- PoliticsReuters
Trump rejects idea of expanding U.S. Supreme Court
President Donald Trump on Tuesday ruled out the idea of expanding the nine-member U.S. Supreme Court, using a question about "court packing" to criticize Democrats in a preview of a likely attack line for the 2020 election. Trump said he "wouldn't entertain that," when asked about expanding the size of the court at a news conference. "The only reason they're doing that is they want to try to catch up, so if they can't catch up through the ballot box by winning an election they want to try doing it in a different way," the Republican president added, referring to Democrats.
- WorldThe Telegraph
New Zealand holds first funerals for victims of Christchurch massacre
A father and son who fled the civil war in Syria for "the safest country in the world" were buried before hundreds of mourners on Wednesday. The funerals of Khalid Mustafa, 44, and Hamza Mustafa, 15, came five days after a white supremacist methodically gunned down 50 worshippers at two mosques in Christchurch - a massacre that he broadcast live on Facebook. Hamza's high school principal described the student as compassionate and hardworking, and said he was an excellent horse rider who aspired to be a veterinarian.
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 — 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.
NewsReutersThree dead, one missing in devastating floods across U.S. Midwest
At least one person was missing on Monday after devastating floods across the U.S. Midwest that killed three others and inflicted hundreds of millions of dollars in damage in what Nebraska's governor called a disaster of historic proportions. As floodwaters began to recede in much of the area inundated by the aftermath of a storm dubbed a "bomb cyclone," Nebraska officials were taking in the damage in a state where 64 of the 93 counties have declared emergencies. "This is clearly the most widespread disaster we have had in our state's history," in terms of sheer size, Governor Pete Ricketts told reporters on an afternoon briefing call.
- NewsThe Independent
US State Department under fire for secrecy surrounding 'faith-based media' press conference
The US State Department has raised concerns among the American press after conducting a conference call exclusively with “faith based media” outlets. Secretary of state Mike Pompeo reportedly participated in the Monday afternoon press call. Reporters from networks across the country are typically provided the opportunity to listen to these State Department calls and ask questions about news developments and upcoming announcements.
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.
- WorldBloomberg
Pro-Brexit U.K. Ministers Are Plotting to Prevent a Long Delay
Pro-Brexit Cabinet ministers are meeting to plan their strategy for stopping Theresa May agreeing to a long delay to Brexit that would involve the U.K. taking part in European Parliament elections. The meeting is taking place on Tuesday evening in London in an effort to shape what the prime minister asks the European Union to agree to, people familiar with the matter said. May will travel to Brussels on Thursday for a summit of EU leaders, and is expected to write a letter to the bloc first, asking them to extend the Brexit deadline beyond March 29.
LifestyleUSA TODAYI got into 39 colleges without cheating: What applying to schools looks like in 2019
Jordan Nixon has received 39 college acceptance letters so far, all without celebrity parents or $500,000 bribes. It just took years of planning, a private college adviser, 50-plus applications and the unwavering support of family. As the nation's largest-ever college admissions scandal surfaces this week, with celebrity parents and rich CEOs accused of cheating to get their children into prestigious schools, the Nixons are navigating college admissions like the rest of us.
- BusinessBGR News
The future of wireless headphones is here, at only $49.99 from Anker
The first truly wireless earbuds were released all the way back in 2015, but this cool new category of headphones didn't really get popular until Apple launched the AirPods in 2016. Apple hasn't updated its AirPods since then, but other electronics companies have definitely come a long way. Cord-free earbuds that offer better sound quality, better sound isolation, and a more comfortable fit can now be found for much less than the $159 Apple charges for AirPods, and we've got a sale for you to check out today that helps illustrate how far we've come.
PoliticsAssociated PressBernie Sanders' opening argument: I am electable. Really.
His strategists argue he's best positioned to win over voters in the three Rust Belt states that Democrat Hillary Clinton lost to Donald Trump in 2016. Trump, the campaign argues, won Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan, the keys to his Electoral College victory, by offering a version of Sanders' populist economic message. What Trump was offering "was faux-Bernie Sanders in order to beat Hillary Clinton," Sanders campaign manager Faiz Shakir said, adding that Sanders plans to focus on the three states even as he fights off a crowded field of Democrats vying for the nomination in states with early primary contests.
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.
U.S.Reuters VideosDeadly floods in Midwest cause widespread damage
More rain this week could worsen the already devastating floods in the Midwest that have killed at least four people, and inundated stretches of Nebraska and Iowa along the Missouri River. Jillian Kitchener reports.
WorldReuters'I am your mother now': New Zealand mosque shootings hit tight-knit Bangladesh community hard
Waiting to meet her was Farid, the man she would marry in a few hours, as their families had agreed. A quarter of a century later, the life they had built together was torn apart when a gunman walked into the Al Noor mosque in Christchurch and began firing on worshippers at Friday prayers. Husna encountered the gunman on his way out of the mosque.
- PoliticsNational Review
Could the Twitter Primary Cost Democrats the Oval Office?
In my lifetime, I've never seen more presidential candidates advocate breaking more American constitutional, economic, and policy norms than I've seen from the Democratic field so far in 2019. Elizabeth Warren is for it, and Beto O'Rourke says there's “a lot of wisdom” in her proposal. Pack the Supreme Court? Warren, Beto, Kamala Harris, and Kirsten Gillibrand are open to the idea.
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.
- BusinessCar and Driver
See Spy Photos of the Jeep Wrangler Plug-In Hybrid
The plug-in hybrid Jeep Wrangler could function as an alternative power source in addition to offering improved fuel efficiency. From Car and Driver
- WorldThe Telegraph
Danish MP told her baby not welcome in parliament
A Danish MP said on Tuesday she was ordered to remove her infant daughter from parliament's chamber, sparking surprise in a country often hailed as a pioneer in women's rights. "You are not welcome with your baby in the parliament's chamber," speaker Pia Kjaersgaard, an outspoken former leader of the far-right Danish People's Party, allegedly told MP Mette Abildgaard. "I didn't ask for permission to bring her since I had previously seen another colleague bring a child into the chamber without any problems," Ms Abildgaard, whose Conservative party is part of the ruling centre-right coalition, wrote on Facebook.
- 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 is 'looking into' Facebook 'bias' as aide melts down over suspension
President Trump threatened an investigation into Facebook over perceived bias after a White House staffer was temporarily banned from posting comments on the site. Trump's social media director, Dan Scavino, complained Monday that Facebook had banned him from posting comments. “Dear Facebook,” wrote Scavino, posting a screengrab of the blocking notice he received, “AMAZING.
- U.S.AccuWeather
Towns in need of fresh water after Nebraska flooding
Historic flooding in Nebraska has caused multiple water treatment plants to shut down.Peru, Nebraska has trucks full of water bottles, but with college students returning soon, they will need more.
- NewsUSA TODAY
'We assume a terror motive': 3 killed on tram in Dutch city of Utrecht; suspect arrested
Three people died and five were hurt in a brazen shooting on a tram in a bustling residential neighborhood in the Dutch city of Utrecht on Monday, an assault authorities said was likely terrorism. Following a sweeping manhunt across the historic city of nearly 350,000 people, Gokmen Tanis, 37, was arrested by authorities. Justice Minister Ferd Grapperhaus said Tanis was known to justice authorities and had a criminal record, but would not elaborate. Later, authorities downgraded the alert to a 4.
NewsReutersCalifornia university says students tied to admissions scam could face expulsion
The University of Southern California said it may expel students tied to a brazen U.S. college-admissions scam after reviewing their records, which could lead the college to throw out "Full House" actress Lori Loughlin's two daughters. The school said on Monday night it has already "placed holds on the accounts of students who may be associated with the alleged admissions scheme," preventing them from registering for classes or acquiring transcripts. quot;Following the review, we will take the proper action related to their status, up to revoking admission or expulsion," the college said in a tweet on Monday night.
NewsReutersTrump gets a U.S. Supreme Court victory on immigration detention
The Supreme Court on Tuesday endorsed the U.S. government's authority to detain immigrants awaiting deportation anytime - potentially even years - after they have completed prison terms for criminal convictions, handing President Donald Trump a victory as he pursues hardline immigration policies. The court ruled 5-4 along ideological lines, with its conservative justices in the majority and its liberal justices dissenting, that federal authorities could place such immigrants into indefinite detention anytime without the possibility of bail, not just immediately after they finish prison sentences. The ruling, authored by conservative Justice Samuel Alito, left open the possibility that some immigrants could challenge their detention.
WorldAFPTwo Palestinians killed by Israeli army in West Bank clashes: health ministry
Two Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces in clashes near a flashpoint religious site in the occupied West Bank overnight Wednesday, the Palestinian health ministry said. The health ministry said Raid Hamdan, 21, and Zaid Nouri, 20, died after being shot late Tuesday by Israeli troops near the Joseph's Tomb religious site close to the Palestinian city of Nablus. The Israeli army said in a statement explosives were hurled from a vehicle as Jewish worshippers visited the site late Tuesday.
BusinessAssociated PressFord shifting 550 jobs to boost SUV production in Kentucky
Ford Motor Co. said Tuesday it will shift 550 jobs to its Kentucky Truck Plant to boost production of its Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles to meet growing demand for its large SUVs. Growing sales for the Expedition and Navigator are driving a 20 percent production boost at the plant in Louisville, the automaker said. To increase the truck plant's workforce, Ford said it will shift the jobs away from its crosstown factory — Louisville Assembly Plant, which makes the Ford Escape and Lincoln MKC.
