PoliticsAssociated PressPolitical spending by Abrams' nonprofit could pose problems
But spending by Fair Fight Action, which is staffed by former Abrams campaign aides, could prompt questions about whether the nonprofit is inappropriately supporting her political ambitions. Although there is no proof of any illegal activity, some of the organization's expenditures could pose a problem if Abrams follows through with her pledge to run for office again. "There is nothing wrong with a nonprofit promoting its charismatic founder," said Adav Noti, a former Federal Election Commission attorney who now works for the nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center.
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.
- 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.
- WorldThe Telegraph
Syria criticises US's 'blind bias' to Israel over Golan Heights decision
Syria slammed the abrupt declaration from Donald Trump, the US president, that Washington will recognise Israel's sovereignty over the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, saying it was "irresponsible" and a threat to international peace and stability. The Foreign Ministry in Damascus said Trump's comments confirm "the blind bias of the United States to the Zionist entity," referring to Israel, and added that Trump's statement won't change "the fact that the Golan was and will remain Arab and Syrian." The ministry also said Syria is now more intent on liberating the Golan, "using every possible means."
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.
- NewsThe Independent
Harvard 'shamelessly' profits from photos of enslaved people, descendant claims in lawsuit
A descendant of enslaved people has sued Harvard University, alleging that the Ivy League institution has “shamelessly” profited from photos of her ancestors. Tamara Lanier, of Norwich, Connecticut, claims that Harvard has ignored requests to surrender images of a man named Renty, whom she says is her great-great-great grandfather, and his daughter Delia. Lanier is suing Harvard for “wrongful seizure, possession and expropriation” of the images, asking the university to return the photos to her, pay unspecified damages, and recognise her ancestry.
- 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
- NewsTime
'Change Is Closer Than We Think.' Inside Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Unlikely Rise
It's almost always a harmless fan, one of dozens who arrive each day, leaving neon-colored Post-it notes as devotional offerings. But in her first three months in Congress, aides say, enough people have threatened to murder Ocasio-Cortez that Capitol Police trained her staff to perform risk assessments of her visitors. This is the daily reality for America's newest human Rorschach test.
- 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.
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.
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.
- PoliticsUSA TODAY
What is WhatsApp, the service Dems say Jared Kushner uses for 'official business'
Jared Kushner's alleged messaging habits has thrust WhatsApp back into the spotlight. On Thursday, Democrats released statements from the senior White House aide's attorney claiming he used WhatsApp, an encrypted messaging service owned by Facebook, to conduct business and communicate with foreign leaders. Kushner's attorney, Abbe Lowell, appeared to push back on the claims, saying in a letter to Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., obtained by Politico, that Kushner used the app to talk with "some people" but didn't specify who those people were, noting he has "numerous friends and contacts abroad.
- PoliticsNational 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.
- PoliticsUSA TODAY Opinion
The bread crumb papers: Why Cohen document dump should worry Donald Trump and others
While the case against former Donald Trump lawyer Michael Cohen is over, the search warrants and other documents unsealed Tuesday contain a series of bread crumbs telling us what may lie ahead in investigations by special counsel Robert Mueller and others. The bulk of the redactions appear in a section called "The Illegal Campaign Contribution Scheme.” Among the crimes to which Cohen pleaded guilty was a scheme involving payments to suppress allegations of Trump's relationships with women to prevent the stories from influencing the 2016 presidential election. Cohen pleaded guilty to violating campaign finance laws by causing a corporate contribution and making an excess contribution.
BusinessAFPIndonesia's Garuda says to cancel 49-jet Boeing 737 deal after crashes
Indonesia's national carrier Garuda has told Boeing it will cancel a multi-billion-dollar order for 49 Boeing 737 Max 8 jets after two fatal crashes involving the plane, in what is thought to be the first formal cancellation for the model. "We have sent a letter to Boeing requesting that the order be cancelled," Garuda spokesman Ikhsan Rosan said. "The reason is that Garuda passengers in Indonesia have lost trust and no longer have the confidence" in the plane, he said, adding that the airline was awaiting a response from Boeing.
- 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.
PoliticsUSA TODAYWho is running for president? Here's a list of the candidates so far
Fast facts: The grandson of a Mexican immigrant and son of a Latina activist, Castro's twin brother, Joaquin Castro, is a Democratic congressman from Texas. Campaign site: https://www.julianforthefuture.com/ John Delaney Age: 55 Experience: U.S. House representative from Maryland, 2013-2019; entrepreneur Quote: "Trump wants this campaign to be about socialism and we shouldn't give him what he wants. We need to update our social programs to better fit today's world, and we need to make capitalism more just and inclusive."
- NewsTime
USC Just Named a New President. Here's What She Said About the Admissions Scandal
As the University of Southern California (USC) grapples with the fallout from a sweeping college admissions scandal, officials announced the appointment of a new president who vowed to bring lasting change to a campus that has been plagued by controversy. Carol Folt, who stepped down in January as chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), will take over as USC president on July 1, becoming the first permanent female president at the school. USC was one of several schools named in last week's indictment of wealthy parents who are accused of bribing athletic coaches and facilitating cheating on standardized tests to get their children into elite colleges, including Georgetown, Yale, Stanford and USC.
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.
WorldReutersRescuers dig for survivors after deadly Africa cyclone, Beira 'desperate'
Shortages of water and food stoked frustrations in Mozambique's Beira city on Friday as a swathe of southern Africa scrambled for survival following a powerful cyclone that killed hundreds of people and may have affected hundreds of thousands more. Cyclone Idai battered Beira, a low-lying port city of 500,000 residents, with strong winds and torrential rains last week, before moving inland to neighboring Zimbabwe, where it flattened homes and flooded communities, and Malawi. Idai killed 242 people in Mozambique and 259 in Zimbabwe, and numbers were expected to rise, relief agencies and officials said.
- BusinessBloomberg
Facebook Stopped Bangladeshi Ad Farm Targeting Utah in Midterms
The message: Facebook will be more prepared to take on misinformation and meddling in this year's elections -- in India, the Philippines, Ukraine, Thailand and other countries -- as well as the U.S. presidential race in 2020. The presentation details how Facebook has come to understand how networks of impostor accounts use the social network to amplify divisive ideas on immigration, guns and race relations. Since Russia used this strategy in 2016, the company says, it has built detection algorithms and involved more humans in the process, especially in cases where it needs to decide whether a user account is real or fake.
- BusinessCar and Driver
Which Subcompact Crossovers and SUVs are Best? Here Are All 17, Ranked
Need help determining which tiny SUV is better than another? Let these rankings be your guide. From Car and Driver
- PoliticsUSA TODAY Opinion
Don't cover up Mueller's Trump-Russia investigation. We need to know everything he finds.
The regulations that replaced the law have the same goal — an independent and complete investigation into presidential misconduct. A special counsel's closing report to the attorney general is intended to ensure that those goals have been met, and Robert Mueller's report must meet that standard. Under the regulations, Mueller must write a “report explaining the prosecution and declination decisions reached by the Special Counsel.” Mueller thus must account not just for the prosecutions he has brought, but, significantly, for the prosecutions he has not brought.
- NewsThe Telegraph
Crashed Boeing jets lacked two safety features that would have cost extra
Two Boeing jets that crashed in Ethiopia and Indonesia each lacked a pair of cockpit safety features that the plane manufacturer charged extra for. Lion Air Flight 610 crashed in October killing 189 people, and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 went down on March 10, shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa, with the loss of 157 lives. Both Boeing 737 Max aircraft were new but did not have an angle of attack indicator, which shows how much the nose is tilted.
- WorldTime
'Our Darkest of Days.' New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern Reflects on How The Country Can Move Forward
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has garnered international praise for her empathetic but defiant response in the wake of the terror attacks on two mosques in the city of Christchurch that shocked and devastated the country. Since the shootings killed 50 and injured dozens, Ardern has expressed the grief of the tiny island state that has prided itself on being an open and tolerant society. Ardern said she would do everything in her power to deny the gunman a platform to elevate his white supremacist views.
