PoliticsBBCBiden backtracks on keeping Trump cap on refugees
President Joe Biden has reversed course hours after signing an order to keep the number of refugees admitted annually to the US at Trump-era levels. Mr Biden drew ire on Friday as he held the cap at the historically low figure of 15,000, two months after he pledged to increase it to 62,500. The White House later said Mr Biden would raise the refugee cap next month.
- WorldReuters
At least 14 rebels killed in fighting with Colombian army
Some 14 rebels and one Colombian soldier have been killed in combat between guerrillas and the Andean country's military, army sources said on Saturday. Fourteen members of the Carlos Patino front - founded by former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels who reject a 2016 peace deal - were killed in the confrontations in Argelia, Cauca province, two military sources told Reuters. The rebels removed the bodies of their fighters, General Eduardo Enrique Zapateiro, the head of the army, said on Twitter.
PoliticsAssociated PressAs Biden improves with vets, Afghanistan plan a plus to some
Patrick Proctor Brown says the war in Afghanistan was lost within a year of its start. The suburban Milwaukee lawyer, who was an infantry captain in Iraq, said the trillions of dollars spent and the thousands of lives lost, including a lieutenant he trained with, make it “a tragedy.” Brown supports President Joe Biden's decision to withdraw all troops from Afghanistan by Sept. 11, and by voting for the Democrat, he represents a subtle but potent shift in the voting behavior of some in the military.
WorldReutersMyanmar releases prisoners for New Year, though likely not dissidents
Myanmar's junta released 23,184 prisoners from jails across the country on Saturday under a New Year amnesty, a Prisons Department spokesman said, though few if any democracy activists arrested since a Feb. 1 coup were thought to be among them. Saturday is the first day of the traditional New Year in Myanmar and the last day of a five-day holiday that is usually celebrated with visits to Buddhist temples and rowdy water throwing and partying in the streets. Pro-democracy activists called for the cancellation of the festivities this year and instead for people to focus on a campaign to restore democracy after the military's ouster of the elected government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.
U.S.NBC NewsFlorida nurse accused of threatening to kill VP Kamala Harris
A Miami-area woman was charged in federal court with making threats to kill Vice President Kamala Harris in a series of videos she sent to her husband in prison, authorities said. Niviane Petit Phelps, 39, sent five 30-second videos and two photographs to her husband back in February through a service known as "JPay," which is used to share media between incarcerated and non-incarcerated individuals, according to a Secret Service complaint. "The videos generally depict Phelps complaining and speaking angrily to the camera about her hatred for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, among others," authorities said.
WorldBBCChina and US pledge climate change commitment
China and the US say they are committed to working together and with other countries on tackling climate change. It comes after several meetings between Chinese climate envoy Xie Zhenhua and his US counterpart John Kerry in Shanghai last week. US President Joe Biden is holding a virtual climate summit this week, which China says it is looking forward to.
U.S.Fort Worth Star-TelegramSpringtown math teacher ‘in love’ with student had sex with teen boy, authorities say
A teacher who authorities alleged had years-long sexual contact with a student in Parker County was arrested on Friday. Misty Cato, 43, of Springtown, is a fifth-grade math teacher at Springtown Intermediate School. Cato was contracted as a math teacher with the Springtown Independent School District at the time the crime in which she is accused, second-degree improper relationship between educator and student, occurred.
U.S.Kansas City StarRep. Cleaver: Missouri can’t afford politicians disobeying the voters on Medicaid
Last August, a majority of Missourians who traveled to the polls voted for Amendment 2, sending a clear message to our state legislators: We want to expand Medicaid. With additional federal funding from COVID-19 relief reducing Missouri's share of the cost, the state legislature's refusal to implement voter-approved Medicaid expansion isn't just undemocratic — it's fiscally irresponsible while denying health care to Missouri's most vulnerable populations. As Missourians grapple with the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, the consequences of a failing health care system could not be more apparent.
CelebrityThe TelegraphHow Meghan ensured she had a part in Prince Philip's funeral – with a handwritten note on wreath
The Duchess of Sussex wrote the card attached to the wreath sent by her and Prince Harry to ensure that, in a small way, she played a part in the Duke of Edinburgh's funeral service. Meghan, who is heavily pregnant with the couple's second child, had hoped to attend the ceremony but was advised against travelling by her doctor. The 39-year-old was watching the funeral on television at home in Montecito, California.
U.S.Kansas City StarJohnson County development invades their land. Their solution? Create their own town
Neighbors in unincorporated parts of Miami and Johnson counties have fought with futility as Edgerton annexes more and more land to bring warehouses and distribution centers under the footprint of NorthPoint Development, a national developer of commercial and industrial projects based in Riverside in Kansas City's Northland. Edgerton and Johnson County leaders have often said that their hands are mostly tied. They say that development is inevitable in the furthest reaches of Kansas City's booming suburbs.
U.S.Lexington Herald-LeaderSecond body pulled from water as 11 remain missing on capsized boat off Gulf Coast
Crews have detected possible signs of life amid a frantic search for survivors after a boat capsized off the coast of Louisiana this week. On Friday, crews recovered a second body from the water days after the Seacor Power capsized in rough waters Tuesday, just south of Port Fourchon, Louisiana, multiple outlets report. The body hasn't been identified, but U.S. Coast Guard officials believe it is a crew member from the sunken ship.
- NewsKTRK – Houston
16-year-old shot to death in NW Harris Co.
A man has been charged in the 16-year-old's shooting death. Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said the victim was in a relationship with the shooter.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderElon Musk's brother Kimbal Musk, typically a Democrat donor, gave $2,800 to each GOP lawmaker who voted to impeach Trump
Kimbal Musk gave $2,800 to each of the 10 GOP lawmakers who backed Trump's impeachment. Musk had previously to Democratic lawmakers including President Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton. His brother, Elon Musk, has donated to both Republicans and Democrats in the past.
U.S.INSIDERA Minnesota man attacked a store employee over a mask policy then dragged a police officer with his vehicle and struck him with a hammer, police say
A 61-year-old Minnesota man has been charged with assaulting a store employee and a police officer. Police say Luke Oeltjenbruns attacked an employee with lumber over the store's mask policy. Oeltjenbruns then dragged a police officer from his truck and struck him with a hammer, police said.
LifestyleArchitectural DigestThe 9 Best Wireless Headphones for Every Kind of Use
From the most comfortable pair to the best value buy, these headphones will carry you through the spring, summer, and beyond Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
ScienceBBCNasa chooses SpaceX to build Moon lander
Nasa has chosen Elon Musk's company SpaceX to build a lander that will return humans to the Moon this decade. This vehicle will carry the next man and the first woman down to the lunar surface under the space agency's Artemis programme. The lander is based on SpaceX's Starship craft, which is being tested at a site in southern Texas.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderMarjorie Taylor Greene said she is not launching 'America First' caucus and that she had not read the proposal, following backlash from GOP
Greene said she had not read the proposal that emphasized "Anglo-Saxon political traditions." See more stories on Insider's business page. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is not launching an "America First" caucus and said she had not read the document shared by Punchbowl News on Friday that emphasized "Anglo-Saxon political traditions."
U.S.INSIDERAn Ohio teen faces multiple charges after police arrested him for carrying an AK-47 throughout a Times Square subway station
An Ohio teen was arrested at a New York City subway station for carrying a firearm. Saadiq Teague was taken into custody on Friday for carrying an AK-47 and other items in his bag. Police in New York City arrested an 18-year-old for carrying an AK-47 that was sticking out of his bag at the Times Square Subway station.
CelebrityNBC NewsWith all eyes on feuding brothers, Harry and William give fans reason to smile on somber day
It was the first time Harry had been seen with the royal family since he and his wife, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, made explosive charges of racism and ill treatment against his kin last month in an interview with Oprah Winfrey. Even a former prime minister has weighed in on hopes of a reconciliation between the two brothers, who were once famously close. It's lovely to see Harry and William together again — it's what we've all wanted,” said 66-year-old Martyn Rawlims, from Kidderminster, in central England.
U.S.The IndependentJudge blocks arrest of journalists covering Minnesota protests amid reports journalists rounded up
A judge has blocked the arrest of journalists covering Minnesota protests amid reports members of the press were rounded up for state patrol to take images of them. The order comes after protests erupted in response to a police officer from the Brooklyn Centre Police Department shooting 20-year-old Daunte Wright in Minnesota's Brooklyn Centre. Hundreds of protesters have descended on the streets every night for the last week - with police firing tear gas and rubber bullets as well as openly threatening to arrest journalists via loudspeakers.
U.S.USA TODAYWorld War II-era plane makes emergency landing in surf off of Florida beach
A World War II-era plane taking part in the Cocoa Beach Air Show made an emergency landing in the ocean near Patrick Space Force Base beaches Saturday afternoon. A video posted to Twitter showed the single-engine TBM Avenger making a "soft" landing in the shallow water south of Cocoa Beach.
CelebrityThe TelegraphWhy the Queen chose loyal lady-in-waiting Lady Susan Hussey for her loneliest journey
The Queen had personally asked Lady Susan to join her for the journey as she prepared to say farewell to her husband of 73 years. One of a close inner circle of ladies-in-waiting, Lady Susan has been by the Queen's side since the birth of Prince Andrew, when she joined the royal household to help answer a flood of letters. Known affectionately as "Number One Head Girl" in an office once likened to the cheery atmosphere of a girls' school common room, she has been described as one of the key trusted figures helping the Queen in her later life.
U.S.The New York TimesWhy Police Can Stop Motorists With Air Fresheners Hanging in Their Cars
In places where air fresheners have been treated as a primary offense, the traffic stops have faced legal challenges with various outcomes. On an April evening in 2008, Benjamin Garcia-Garcia was driving a minivan along Interstate 55 near Springfield, Illinois, when a state trooper who had been parked in the median moved onto the freeway and pulled him over. According to court records, the trooper claimed he had seen the pink air freshener hanging from Garcia-Garcia's mirror and believed it violated the state statute prohibiting objects that could obstruct the driver's view.
CelebrityBusiness InsiderJerry Falwell Jr.'s infamous photo with his pants unzipped was taken during a yacht party honoring a raunchy TV show, lawsuit says
A new lawsuit revives a scandalous photo of former Liberty University president Jerry Falwell Jr. The lawsuit says Falwell hosted a yacht party themed around the raunchy TV show "Trailer Park Boys." A lawsuit Liberty University filed Friday against Jerry Falwell Jr., its former president, details the circumstances behind a controversial photo Falwell shared of himself on a yacht with his arm around a woman and his pants unzipped.
PoliticsThe IndependentTrump’s post-presidency makeover: Former president losing weight, cutting back on M&Ms and ditching spray tan, report says
It's been three months since Donald Trump left the White House in disgrace, and he's never looked better, his advisors say. The twice-impeached ex-president has lost about 15 pounds, quit his M&M habit, and replaced his spray-tanning with natural Florida sun, according to interviews Insider conducted with some of his confidantes. According to people around him, Mr Trump has been playing even more golf than he did when he was president, and has ditched some of his old bad habits.
“There’s no ‘both sides of the debate’ when it comes to active voter suppression.”
“Companies that do this ooze contempt for their own customers and employees who are not in the leftmost quarter of opinion.”
“The truth is that Fortune 500 companies were never taking moral stances from the goodness of their corporate hearts.”
“The truth is, the companies hold the cards…If companies stick to their guns, Georgia is likely to back down as well.”
“When a company folds to the unfounded outrage of a few misinformed nuts, they are forever at the mob’s beck-and-call.”