- PoliticsBloomberg
Democrats Consider Fines for Trump Officials Who Spurn Subpoenas
At a meeting of House leaders earlier this month, Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler suggested fining officials personally if they deny or ignore subpoenas, according to a person who attended the meeting. Nadler's idea, the person said, was to put teeth in his party's numerous investigative queries, many of which Trump officials are stonewalling or simply ignoring. Nadler even mentioned jailing administration officials as a consequence for contempt of Congress, though he surmised such a plan might be unrealistic, added the person, who requested anonymity to discuss a closed-door session.
- EntertainmentUSA TODAY
Jussie Smollett case: Brothers accused of carrying out attack sue actor's legal team for defamation
Corrections and clarifications: The headline of this story was updated to reflect that the Osundairo brothers are accused of carrying out the attack against Jussie Smollett. The two brothers who say "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett paid them to stage his Jan. 29 assault announced Tuesday that they have filed a federal defamation lawsuit against his legal team, including celebrity attorney Mark Geragos. Gloria Schmidt, the Chicago attorney who represented them when they were declared suspects and arrested by Chicago police in February, presided over the affair. She said her two clients "deserve to have their reputations restored" and read a statement from the brothers.
- WorldThe Telegraph
Isil claims Sri Lanka attack as prime minister says there are militants with explosives on the run
Sri Lanka's defence minister on Tuesday declared the attacks were retaliation for a recent attack on mosques in New Zealand, adding that two domestic Islamist groups were believed to be responsible. Ruwan Wijewardene's comments were made as the South Asian island held its first mass funeral for about 30 of the victims of Sunday's serial suicide bombings in three high profile churches and three luxury hotels. Sri Lankan intelligence has named the mastermind behind the Easter Sunday attacks as Moulvi Zahran Hashim, an extremist local cleric who incited his followers to violence with fiery sermons on his social media channels.
BusinessAFPFord invests $500 mn in electric vehicle startup Rivian
Ford Motor Co. said Wednesday it was investing $500 million in Rivian as part of a strategic partnership with the startup developing electric pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles. The tieup will enable Ford to develop its own branded electric vehicle using Rivian's "flexible skateboard platform," according to a statement from the two companies. "As we continue in our transformation of Ford with new forms of intelligent vehicles and propulsion, this partnership with Rivian brings a fresh approach to both," said Jim Hackett, Ford president and chief executive.
PoliticsAssociated PressFlorida House closer to passing felon voting rights bill
Legislation that would restore voting rights to convicted felons who complete their sentences except murderers and felony sex offenders moved another step Tuesday toward passage in the Florida House. Lawmakers debated a measure into the night that would implement a constitutional amendment approved by voters last November. The main issue is whether legislation is needed at all, and whether the House bill sets up unnecessary hurdles for ex-felons such as requiring that all fines and restitution be paid.
WorldFOX News VideosWhy won't the media acknowledge that the Sri Lanka massacre was an attack on Christianity?
Nightly news broadcasts avoid mentioning that Christians were targeted by the attacks. Muslim scholar Dr. Qanta Ahmed responds.
- BusinessReuters
UPDATE 3-Visa profit jumps, lower cross-border volume weighs on shares
Visa Inc reported higher expenses and lower spending by people using its cards abroad on Wednesday even as increased overall consumer spending drove quarterly profit 14 percent higher. Shares of the company were trading lower after the bell as investors worried over a slide in cross-border volume growth, which measures the value of transactions made on a Visa card outside a customer's home country. The company and its rival Mastercard had recently come under fire for charging high fees on tourist cards in the European Union.
- ScienceThe Telegraph
'Marsquake' detected for first time, Nasa says
Nasa has detected a probable "Marsquake" for the first time. The suspected seismic event on the Red Planet was recorded using silicon sensors developed in the UK. A dome-shaped apparatus known as Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure [SEIS] landed on Mars last year equipped with the sensors, which were built with £4 million in funding from the UK Space Agency Nasa said the measuring of the quake, which occurred on April 6, marked the "birth of a new discipline - Martian seismology".
- BusinessCar and Driver
View Photos of the 2019 Lexus LS500h Hybrid
Lexus's big LS500h sedan is both a flagship and a hybrid. We're not convinced it can serve both masters. From Car and Driver
- WorldThe National Interest
Turning up the Heat on North Korea
The inability of U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korea's Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un to reach a denuclearization deal in Hanoi leaves the international community searching for a solution to the North Korean nuclear conundrum. The recent erosion of international efforts to enforce economic sanctions make efforts to persuade Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons through bargaining more challenging. A North Korean charm offensive and, perhaps, a desire among some to see this longstanding, seemingly intractable, problems disappear have led to diminished pressure on the North Korean regime.
- NewsUSA TODAY
#FeelingCute challenge: Texas prison guards fired after probe into 'inappropriate' posts
The investigation was tied to the "#FeelingCute" challenge, the department said last week. The Houston Chronicle — which reported earlier this month that officers were apparently linked to posts with captions such as "Feeling cute, might just gas some inmates today, IDK" — reported on Tuesday that four officers have been fired and two resigned because of the investigation. Texas Department of Criminal Justice statements to the Chronicle and the Associated Press did not provide details on the social media content involved in the firings.
- WorldBloomberg
Islamic State Says Its Fighters Carried Out Sri Lanka Attacks
Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the deadly terrorist blasts in Sri Lanka, as investigations intensified into Sunday's coordinated attacks that killed 321 people in churches and high-end hotels. "Those who carried out the attack that targeted citizens belonging to the alliance countries and Christians in Sri Lanka are fighters with the Islamic State," according to a statement on IS news agency Amaq carried by SITE, which tracks jihadist groups. Alliance countries' refers to those involved in the U.S.-led military coalition against the Islamic State in Syria, which includes 79 nations from Asia, Europe, Africa and the Middle East, although Sri Lanka is not among them.
- EntertainmentTime
Daenerys Smiling Through That Intense Game of Thrones Situation Is a Universally Relatable Meme
The Mother of Dragons has given us a lot of gifts in Game of Thrones' seven (and soon-to-be eight) full seasons. Sansa (Sophie Turner), the Lady of Winterfell, clashed with Daenerys — naturally, some viewers characterized the meeting as passive aggressive, as both leaders wish to claim and maintain power. One moment in particular has captured the internet's attention for its comedic potential: Daenerys smiling through a potentially awkward moment.
WorldAFPModi among tens of millions to vote in India's 'Super Tuesday' polls
Tens of millions of Indians, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, voted on India's "Super Tuesday" in the latest round of polls when the biggest number of seats are decided in the country's marathon election. Nearly 190 million voters were eligible to vote on 117 seats spread across 15 Indian states, stretching from the Himalayas to the Indian ocean, in the third of the seven phases of the mega polls. Heavy security has been put in place, with violent clashes erupting between rival groups in eastern India's West Bengal state, killing one political worker.
BusinessAssociated PressGoogle self-driving unit Waymo picks Detroit factory site
Google's self-driving car spinoff Waymo says it will reopen an axle plant in Detroit to convert conventional vehicles so they can drive autonomously. The company says it will lease a now-closed American Axle & Manufacturing plant north of downtown so it can convert the vehicles, mostly Chrysler Pacifica minivans. Waymo plans to spend around $13.6 million and create up to 400 jobs at the site, which is expected to open in the middle of the year.
- BusinessReuters
US STOCKS-S&P 500 hovers below record highs on mixed earnings
U.S. stocks hovered below their all-time highs on Wednesday, as investors digested a mixed batch of earnings reports and losses in energy stocks limited gains on the indexes. The S&P 500 is 0.3% below its record high of 2,940.91 hit in September. The index has rallied 17% this year, supported by a dovish Federal Reserve, hopes of a U.S.-China trade resolution and a largely upbeat earnings season.
BusinessAFP Relax NewsTesla Model S and X get new drivetrains, longer range
Without changing or upgrading the battery, Tesla has updated the Model S and Model X to increase each vehicle's driving range to 370 miles and 325 miles respectively. On Tuesday, Tesla announced that it has upgraded the powertrains of the Model S liftback and Model X SUV to increase the range by 10 percent for each, and significantly improve the power and torque for all model variants. The new drive unit technology increases the drivetrain efficiency by 93 percent, according to Tesla.
- LifestyleBGR News
Today's top deals: $15 Wi-Fi extender, $8 wireless charger, $20 128GB microSD, $10 Philips Hue bulbs, more
Today's roundup of the best daily deals we could find has some truly outstanding deals, but perhaps none are quite as good as the one-day sale that gets you Amazon's best-selling Wi-Fi range extender for just $14.99 after a discount and a $5 coupon you can clip. It works with any router, it has more than 20,000 5-star ratings, and it has never been anywhere close to this price! Other top daily deals on Tuesday include a terrific fast wireless charger for just $7.99, a SanDisk 128GB microSD card for $19.99, Philips Hue white LED bulbs for an all-time low of $10 a piece when you buy a 4-pack, another all-time low price for Philips Dusk-to-Dawn LED light bulbs that automatically turn on at night and off in the morning, $40 off the best-selling 8-quart Instant Pot, a $140 stand mixer that's just as good as a KitchenAid, a blazing-fast internal SSD with 120GB of capacity for under $26, Avengers: Infinity War for just $9.99, Netgear's most popular Orbi mesh Wi-Fi bundle at an all-time low price of just $159.99, and plenty more.
PoliticsYahoo NewsTrump: Mueller report 'didn't lay a glove on me'
President Trump continues to claim exoneration from special counsel Robert Mueller's report, while simultaneously attacking it, as Democrats debate whether the accounts of Trump's repeated attempts to interfere with the probe justify pursuing his impeachment. “The Mueller Report, despite being written by Angry Democrats and Trump Haters, and with unlimited money behind it ($35,000,000), didn't lay a glove on me,” Trump tweeted early Wednesday. President Trump speaks to reporters on the South Lawn of the White House earlier this month.
- WorldThe National Interest
See this Aircraft Carrier? It Was One of the Worst To Ever Set Sail.
On September 15th, 1942 USS Wasp was struck by three torpedoes from the Imperial Japanese Navy submarine I-19. After five hours the order was given to abandon ship, and Wasp was scuttled by three torpedoes fired by the destroyer USS Lansdowne. This was in large part due to the expansion and effective use of its aircraft carrier fleet.
- WorldUSA TODAY
Sri Lanka bombings: ISIS and local terrorists at work, but much still murky about attack
Two terrorist groups – one small and obscure, the other sizable and well-known – are at the center of the Sri Lankan attacks that killed more than 300 people on Easter Sunday. It doesn't add up whatsoever," said C. Christine Fair, an expert on South Asian political and military affairs and a professor at Georgetown University. In the immediate aftermath of the attack, Sri Lanka's Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne said seven members of a radical Muslim group called the National Thowfeek Jamaath were behind the attacks. But he also said they likely had support from a larger international network.
- NewsAOL.com
Coachella woman arrested after allegedly tossing bag of 7 live puppies into dumpster
A woman allegedly caught on camera tossing seven live puppies into a Coachella, Calif., dumpster last week has been arrested. Deborah Sue Culwell, 54, was taken into custody Monday by Commander Chris Mayer of the Riverside County Department of Animal Services (RCDAS) after harrowing footage of the incident went viral over the weekend, according to a statement. RCDAS spokesperson John Welsh said Culwell may face up to seven counts of felony animal cruelty.
PoliticsReutersExplainer: Congress no longer runs a jail, so just how powerful are its subpoenas?
The U.S. Congress does not arrest and detain people for ignoring its subpoenas anymore, but it still has significant power to demand witnesses and documents, and Republican President Donald Trump is putting that power to the test. quot;We're fighting all the subpoenas," Trump told reporters at the White House on Wednesday. In another display of his disregard for Washington norms, Trump is defying subpoenas issued by Democrats in the House of Representatives, who have launched numerous investigations of him, his businesses, family and administration.
- Entertainmentmotorious
This 1965 Superformance Shelby Cobra Will Break All The Necks
This may be a replica, but it's the only one licensed by Shelby. Just because you want to drive something drop-dead gorgeous and smoking fast doesn't mean you have to take out a second mortgage. This 1965 Superformance Shelby Cobra has the sleek, instantly recognizable looks of the original Shelby Cobra, making it a standout in a sea of cool cars.
BusinessBloombergJPMorgan's Bob Michele Says 'Enjoy the Ride' as Risk Assets Rally
The chief investment officer at JPMorgan Asset Management said money managers are sitting on too much cash and should be boosting their allocations to high-yield assets after the Federal Reserve's dovish pivot. The firm is putting its weight behind emerging markets as investors from BlackRock Inc. to Fidelity International warn of a break in the rally.
