PoliticsAssociated PressAP-NORC Poll: Most at least partly confident in Russia probe
As the special counsel investigation into Donald Trump's presidential campaign winds down, a new poll finds that most Americans are at least moderately confident that Robert Mueller's probe has been fair and impartial. The poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research also finds that most Americans have some concern that Trump's campaign had improper connections to Russia, though fewer than half say the president has done something illegal in his ties to Russia. The survey was conducted as the Justice Department prepares to receive the findings of Mueller's investigation into possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia and possible obstruction of justice by Trump himself.
WorldUSA TODAY'We just want the guns back': New Zealand announces immediate ban of assault rifles
New Zealand is banning all assault rifles, high-capacity magazines and military-style semi-automatic rifles in response to the nation's deadliest massacre in history, the country's prime minister announced Thursday. Jacinda Ardern said the ban goes into effect immediately and would be followed by legislation next month. New Zealand's citizens should make arrangements to turn in weapons banned under the new laws, Ardern told the nation in a live television announcement.
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.
NewsAFPUS woman sues Harvard over 'slave ancestor' pictures
A US woman who says she is descended from slaves who were photographed in 1850 by a racist Harvard University professor on Wednesday sued the university over the "exploitation" of the images of her ancestors. Tamara Lanier filed suit in the northeastern state of Massachusetts over the photographs taken in South Carolina of a slave and his daughter, known only by their first names: Renty -- the patriarch of her family -- and Delia. The images, thought to be the earliest known photographs of American slaves, are currently in a museum at the university near Boston.
- WorldThe Independent
Venezuela opposition leader Juan Guaido says senior aide was kidnapped by intelligence agents
The Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido has said intelligence agents arrested his chief of staff after a pre-dawn raid, signalling that president Nicolas Maduro may be cracking down on the opposition's challenge to his rule. Mr Guaido invoked the constitution in January to assume the interim presidency after declaring Maduro's 2018 re-election a fraud, and has been recognised by dozens of Western nations as the country's legitimate leader. Mr Maduro, who has overseen a dramatic collapse of the country's economy, has called Mr Guaido a puppet of the United States and said he should āface justiceā, but has not explicitly ordered his arrest.
BusinessConsumer ReportsSome Pickups Lag in Passenger Crash Protection
Because of the results, CR's Overall Score for the Toyota Tundra fell below the threshhold for the vehicle to be recommended, leaving only the Ford F-150 as a CR recommended truck in the full-size category. Pickup trucks are becoming increasingly popular for hauling families as well as cargo,ā says Jennifer Stockburger, director of operations at CR's Auto Test Center. That means assessments like this oneāthat look at passenger safety as well as driver safetyāare just as important for pickups as they are for cars and SUVs.
WorldBloombergThese Are the World's Happiest (and Most Miserable) Countries
According to the report published on Wednesday, Finland has witnessed modest but steady gains since 2014, and the country is now āsignificantly aheadā of other countries in the top 10, the researchers said. The data āoffer the world's governments and individuals the opportunity to rethink public policies as well as individual life choices, to raise happiness and well-being,ā said Jeffrey Sachs, director of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network.
- TechnologyBGR News
Apple's $79 AirPods wireless charging case is finally here ā buy this $19 case instead
Good news, Apple's Wireless Charging Case for AirPods is finally here! You can buy it right now on Apple's website for $79ā¦ but you definitely shouldn't. Because the NeotrixQI Wireless Charging Cover for Apple AirPods slides right over the AirPods case you already have, and it adds wireless charging for just $19. ćWIRELESS CHARGINGć: Enjoy Wireless Charging for your AirPods! Place your AirPods into wireless charging case and put it on Qi wireless charger for wireless charging experience.
- NewsMashable
Aggressive Instagramming is ruining Southern California's super bloom
Fields of fiery "super bloom" poppies are lighting up the hills of Walker Canyon in Lake Elsinore, a city about halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego. Thanks to uncommonly heavy rains this winter, much of Southern California is seeing a massive burst of wildflower blooms across the state. The poppies in Walker Canyon are so lush, they can be seen from space.
PoliticsYahoo NewsTrump changes his mind on Electoral College, now wants to keep it
AfterĀ Barack ObamaĀ in 2012 won reelection, TrumpĀ declared his winĀ āa total sham and a travestyā and called for a revolution and march on Washington. āThe phoney electoral college made a laughing stock out of our nation,ā he wrote in deleted tweets, and then added, ā[Obama] lost the popular vote by a lot and won the election. Obama actually won the popular vote over Republican Mitt Romney by 5 million votes, and carried the Electoral College, 332 to 206.
WorldAssociated PressThe Latest: New Zealanders to observe Muslim call to prayer
People across New Zealand will listen to the Muslim call to prayer on Friday as the nation marks one week since a gunman attacked two mosques and killed 50 people. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and thousands of other people plan to congregate in Hagley Park opposite the Al Noor mosque in Christchurch to observe the call to prayer at 1:30 p.m. Many radio and television stations plan to broadcast the event live. At least 42 people died at the Al Noor mosque and at least seven at the nearby Linwood mosque in last Friday's attack.
CelebrityUSA TODAYWhat we know about Olivia Jade, Lori Loughlin's daughter caught up in admissions scandal
Before March 12, Olivia Jade Giannulli was a powerful social media influencer still on the rise as a YouTube and Instagram star. But Tuesday's stunning announcement of a federal investigation into a college-admission fraud scheme has dramatically changed the narrative for the 19-year-old freshman at the University of Southern California ā who goes by her social media name "Olivia Jade." Olivia Jade's parents, "Fuller House" star Lori Loughlin and designer Mossimo Giannulli, whose Mossimo label has been featured at Target stores, have both been charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud.
- LifestyleArchitectural Digest
Punctuation Marks
Sculptural side tables in bold hues or luxe materials add that functional finishing touch
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.
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.
BusinessAFPGlyphosate under fire from San Francisco to Sri Lanka
Glyphosate, the world's most widely used herbicide and the active ingredient in Monsanto's weedkiller Roundup, is the subject of fierce controversy across the globe and is classified by the World Health Organization as "probably" being carcinogenic. After the second US cancer victim in a year won a surprise court victory against Monsanto over the weedkiller on Tuesday, here is the state of play regarding lawsuits and restrictions on the use of glyphosate around the world: - United States - A California court on Tuesday found that Roundup was a "substantial factor" in Edwin Hardeman, 70, getting non-Hodgkin's lymphoma after spraying the weedkiller on his garden for decades.
- PoliticsThe Independent
Jared Kushner: Trump's son-in-law uses WhatsApp and personal email for official White House business, attorney says
Jared Kushner uses private messaging apps and personal email to communicate about official Trump administration matters with foreign leaders ā a violation of a laws governing White House records - a congressional committee has been told. Elijah Cummings, the Democratic congressman who heads the House of Representative's oversight committee, said the lawyer of the president's son-in-law. Reuters said the congressman also said the lawyer told his committee that Ivanka Trump, the president's oldest daughter and Mr Kushner's wife, continued to receive emails related to official business on a personal email account.
- BusinessPopular Mechanics
Lion Air Pilots Were Checking the 737 Max 8's Handbook Right Before the Plane Crashed
Moments before Lion Air Flight 610 plunged into the Java Sea killing all 189 people onboard last October, pilots of the plane searched through a handbook looking for guidance on how to rescue the aircraft from its downward trajectory, Reuters reports. Three sources familiar with the investigation of the Boeing 737 Max 8's flight data recorders gave a visceral play-by-play of what ensued inside the cockpit, when a faulty sensor on the plane's fuselage triggered an automated anti-stall system that sent the plane into a nosedive. Boeing's 737 Max 8 aircraft have been grounded by aviation authorities across the world after two catastrophic crashes in five months.
- PoliticsThe Telegraph
US election 2020: The Democrat candidates who are running for president
The Democratic Party still hasĀ a long way to go to have any chance of wrestling back power from Donald Trump in 2020. There will be no coronation for a Democrat champion to take on Trump. The US SenatorĀ of Massachusetts announced on December 31 she had formed an exploratory committee for a presidential run in 2020.
- WorldThe Telegraph
New Zealand Prime Minister announces immediate ban on all assault weapons
New Zealand will ban military-style semi-automatic and assault rifles under tough new gun laws following the killing of 50 people in the country's worst mass shooting, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Thursday. In the immediate aftermath of Friday's shootings at two mosques in Christchurch, Ms Ardern labelled the attack as terrorism and said New Zealand's gun laws would change. "On 15 March our history changed forever.
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.
- BusinessCar and Driver
View Photos of the 2019 BMW X7
Refined, modern, and enormous, BMW's biggest SUV yet is finally here-even if the jury is still out on its dynamics. From Car and Driver
- BusinessBGR News
Google slapped with massive $1.7 billion antitrust fine ā its third in three years
Reports a few days ago said that Google would receive a new massive fine in Europe, and the EU on Wednesday delivered its latest ruling against the tech giant. This time around we're looking at a ā¬1.5 billion ($1.7 billion) antitrust fine as a result of illegal practices in Google's AdSense business. The EU says that Google abused its dominant position again, this time concerning its AdSense business.
BusinessFOX News VideosLoesch: CNN's gun control townhall was an embarrassing display of bias
CNN townhall on gun control wins award; radio host Dana Loesch on the hostility she faced during the townhall.
WorldAFP'Generation Nazarbayev' jokes, hopes after Kazakh leader resigns
People under 30 in Kazakhstan have only known one leader -- Nursultan Nazarbayev, who announced his resignation this week after shepherding the country from the Soviet era. His stage-managed departure -- he will keep key posts and significant political influence -- has left Kazakh millennials wondering what will come next. "The word 'Nazarbayev' means something like the word 'parent'," said 18-year-old film student Madi Makanov, who lives in the country's largest city Almaty.
