- WorldBloomberg
Al-Qaeda Hotel Attack Kills 21, Shaking Kenya Economy Pillar
Using hand grenades, automatic rifles and a suicide-bomber, the militants stormed 14 Riverside in Nairobi on Tuesday afternoon, a venue popular with business travelers and Kenya's elites and home to offices of companies including Pernod Ricard SA and Dow Chemical East Africa Ltd. That precipitated an 18-hour siege around the DusitD2 hotel, which President Uhuru Kenyatta said ended about 9 a.m. Wednesday with the attackers dead. Somalia-based al-Shabaab took responsibility for the assault, the latest in a recent wave of jihadist strikes across Africa, including in Nigeria and Mali, which a loose coalition of African, Western and United Nation troops are struggling to stop. It's al-Shabaab's first significant assault in Kenya since it killed 147 people at a northeastern university in April 2015 and echoed a September 2013 attack on Nairobi's Westgate mall that left 67 dead and rocked the tourism industry.
NewsAssociated PressThe Latest: Son: Jailed Iran state TV anchor would help FBI
The Latest on detention of American-born news anchor for Iran's state television (all times local): 3:25 p.m. The son of an American-born anchor for Iran's state television broadcaster says his mother would have been willing to cooperate with the FBI and did not need to be jailed as a material witness. Hossein Hashemi tells The Associated Press on Wednesday that his mother had not been contacted by the FBI before she was stopped in St. Louis and taken into custody earlier this week.
- WorldYahoo News
Mike Pence amends claim that 'ISIS has been defeated' following deadly attack on U.S. troops
Vice President Mike Pence issued a statement Wednesday that sought to clarify remarks he delivered earlier in the day in which he claimed that “ISIS has been defeated” — several hours after the radical Islamic group set off a bomb that killed at least two U.S. service members and two American civilians in Syria. In a speech at the U.S. State Department Wednesday morning, Pence credited President Trump and the U.S. military with vanquishing Islamic State terrorists in Syria. “Thanks to the leadership of this commander in chief and the courage and sacrifice of our armed forces, we are now actually able to begin to hand off the fight against ISIS in Syria to our coalition partners,” Pence said, “And we are bringing our troops home.
WorldAFPBrits in Spain see glimmer of hope in UK Brexit vote drubbing
Jávea (Spain) (AFP) - On the sun-drenched eastern coast of Spain where British pensioners and business-owners are uncertain for their futures as Brexit ticks closer, the crushing parliamentary defeat of Theresa May's EU divorce deal has sparked a glimmer of hope. "This might not happen," Lyle Starritt told AFP, the day after May suffered a historic drubbing in the House of Commons on Tuesday, when MPs rejected the deal she struck with the European Union. Britons interviewed by AFP, all of whom were keen on Britain staying in the EU, also said they were confident that even if Brexit takes place Madrid would preserve their rights, providing London reciprocates for Spaniards living in Britain.
- NewsThe National Review
David Webb's White Privilege
And here I thought I was the only black man with white privilege. Areva Martin, a CNN “analyst” — whatever in hell that means anno Domini 2019 — was in the middle of a spirited exchange with the conservative talk-radio host David Webb about racial preferences in hiring. Webb argued — as conservatives of many different races argue!
- SportsThe Independent
Enes Kanter: Turkey 'seeking arrest' of New York Knicks player
Turkish prosecutors are seeking the arrest and extradition of New York Knicks enter Enes Kanter, accusing him pf being a member of an "armed terrorist group". Mr Kanter is accused of ties to Fethullah Gulen, who Turkish authorities allege is behind the failed coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in 2016, the Daily Sabah reported. Mr Gulen has repeatedly denied any involved in the failed coup.
- BusinessCar and Driver
10 of the Kia Telluride's Coolest Design Details, from the Designer Himself
The new Telluride's design is big, blocky, and-hold on, this might be its most American SUV yet. From Car and Driver
NewsUSA TODAYMore snow! Airlines expand change fees as new storms approach
Airlines are waiving change fees as two more winter storms are set to move across the Midwest and Northeast. American, Delta, Southwest, United, JetBlue, Alaska and Frontier airlines all rolled out waivers Thursday, with several carriers expanding the scope of the policies as forecasts solidified. The waivers come as two different winter storms were forecast to affect airports across large parts of the Midwest and Northeast.
- BusinessThe Telegraph
Apple boss Tim Cook attacks 'shadow economy' of data in call for new privacy law
Apple's chief executive Tim Cook has called for the US to introduce a national privacy law, attacking a “shadow economy” in which people's personal data is bought and sold without their knowledge. Mr Cook said companies should have to collect as little data as possible and make it easy for people to delete the information that is held about them. It is the latest attempt from Apple to position itself as the steward of consumers' privacy, and to draw a line between itself and companies such as Facebook and Google.
PoliticsReutersU.S. House, including Steve King, votes to condemn his racist statements
The U.S. House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to pass a resolution disapproving statements made by Representative Steve King that were roundly criticized as racist, and King himself voted in favor of it. King, a Republican who represents a conservative district in Iowa, gave a media interview earlier this month in which he questioned why "white supremacy" is considered offensive. The measure, which passed 424 to 1, stopped short of a formal censure.
WorldAssociated PressPalestinian forces soldier on amid Israeli raids, US neglect
The Palestinian Authority has faced mounting protests over the security coordination as the Trump administration pursues policies seen by critics as obliterating whatever chance remains for a two-state solution, from recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital to cutting off economic aid to the Palestinians. And yet the security coordination with Israel has endured for more than a decade, through one crisis after another, including three wars in Gaza and clashes at Jerusalem's holiest site.
- PoliticsBloomberg
Giuliani Can't Say No One Colluded, Only That Trump Didn't
“I never said there was no collusion between the campaign, or people in the campaign,” Giuliani said during an interview on CNN's “Cuomo Prime Time” show Wednesday night. “I said the president of the United States. There is not a single bit of evidence the president of the United States committed the only crime you can commit here, conspiring with the Russians to hack the DNC,” he added, referring to the Democratic National Committee.
BusinessAFPGoldman Sachs, Bank of America rock earnings
Goldman Sachs reported better-than-expected profits on Wednesday despite higher legal costs as it works through the 1MDB scandal, while Bank of America's earnings were lifted by higher interest rates. Goldman reported mixed operational performance across its trading, investing and lending businesses, while Bank of America saw its profits triple compared to a year earlier. Shares of both banks surged after the results, which were stronger than earnings of some rival banks earlier posted earlier this week.
- BusinessAOL.com
Marriott is rolling out a brand new rewards program -- Here's everything you need to know
This included SPG (Starwood Preferred Guest), Marriott Rewards and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards — three previously unrelated loyalty programs that existed with separate point-value systems and benefits. The merger essentially unified the currency for all three separate rewards programs and allowed for members of any of the three programs to use their points across Marriott's entire combined portfolio of 29 brands and 6,700 participating resorts and hotels. Today, Marriott has solidified the mega-merger under the new name and introduction of Marriott Bonvoy, the new travel-focused loyalty program that will be taking the place of the three merged programs.
WorldReutersTurkish prosecutor seeks extradition of NBA's Kanter over Gulen links: Anadolu
Turkish prosecutors are seeking the extradition of New York Knicks center Enes Kanter over his links to the U.S.-based cleric accused of orchestrating a failed coup in 2016, state-owned Anadolu news agency said. Kanter, a vocal critic of President Tayyip Erdogan, was indicted by a Turkish court last year over alleged membership of an "armed terrorist group" after being contacted repeatedly by people close to Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen. Anadolu said on Tuesday prosecutors had sought the issue of a "red notice" for Kanter, an Interpol request to locate and provisionally arrest an individual pending extradition.
- BusinessCar and Driver
Chevy Pulls Commercial Claiming Superior Reliability
UPDATE 1/18/19: Chevrolet stopped using the advertisement discussed in this opinion column following complaints about its claim to be the "most reliable" brand. If you were watching the NFL playoffs or the Golden Globes, you probably saw a new spot from Chevrolet in its "Real People. In it, Chevy spokesperson Potsch Boyd asks a series of Ford, Honda, and Toyota owners if they'd be surprised to hear that their chosen make is the most reliable car company.
- NewsUSA TODAY
40 mph mudslides, floods, blizzards, 6 feet of snow, 110 mph winds: California nightmare
The National Weather Service issued a flood watch for the California county where a wildfire destroyed more than 13,000 homes last year as the state braced for a powerful storm that could trigger deadly mudslides. "A powerful Pacific storm will hammer the West Coast into Friday with strong winds, heavy rain and heavy mountain snow," the National Weather Service warned. Heavy rain will bring a threat of flash flooding along recent burn scars while blizzard conditions are expected in the Sierras.
PoliticsFOX News VideosFormer FBI top lawyer under federal investigation for leaking to media
New fallout to the news that James A. Baker, former general counsel for the FBI, has been under federal investigation for months; reaction from Fox News contributor Marc Thiessen.
- PoliticsThe Independent
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's first House speech breaks online viewing records
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's first speech on the floor of Congress broke digital viewing records for C-SPAN, Capitol Hill's public affairs network, garnering over a million views on Twitter in roughly 12 hours. The progressive freshman Gouse member took to the floor on Wednesday to decry Donald Trump's demands for border wall funding to be included in the next federal spending bill — a battle that has spurred the longest government shutdown in American history. “The truth of this shutdown is that it's actually not about a wall,” the New York Democrat said.
WorldAssociated PressThe Latest: UN Security Council condemns Kenya attack
Kenya's president says security forces killed the gunmen who attacked a luxury hotel and shopping complex in Nairobi on Tuesday. President Uhuru Kenyatta says 14 "innocent people" were killed. Al-Shabab — the Somalia-based extremist group linked to al-Qaida — claimed responsibility for the carnage.
- PoliticsBloomberg
Maybe Giuliani's Right: Trump Lawyers May Not Know of Collusion
It may explain the always voluble Giuliani's comment in a CNN interview on Wednesday night that “I never said there was no collusion between the campaign, or people in the campaign.” Instead, he said he knows only that “there is not a single bit of evidence the president of the United States committed the only crime you can commit here, conspiring with the Russians to hack” the Democratic National Committee. “I am as confident as I can be, not being the lawyer for everyone, that there was no collusion with regard to hacking the DNC or anything that is a crime by anyone on the campaign,” Giuliani said Thursday in an interview.
LifestyleAFPChina's moon cotton experiment ends in freezing lunar night
A cotton seedling that sprouted on the moon has been left to die as China's historic lunar lander continues a freezing night-time nap that will last as long as two earth weeks, scientists said. The Chinese space agency announced earlier this week that the seed had germinated inside a special canister aboard the Chang'e-4 probe, after the spacecraft on January 3 made the first-ever landing on the far side of the moon. The mini biosphere -- which operated for over 212 hours -- was shut down as planned on Saturday, said Chongqing University, which designed the experiment.
BusinessUSA TODAYSouthwest Airlines flights canceled, delayed due to computer issue in Baltimore
A four-hour Southwest Airlines computer glitch on Tuesday caused delays and cancellations for passengers traveling to and from Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. The exact number of delayed and canceled flights isn't clear, though 37 Southwest flights were canceled leaving the airport Tuesday out of 174 scheduled. It's also not yet clear what caused the four-hour glitch between 10 a.m.
- U.S.WLS – Chicago
Illinois parents get 25 years in death of boy, 6, who weighed 17 pounds when he died
An Illinois father and stepmother will spend decades in prison in the starvation death of their 6-year-old son, who authorities say weighed just 17 pounds when he died.
- LifestyleArchitectural Digest
Tour Dominic West and Catherine Fitzgerald's Historic Home
The 800-year-old castle is like a step into Ireland's past
