- U.S.The Independent
Virginia lawmakers reject assault weapon ban after white supremacists said it would spark civil war
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam's push to ban the sale of assault weapons has failed after members of his own party balked at the proposal. Senators voted to shelve the bill for the year and ask the state crime commission to study the issue, an outcome that drew cheers from a committee room packed with gun advocates. Four moderate Democrats joined Republicans in Monday's committee vote, rejecting legislation that would have prohibited the sale of certain semiautomatic firearms, including popular AR-15 style rifles, and banned the possession of magazines that hold more than 12 rounds.
- U.S.Associated Press
Mom, daughter plead not guilty to slaying 5 close relatives
A mother and her adult daughter pleaded not guilty Tuesday to killing five of their close relatives, including three children, at an apartment outside Philadelphia. Forty-six-year-old Shana Decree and her 20-year-old daughter Dominique Decree sat side by side in court in suburban Bucks County and affirmed their pleas to charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy. The pair barely spoke, except to respond to the judge's questions about the charges and their pleas.
- PoliticsThe Guardian
Group of more than 1,000 judges calls emergency meeting amid Trump concerns
A national association of federal judges has called an emergency meeting to address growing concerns about the intervention of Donald Trump and justice department officials in politically sensitive cases, according to US media reports. Cynthia Rufe, a Philadelphia US district judge who heads the independent Federal Judges Association, which has more than 1,100 members, told USA Today the group “could not wait” until its spring conference to discuss the matter. The meeting comes after more than 2,000 former US justice department officials, including some of the top government lawyers in the country, called on the attorney general, William Barr, to resign in the wake of the Roger Stone scandal.
- WorldThe Daily Beast
U.S. Coronavirus Cases Nearly Double With No End in Sight
Confirmed cases of the new, deadly coronavirus in the United States almost doubled over the holiday weekend thanks to the messy evacuation of Americans from a cruise ship in Japan, while fresh numbers from China suggested the disease might be deadlier than first believed. The U.S. government evacuated 328 American passengers from Tokyo early Monday on two chartered cargo jets, leaving dozens others behind who preferred to stay on the Diamond Princess cruise ship—despite a strong disembarkation recommendation from the federal government. All travelers from Japan were screened before boarding the aircraft “to prevent symptomatic travelers from departing Japan,” according to the CDC.
- WorldUSA TODAY
Missing more than a year, an abandoned 'ghost ship' washed ashore on the other side of the Atlantic
A "ghost ship" abandoned for over a year and drifting in the Atlantic finally washed ashore in Ireland amid Storm Dennis' choppy water, the country's coast guard says. The MV Alta was found on the coast near Ballycotton, a small town in southern Ireland's County Cork, with no crew on board, the Irish Coast Guard said Sunday. The county's local council asked the public to stay away from the vessel as crews work to determine whether it posses any environmental risk.
- BusinessBusiness Insider
Billionaire investor Leon Cooperman ramps up his criticism of Bernie Sanders, calling him a 'bigger threat' to the stock market than coronavirus
Rick Wilking/Reuters Billionaire investor Leon Cooperman ripped into Sanders, saying he was "a bigger threat" to the stock market compared to the coronavirus, which has killed over 1,875 people in China. Cooperman also called the Vermont senator a communist. It's not the first time he weighed in on the volatile Democratic primary, as he previously tore into Elizabeth Warren last year as she gained strength in national polls.
- U.S.NBC News
'Gun Girl' Kaitlin Bennett's appearance on Ohio University campus sparks protests
Conservative activist Kaitlin Bennett, also known as "Gun Girl," incited large-scale student protests Monday when she appeared on Ohio University's Athens campus to film a video. Bennett had arrived on campus to film a President's Day trivia video for the Liberty Hangout, which bills itself as a libertarian media outlet, according to both her and the site. Bennett has been a divisive figure since gaining notoriety in 2018 for posting controversial graduation photos of herself with an AR-10 rifle at Kent State University.
- WorldThe National Interest
Who Makes the Finest Weapons: America, China, or Russia?
Key point: Washington wants to sell more weapons to foreign countries. In order to win over customers, the United States is touting its superior (although more expensive) systems. The U.S. government has a message for those nations that would buy Russian and Chines weapons: buyer beware.
WorldYahoo News VideoChinese authorities arrest a prominent rights activist who called on President Xi Jinping to step down
Chinese authorities have arrested a prominent rights activist and legal scholar who had called on President Xi Jinping to step down over his handling of crises including the coronavirus outbreak, two fellow activists said on Monday.
- U.S.The Independent
Why Oregon conservatives want to redrew the state and join Idaho
A group of Oregon conservatives has petitioned to redraw their state lines and join Idaho in an attempt to avoid liberal policies. Greater Idaho, the group leading the movement, secured approval from two counties in Oregon and is now working to gather enough signatures to put the proposal on local ballots come November, USA Today reports. If they succeed then voters in southeast Oregon may see a question on their election ballots asking if they would like to become a part of Idaho, thus redrawing the boundary lines of the state.
- WorldAssociated Press
Huge locust outbreak in East Africa reaches South Sudan
The worst locust outbreak that parts of East Africa have seen in 70 years has reached South Sudan, a country where roughly half the population already faces hunger after years of civil war, officials announced Tuesday. Around 2,000 locusts were spotted inside the country, Agriculture Minister Onyoti Adigo told reporters. The locusts have been seen in Eastern Equatoria state near the borders with Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda.
- U.S.Time
11 Children Among 26 People Shot During Single Weekend of Gun Violence in Chicago
At least 26 people have been shot — and four killed — over the holiday weekend in Chicago, including 11 children, in the second straight weekend of widespread gun violence to impact the city. No children were among the fatalities. According to the Chicago Police Department, 15 shooting incidents over the weekend have already been reported, and that number could rise ahead of official numbers being released tomorrow.
- PoliticsNational Review
Hunter Biden Served on Board of Trade Group That Lobbied Obama Admin for Increased Ukraine Aid: Report
Hunter Biden, son of former vice president Joe Biden, was on the board of a trade group that lobbied the Obama administration for increased U.S. aid to Ukraine, according to a report Tuesday. From 2012 through 2018, the younger Biden served as a director for the Center for U.S. Global Leadership and was connected as well with its affiliate, the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, The Daily Caller reported. The two groups, which include about 400 larger corporations and non-government organizations, lobbied for increased spending abroad by the State Department's International Affairs Budget, including a special focus on Ukraine.
- U.S.USA TODAY
Skydiving instructor, former Army Ranger dies after skydiving accident in Florida
Christian Stevens, 49, of Canton, Georgia, was transported to Sebastian River Medical Center just after 10 a.m., according to Police Department spokesman Timothy Wood. Professional jumping group Team Fastrax, which was training at Skydive Sebastian, decided to jump at the same time as Monday's scheduled SpaceX launch, according to an announcement of Stevens' death on the team's Facebook page Monday evening. Stevens named the jump "Falcon9" in honor of the launch.
- PoliticsCBS News
Federal judges' group calls emergency meeting over Roger Stone case
A national organization representing more than 1,100 federal judges has reportedly called an emergency meeting Tuesday to address the recent crisis that has engulfed the Justice Department and led to calls for Attorney General William Barr to resign. The Federal Judges Association, a voluntary organization of jurists, "could not wait" to discuss the growing concerns over the Justice Department's intervention in a case involving Roger Stone and other politically charged cases, the group's president, U.S. District Judge Cynthia Rufe, told USA Today. "There are plenty of issues that we are concerned about," Rufe, who is based in Philadelphia and was appointed by President George W. Bush, said.
- CelebrityNBC News
New Mexico woman who was pregnant with third child still missing three years later
“Holidays will never be the same,” Jennifer told Dateline. Liz, as she is known by her family and friends, was four months pregnant with her third child. “She got in his truck and that's the last time I ever heard from her,” Amber said.
- WorldThe National Interest
Russia Hate This: Why the Astute-Class Submarine Is the Pride of the Royal Navy
Key Point: London's Astute class submarines are powerful and very well-built. Since the commissioning of HMS Dreadnought in 1963, the Royal Navy has maintained a formidable force of nuclear attack submarines. The latest nuclear attack subs, the Astute class, have become a critical component of the future of the Royal Navy—but, given Russia's resurgence, are they enough?
- BusinessBusiness Insider
The coronavirus is slamming the US travel industry, with experts predicting it will wipe out more than $10 billion in spending from Chinese visitors
While the vast majority of coronavirus cases have been found in China and Asia, the US travel industry is also steeling itself to be ravaged by the rogue virus. A new report from consulting firm Tourism Economics has put some estimated numbers to that ravaging, saying it expects the US to lose about 1.6 million visitors from mainland China as a result of the coronavirus, translating to a 28% drop for 2020. The report tallied expected losses from Chinese visitor spending at $10.3 billion — more than half of which are expected occur this year.
- U.S.The Independent
Tennessee flooding: 'Unprecedented' floods make homes slide into river
Authorities managing dams in Tennessee and Mississippi must make difficult decisions as floodwaters swell along the states' rivers; the surging water pressing against the dams has to be released at some point, and when it does, it often spells disaster for individuals living downstream from the dams. Tennessee Valley Authority spokesman Jim Hopson told the Associated Press that the organisation was working to mitigate the damage caused when water is released from the dams.
- PoliticsThe Guardian
Ocasio-Cortez faces 13 challengers – but can anyone unseat her?
We don't see a lot of young people accomplish a lot because they're afraid – and she's not afraid. We knew who she was when we sent her, that she'd make a noise, and making a noise was why we sent her Abdul Abbas That's not how all see it. The first-term congresswoman is facing eight Republican and five Democratic candidates aiming to unseat her.
- U.S.Associated Press
LA adopts new 'war room' strategy for tackling homelessness
Los Angeles city and county officials on Tuesday announced a new strategy to speed the process of getting homeless people into permanent housing that is modeled on the federal government's response to natural disasters. The creation of a “Housing Central Command” marks an overhaul of how agencies work together in addressing the growing number of people living on the street, according to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority. Previously the system was slowed by red tape and gaps in information showing what housing units were available and who is eligible to move into them, officials said.
- BusinessNational Review
Michael Bloomberg Is a Condescending Jerk . . .
The hunt is on for offensive clips of Michael Bloomberg talking off the cuff, and over the weekend a new one circulated. In the version passed around, Bloomberg nonchalantly tells his Oxford audience that he could teach anyone how to farm — “even people in this room”: “It's a process; you dig a hole, you put a seed in, you put dirt on top, add water, up comes the corn. He adds that modern “information economy” jobs require more “gray matter.
- WorldReuters
China-led $280 million Kyrgyzstan project abandoned after protests
A Chinese company has pulled out of a $280 million project to build a logistics center in Kyrgyzstan after protests by hundreds of locals in a fresh display of anti-Beijing sentiment in Central Asia. The deal signed during Chinese leader Xi Jinping's visit to the former Soviet republic last year envisaged construction of warehouses, transport terminals, hotels and other facilities in a free-trade zone near Kyrgyzstan's border with China. However, hundreds of locals saw it as a land grab by Kyrgyzstan's giant neighbor and held a series of protests demanding that the project be canceled.
U.S.Yahoo News VideoVirginia lawmakers reject assault weapons ban
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam's push to ban the sale of assault weapons failed on Monday after some of his fellow Democrats balked at the proposal.
- PoliticsNBC News
Judge to proceed with Roger Stone's sentencing, will consider motion for new trial
The judge overseeing the trial of Roger Stone, the Republican campaign veteran and longtime Trump friend, said Tuesday that she will not delay the sentencing, scheduled for Thursday morning. In open court in Washington, D.C., U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson spoke by phone with prosecutors and Stone's attorneys about a recently filed defense motion for a new trial based on a claim that one of the jurors was biased. One of Stone's attorneys, Seth Ginsberg, said the motion "goes to the heart of the case" and urged Jackson to delay sentencing until a hearing can be scheduled on the motion.
What to Read Next
PHOTOS: Ukraine International Airlines plane crashes in Iran killing all on board
Yahoo News Photo Staff