he might vote against Flowers, who otherwise drew broad support among the other justices, both liberal and conservative.
NewsAssociated PressThe Latest: Minnesota to help Nebraska flood fight
The order came after Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts requested Minnesota Army National Guard helicopter support. Minnesota sent one CH-47 Chinook helicopter with 10 personnel to support flood response operations in Nebraska on Wednesday morning. Minnesota Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Jon Jensen says in a statement that the emergency executive order will remain in effect until the emergency flood conditions in Nebraska ease.
- BusinessMashable
Brew craft beer at home with the PicoBrew brewing machine — on sale for $150 off at Best Buy
From now until March 23, get the PicoBrew Pico Model C brewing machine for $150 off at Best Buy, bringing the price down to $249. Pico Model C brings the taproom to your home by equipping you to brew award-winning beers from more than 170 breweries around the world without needing complex equipment and supplies. Sort of like a meal kit delivery service, PicoBrew pre-packages all the ingredients you'll need to create the brew of your choosing.
- WorldNational Review
Sanders: 'We Must Follow New Zealand's Lead' on Assault-Rifle Ban
Senator Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) on Thursday praised New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern for immediately banning military-style semi-automatic weapons in response to the Christchurch mosque shootings, and suggested the executive action should serve as a blueprint for the U.S. This is what real action to stop gun violence looks like. The ban, which applies to semi-automatic rifles and shotguns that can be equipped with detachable magazines capable of holding more than five rounds, went into immediate effect Thursday to prevent stockpiling, and legislation codifying it is expected to pass Parliament in the coming days.
EntertainmentYahoo NewsOcasio-Cortez fires back at Fox News for 'Latina thing' segment
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez fired back against Laura Ingraham on Wednesday after the Fox News host and a guest mocked the freshman New York Democrat for the way in which she pronounces her name. On her primetime show Tuesday night, Ingraham asked conservative lawyer Joe diGenova if he had noticed the way Ocasio-Cortez introduces herself with a “put on” accent. Ocasio-Cortez responded on Twitter.
WorldReutersCitigroup to sell Venezuelan gold in setback to President Maduro: sources
Maduro's government has since 2014 used financial operations known as gold swaps to use its international reserves to gain access to cash after a slump in oil revenues left it struggling to obtain hard currency. Under the terms of the 2015 deal with Citigroup's Citibank, Venezuela was due to repay $1.1 billion of the loan on March 11, according to four sources familiar with the situation. Citibank plans to sell the gold held as a guarantee - which has a market value of roughly $1.358 billion - to recover the first tranche of the loan and will deposit the excess of roughly $258 million in a bank account in New York, two of the sources said.
- BusinessCar and Driver
See Photos of the New 2020 Porsche Cayenne Coupe
Porsche joins competitors Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz with a coupe version of its Cayenne SUV at a modest price premium over the standard Cayenne and Cayenne Turbo. From Car and Driver
- BusinessUSA TODAY
FBI joins criminal probe into Boeing 737 Max 8 safety certification in wake of crashes
The FBI has joined the widening criminal probe into how Boeing's 737 Max 8 jets were deemed as safe in the months before two of them crashed in Indonesia and Ethiopia, leading to a worldwide grounding of the vaunted planes amid scrutiny of U.S. certification standards. A person familiar with the inquiry told USA TODAY on Wednesday that the FBI is assisting federal transportation authorities in their investigation into the jet's certification process, which has come under criticism for possible cozy relationships between Boeing and FAA inspectors. The two crashes killed more than 300 people since October. Transportation Department officials are leading the investigation into the Federal Aviation Administration approval of the passenger jet, while the FBI is providing needed resources, said the person, who is not authorized to comment publicly.
- PoliticsThe Independent
Trump investigation: Former White House aide Hope Hicks 'to cooperate' with Democrat probe
Former senior White House official Hope Hicks is said to have agreed to cooperate with a Democratic-led congressional investigation into Donald Trump. Ms Hicks, 30, who was considered one of the president's closest confidantes and who served as White House communications director from the summer of 2017 to the spring of last year, has reportedly said she will provide documents to a congressional committee looking into possible obstruction of justice by Mr Trump. CNN said Democratic congressman Jerry Nadler, chair of the House of Representative's judiciary committee, wrote to Ms Hicks earlier this month, seeking documents on topics that ranged from former national security advisor Michael Flynn's false statements to the FBI, the May 2017 firing of James Comey, and the drafting of a misleading media statement about Donald Trump Jr's 2016 meeting in Trump Tower.
NewsAssociated PressThe Latest: Responding officer testifies in teen's death
The Latest on the homicide trial of a white Pennsylvania police officer in the shooting of an unarmed black 17-year-old (all times local): 6:40 p.m. The second day of the criminal homicide trial of a white officer who fatally shot an unarmed black teenager has ended for the day with compelling witness testimony that included a neighbor saying he heard the officer say "I don't know why I shot him." Former East Pittsburgh Police Officer Michael Rosfeld's trial will continue Thursday.
- BusinessThe National Interest
Bringing the Sting: The U.S. Navy Is Getting New F/A-18E/F Super Hornets
David Axe Security, The Super Hornets would be the first new-build examples of the Block III variant of the F/A-18E/F. The Block III flies farther and carries more weapons than an older F/A-18E/F can do and also is stealthier than earlier Super Hornet models are. The U.S. Navy in mid-March 2019 awarded Chicago plane-maker Boeing a $4-billion contract to build 78 F/A-18E/F Super Hornets for the U.S. Navy. The Super Hornets would be the first new-build examples of the Block III variant of the F/A-18E/F. The Block III flies farther and carries more weapons than an older F/A-18E/F can do and also is stealthier than earlier Super Hornet models are.
WorldAFPPound rises on Brexit delay; economic gloom hits European stocks
Sterling rose further Friday after Brussels gave Britain a Brexit deadline extension, but stocks dived as fresh economic gloom gripped trading floors. European equities tanked and the euro sank under $1.13 as poor eurozone manufacturing data rekindled fears over the state of the world economy, dealers said. The pound however pushed higher one day after European Union leaders agreed at a crucial summit to delay Brexit following a request from Prime Minister Theresa May.
- U.S.WTVR - Richmond
`Confusing` Sign May Have Caused Deadly Charter Bus Crash in Virginia
As investigators work to determine what caused a charter bus crash in Virginia that killed two people and hospitalized 54 others, people familiar with that stretch of interstate wonder if a group of signs may have contributed to the crash.
- WorldBloomberg
New Zealand Bans Assault Rifles in Wake of Deadly Attacks
The ban takes immediate effect to prevent stockpiling of firearms while the legislation is being drafted, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told reporters on Thursday. Further changes in gun laws to tighten licensing and increase controls over ammunition will be made in coming months. “I strongly believe that the vast majority of legitimate gun owners in New Zealand will understand that these moves are in the national interest, and will take these changes in their stride,” she said.
BusinessReutersAmerican Airlines pilots expect to test 737 MAX software fix in Boeing simulator
American Airlines pilots expect to test Boeing Co's 737 MAX software fix on simulators this weekend, the pilots' union told Reuters on Thursday, a key step in restoring their confidence in the jet after two fatal crashes. Boeing has been working on a software upgrade for an anti-stall system and pilot displays on its fastest-selling jetliner in the wake of the deadly Lion Air crash in Indonesia in October. Similarities between the flight path in the Lion Air incident and a fatal Ethiopian Airlines crash on March 10 have raised fresh questions about the system, and pilots want assurances that the update is solid.
NewsAssociated PressThe Latest: Forecasters: 'historic' flooding could hit South
Officials with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration say flooding could reach unprecedented levels in parts of the U.S. later this spring, as winter snow melts and swollen rivers rise. NOAA spokeswoman Lauren Gaches said during a conference call Thursday that existing flooding along the Mississippi River and other waterways is expected to get worse, possibly even worse than historic floods in 1993 and 2011. Forecasters have said that rapidly melting snow in the upper Midwest is contributing to flooding that will eventually make its way downstream to the Gulf Coast.
NewsUSA TODAYHarvard University sued over allegedly profiting from what are believed to be the earliest photos of American slaves
Among the photographed: an African man named Renty and his daughter, Delia. Former professor Louis Agassiz, a biologist, had the photos taken to support an erroneous theory called polygenism that he and others used to argue that African-Americans were inferior to white people. Now, a woman who says she is a direct descendant of that father and child – Tamara Lanier, the great-great-great granddaughter of Renty – is suing Harvard over the photos.
PoliticsYahoo NewsPresident Trump's latest executive order is a shot in the campus free speech wars
President Trump signed an executive order on Thursday afternoon that the White House has billed as an effort to “improve Transparency and Promote Free Speech In Higher Ed.” The move comes after years of complaints from conservative activists that college campuses are hostile to right-leaning views and speakers. “In America, the very heart of universities' mission is preparing students for life as citizens in a free society, Trump said at the signing ceremony. Trump in his speech referenced some of the cultural buzzwords that have emerged in recent years during debates about speech at universities, such as “safe spaces” and “trigger warnings,” but it's unclear under what circumstances universities would face repercussions based on this new order.
- NewsUSA TODAY
Catholic Church scandal: 395 Illinois priests, deacons accused of sexual misconduct
CHICAGO – Nearly 400 Catholic clergy members in Illinois have been accused of sexual misconduct, but church officials have only informed congregants of a fraction of those who have faced allegations, according to attorneys who represented clergy sex abuse victims across the USA. A 182-page report, published Wednesday by the Minnesota-based law firm Jeff Anderson and Associates, includes the names, background information, photos and assignment histories of each accused clergy member. The danger of sexual abuse in Illinois is clearly a problem of today, not just the past,” the report concludes.
PoliticsFOX News VideosSamantha Bee skewers Democratic 2020 hopefuls on late-night talk show
Late-night TV host Samantha Bee ripped into the growing field of Democratic 2020 presidential hopefuls Wednesday night. The 'Full Frontal' host commented on everything from Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's campaign slogan, to former Vice President Joe Biden not making a decision on his third potential presidential run. The TBS star also went after former Texas congressman Beto O'Rourke, Sen. Cory Booker and Sen. Amy Klobuchar.
WorldAFPVenezuela arrests Guaido aide for 'terrorism' in defiance of US
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's regime defied the US on Thursday to arrest a top aide of opposition leader Juan Guaido, whom Washington recognizes as the crisis-hit country's interim leader. Interior Minister Nestor Reverol accused the aide, Roberto Marrero, a 49-year-old lawyer who serves as Guaido's chief of staff, of leading a "terrorist cell" bent on attacking the government's leadership with the help of Colombian and Central American mercenaries as well as "acts of sabotage on public services to create chaos." He said weapons and foreign cash were found in a predawn raid on Marrero's home.
- BusinessBGR News
T-Mobile unveils home broadband service that could expand after Sprint merger
T-Mobile on Thursday unveiled a limited home internet service that it plans to pilot for 50,000 mobile customers at $50 a month, with the company promising it could build on that, and eventually offer a lot more once its $26.5 billion merger with Sprint finally goes through. For now, the new invitation-only service will focus on areas where the carrier can deliver high-speed internet access to connect up to 50,000 homes in rural and underserved parts of the country. Once it merges with Sprint, however, T-Mobile says it should be able to cover more than half of the US with broadband service by 2024.
- WorldNational Review
New Zealand Prime Minister Says Semi-Automatic Weapons Will Be Banned After Mass Shooting
New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern said Thursday that the country will ban military-style semi-automatic weapons, assault rifles and high-capacity magazines after the shooting massacre that killed 50 last week. On Friday, a 28-year-old Australian gunman who identified with white supremacist causes and possessed a firearms license shot up two mosques in Christchurch, killing 50 and injuring 50, including small children, the deadliest shooting in the country's recent history.
BusinessReutersEthiopia crash captain did not train on airline's MAX simulator: source
The captain of a doomed Ethiopian Airlines flight did not get a chance to practice on his airline's new simulator for the Boeing 737 MAX 8 before he died in a crash with 157 others, a pilot colleague said. Captain Yared Getachew, 29, was due for refresher training at the end of March, his colleague told Reuters, two months after Ethiopian Airlines had received one of the first such simulators being distributed. The March 10 disaster, following another MAX 8 crash in Indonesia in October, has set off one of the biggest inquiries in aviation history, focused on the safety of a new automated system and whether crews understood it properly.
