PoliticsReutersTrump vows emergency declaration over wall, agrees to shutdown-averting bill
President Donald Trump vowed on Thursday to declare a national emergency in an attempt to fund his U.S.-Mexico border wall without congressional approval, a step likely to plunge him into a court battle with Congress over constitutional powers. Conceding defeat in his demand that Congress provide him with $5.7 billion in wall money, Trump agreed to sign a government funding bill that lacks money for his wall but prevents another damaging government shutdown. The bill, passed by the Republican-led Senate on Thursday, will go to the Democratic-led House of Representatives for final congressional approval.
WorldAFPVenezuela Supreme Court orders prosecution of new oil boards
Venezuela's Supreme Court on Thursday ordered that executives appointed to boards affiliated with state oil firm PDVSA -- in a bid for control by opposition leader Juan Guaido -- face criminal prosecution. The court -- packed with Maduro loyalists -- ordered legal action against 15 executives that the National Assembly, headed by Guaido, named on Wednesday to form four new executive boards for PDVSA and its US-based affiliate Citgo. Guaido celebrated the appointments as a "step forward in the reconstruction of PDVSA," but Maduro had warned that those accepting "illegal" appointments would face justice.
- WorldAssociated Press
The Latest: Putin: Syria must take over lands US leaves
Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia, Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey and Iran's Hassan Rouhani said after Thursday's talks in Sochi they agreed on the need to counter attempts by al-Qaida-linked militants in Idlib to expand their sway. In September, Russia and Turkey struck a de-escalation deal on Idlib that averted a Syrian army offensive on the last remaining rebel stronghold. The agreement created a security zone free of heavy weapons to be monitored by Turkey, and Russia has since voiced concern about continuing attacks by the militants.
BusinessConsumer ReportsHonda & Acura Recall for Potential Stalling Issue
Honda is recalling 437,000 Acura MDX SUVs, Acura TLX V6 cars, and Honda Accord V6 cars because the gasoline flow from fuel pumps could slow to the point that a vehicle stalls, increasing the risk of a crash. Honda, the parent company for Acura, says it is not aware of any crashes or injuries because of this issue. According to the automaker, the presence of sodium particles in some gasolines can cause the fuel pump to slow down, which can ultimately lead to stalling.
- NewsUSA TODAY
More rain, snow expected in storm-battered California, following days of mudslides and floods
Although the worst of the storm had moved well inland Friday, forecasters said some leftover showers and snow was still likely to fall across the state on Friday and Saturday. The higher elevations of the Sierra could see an additional 3 to 6 feet of snow over the next few days, on top of the 3 feet that fell Thursday, the National Weather Service said. So much snow has fallen in the area that cities are running out of places to put the snow, according to Kevin Cooper of Lake Tahoe TV In Southern California, officials said rain-drenched hillsides could still loosen and collapse, bringing down mud, boulders and debris.
- U.S.WLS – Chicago
Sources: Jussie Smollett staged attack with help of others, allegedly being written off 'Empire'
Multiple sources have told ABC7 Eyewitness News that police are investigating whether Smollett and the two men staged the attack allegedly because Smollett was being written off of "Empire."
- NewsUSA TODAY Opinion
A year after Parkland school shooting, should we be arming teachers already?
Ultimately, then, the sign amounts to what has been termed "security theater" — measures designed to make kids, parents and school personnel feel safer, but which don't actually make them safer. Thankfully, other changes are in full swing that do "harden" school targets. As Treasure Coast Newspapers reported last week, the Indian River, St. Lucie and Martin County school districts have all taken "giant steps" to improve school safety.
WorldAssociated PressFamily of IS teen appeals to UK to help bring her home
The family of a pregnant British teenager who ran away to join the Islamic State group urged the government Friday to help bring her home. Shamima Begum's family issued a statement appealing for government assistance "as a matter of urgency." Begum, now 19, resurfaced this week at a refugee camp in Syria where she gave an interview to the Times of London saying she didn't regret her decision, but wanted to come home. "Given Shamima's four-year ordeal, we are concerned that her mental health has been affected by everything that she has seen and endured," the family said in a statement to Britain's ITV, describing her words as those of child who had been groomed by IS recruiters.
- HealthTime
Diet Sodas and Juices Are Linked to Higher Stroke Risk, Study Says
Diet drinks may seem like healthier options than sugary sodas and fruit drinks, but studies haven't all backed up their health benefits. In the latest look at the popular beverages, researchers found that older women who drank more diet drinks had a higher risk of stroke and heart disease, as well as a higher risk of dying early from any cause, compared to women who drank fewer of the drinks. In a study published in the journal Stroke, researchers studied data from more than 81,000 post-menopausal women enrolled in the large population-based Women's Health Initiative.
- PoliticsThe Independent
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to introduce bill blocking Trump's 'fake national emergency'
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Joaquin Castro have announced new legislation they intend to introduce as part of an effort to block Donald Trump's national emergency declaration over the US-Mexico border. The Democratic politicians pointed to the National Emergencies Act that provides Congress the ability to “terminate the President's emergency declaration”, according to Mr Castro. In a tweet following the announcement, Ms Ocasio-Cortez, a progressive freshman representative from New York City, wrote: “@JoaquinCastrotx and I aren't going to let the President declare a fake national emergency without a fight.
- NewsAOL.com
FBI releases 16 drawings prolific serial killer Samuel Little made of his victims
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has released more than a dozen drawings made by a prolific serial killer in hopes the public may be able to identify some of his victims. Samuel Little, 78, was arrested at a Kentucky homeless shelter in September 2012 and extradited to California, where he was wanted on a narcotics charge. In 2014, Little was convicted on all three counts and was sentenced to three consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole.
WorldReutersIndia's PM Modi warns Pakistan of strong response to Kashmir attack
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned Pakistan on Friday to expect a strong response to a suicide attack that killed 44 paramilitary policemen in Kashmir, ratcheting up tension between the nuclear-armed neighbors. The car bomb attack on a security convoy on Thursday was the worst in decades of insurgency in the disputed region. India said it had "incontrovertible evidence" of Pakistani involvement, a statement quickly rejected by Islamabad.
WorldAssociated PressVessel discovers wreck of World War II carrier Hornet
A research vessel funded by the late Seattle billionaire Paul Allen has discovered the wreckage of an American aircraft carrier sunk in the South Pacific during World War II. It is the latest in an ongoing effort to discover sunken vessels. Allen's Vulcan Inc. announced this week that an autonomous submarine sent by the crew of the research vessel Petrel found the USS Hornet nearly 17,500 feet (5,400 meters) deep near the Solomon Islands.
- PoliticsUSA TODAY
Elliott Abrams bristles at Rep. Ilhan Omar's 'attack' for his Iran-Contra role
Omar then went after Abrams for his effort to downplay a massacre committed by the El Salvadoran military when he was serving under the Reagan administration. After hundreds of civilians were killed in the village of El Mozote in December 1981, including 131 children under the age of 12, Abrams and other administration officials dismissed reports of the massacre as exaggerations. The Atlacatl Battalion, which committed the massacre, was trained by U.S. advisers and two months after El Mozote, Abrams cited the battalion's "professionalism."
- BusinessCar and Driver
The 20 Most Powerful Crossovers and SUVs You Can Buy in 2019
Is 400 horsepower not enough for your people- and cargo-hauler in 2019? How does 500, 600, or 700 horsepower sound? From Car and Driver
- NewsLiveScience.com
Why This 'Atmospheric River' Could Cause Mudslides and 'Roofalanches' in California
Californians are experiencing some unusually nasty winter weather this week as an "atmospheric river" passes through most of the state, bringing howling winds and heavy rain. The storm arrived on Tuesday night (Feb. 12) in Northern California and continued into Wednesday (Feb. 13), leading the National Weather Service (NWS) to issue warnings of flash flooding, mudslides and high winds in the region. Atmospheric rivers are huge "rivers in the sky" that cause moisture from the tropics to flow north, from California to Canada.
- CelebrityThe Telegraph
Gay couples in Japan join together on Valentine's Day to sue government over same-sex marriage ban
Thirteen gay couples filed Japan's first lawsuit challenging the country's rejection of same-sex marriage on Valentine's Day, arguing the denial violates their constitutional right to equality. Six couples holding banners saying "Marriage For All Japan" walked into Tokyo District Court to file their cases against the government, with similar cases filed by three couples in Osaka, one couple in Nagoya and three couples in Sapporo. Plaintiff Kenji Aiba, standing next to his partner Ken Kozumi, told reporters he would "fight this war together with sexual minorities all around Japan."
- NewsUSA TODAY
During a school lockdown, 7-year-old writes note on her arm in case she dies
WILMINGTON, Del. — A note that a Delaware student scrawled on her arm during a school lockdown is going viral online. Shelley Harrison Reed, the mother of the 7-year-old student, posted the haunting image on Facebook after her daughter came home following a lockdown at the Wilmington-area Odyssey Charter School on Feb. 7. Reed said it was the first school lockdown her daughter and 10-year-old son have ever experienced. She wrote they appeared to be fine once they got home.
- NewsThe Independent
Parkland shooting: How the NRA is more vulnerable than ever after a year of protests and a wave election
One year after gunfire began in the freshman building of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, the movement those bullets sparked has swept through the US and opened a new chapter on guns in America. Guns have come to dominate political debate this past year in way unseen previously in the US, with massive protests from March for Our Lives attracting headlines and major news coverage — and virtually all Democrat presidential candidates supporting stricter gun control. Meanwhile, dozens of states have moved to pass new gun control laws in an historic effort, as communities across America continue to be scarred by gun violence.
NewsAssociated PressStudents track fatal child shootings since Parkland killings
A student journalism project has concluded that at least 1,149 children and teenagers died from a shooting in the year since the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Around 200 teenage reporters from across the country worked to document the stories of the children up to age 18 who died from gun violence in the year since 17 people died in a mass shooting at the Parkland, Florida, school. The "Since Parkland" report released Thursday on the first anniversary of the massacre said children died in school shootings, domestic violence cases, drug homicides and by stray bullets.
PoliticsReutersLegal challenges to Trump emergency declaration face uphill battle
After being rebuffed by the U.S. Congress in his request for $5.7 billion to help build the wall that was a signature 2016 campaign promise, Trump on Friday invoked emergency powers given to the president under a 1976 law. The move, according to the White House, enables Trump to bypass lawmakers and redirect money already appropriated by Congress for other purposes and use it for wall construction. Peter Shane, a professor at Ohio State University's Moritz College of Law, said challenges to the emergency declaration could end up as a replay of the legal battle against Trump's travel ban targeting people from several Muslim-majority nations.
- WorldBloomberg
Putin, Erdogan Spar Over Syria Militants Amid Split on Safe Zone
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan failed to agree on military action to oust militants who've seized control of a key region of Syria, amid continued divisions over Ankara's demand for a security zone inside the Middle Eastern country. While Putin urged Erdogan and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani at a summit on Thursday to work out ways to “completely destroy the terrorist hotbed” in the Idlib region, a joint statement after the talks referred only to the need for “concrete steps” to restore a September truce shattered by the Islamist takeover last month. Those steps don't include military action, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
- LifestyleArchitectural Digest
Our Favorite Eco-friendly Finds Put Sustainable Materials to Stylish Use
- BusinessCar and Driver
The 2019 Bentley Bentayga Speed Is Faster but Cannot Crush the Lamborghini Urus
The new Bentley Bentayga Speed is claimed to be the world's "fastest production SUV," matching the top speed of the Lamborghini Urus. For now, we settle for 190 mph, a 3-mph bump from the Bentayga's base trim. At 3.9 seconds, Bentley claims a two-tenth improvement to the company's claimed zero-to-62-mph time, although we've already run a regular Bentayga to 60 in just 3.5 seconds.
- ScienceLiveScience.com
Why Can't NASA's Curiosity Rover Rescue Opportunity?
The Mars rover Opportunity has died, NASA announced yesterday (Feb. 13). A layer of dust likely coated its solar panels, preventing it from juicing itself up after a 2018 sky-blackening dust storm on the Red Planet. But why couldn't NASA launch a rescue mission to get it working again?
