- NewsUSA TODAY
Supreme Court will decide if convicted sniper in 2002 District of Columbia-area killings can get new sentence
WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court agreed Monday to decide whether life-without-parole sentences for the primary gunman in a series of murders that terrorized the Washington region in 2002 must be reconsidered. The justices will hear the state of Virginia's appeal of a federal appeals court ruling that Lee Boyd Malvo should be resentenced because he was a teenager at the time of the crimes. Malvo was 17 during the shooting spree that killed 10 people in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia.
WorldAFPPutin in Crimea as Russia marks five years since annexation
Russian President Vladimir Putin flew into Crimea on Monday to celebrate the fifth anniversary of Moscow's annexation of the strategic peninsula from Ukraine which was condemned by the West but remains popular among Russians. Russian flags flew in the main city of Simferopol while posters celebrating Crimea's "return to its native land" hung in shop windows and on public transport. Putin used the visit to officially open two new power stations on the Black Sea peninsula, which was almost wholly dependent on electricity from Ukraine before the annexation.
- NewsThe Independent
US weather: Thousands flee midwest as three die amid flooding triggered by 'bomb cyclone'
Thousands of people are being forced to leave their homes after a so-called bomb cyclone brought flooding to huge swathes of the American midwest. From Nebraska to Kansas, and Missouri to Illinois, residents have been evacuated amid flooding that has killed at least three people. The governors of Nebraska, Iowa and Wisconsin have declared states of emergency.
- WorldThe Telegraph
Utrecht gunman left letter in getaway car signalling possible terrorism motive
Dutch authorities said Tuesday they were "seriously" investigating a possible terrorist motive for the Utrecht tram attack because of evidence including a letter found in the gunman's getaway car. Police were questioning Turkish-born main suspect Gokmen Tanis, 37, and two other men over Monday's rampage in which three people were killed and seven injured, three seriously. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte had earlier said they "cannot exclude" other motives including a family dispute, but police and prosecutors said on Tuesday that the probe was leaning towards terrorism.
- WorldUSA TODAY Opinion
New Zealand shooting is warning for US: Get serious about white supremacist terror threat
Yet, while these examples reached the national news cycle, there are dozens of attacks (not all of them fatal) by white supremacists that are not widely known, such as the racially motivated attack on an African-American DJ in Lynwood, Washington; the bombing of a mosque in Bloomington, Minnesota by two members of a white nationalist militia; or the regular violence perpetrated by the white supremacist Rise Above Movement. Extremist violence like this is sometimes difficult to track because domestic terrorism law is simply not prosecuting the reality. There is seldom a mention of “terror” in the prosecutorial charge sheets.
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.
BusinessReutersBrotherly love at Reliance? India's Mukesh Ambani provides 'support' to brother Anil as debt paid off
India's richest man Mukesh Ambani, who controls oil-to-telecoms powerhouse Reliance Industries that is now worth many times the troubled business group run by his younger brother Anil, appears to have offered some kind of support to ensure Anil paid off a 5.5 billion rupees ($80 million) debt. If Anil didn't pay the debt, then he had been threatened by India's Supreme Court with a prison term. The nature of the backing and how it was delivered is unclear, but in a statement Anil Ambani thanked his billionaire brother "for standing by me during these trying times, and demonstrating the importance of staying true to our strong family values by extending this timely support".
BusinessAssociated PressAP source: Justice Dept. probing development of Boeing jets
U.S. prosecutors are looking into the development of Boeing's 737 Max jets, a person briefed on the matter revealed Monday, the same day French aviation investigators concluded there were "clear similarities" in the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines Max 8 last week and a Lion Air jet in October. The Justice Department probe will examine the way Boeing was regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration, said the person, who asked not to be identified because the inquiry is not public. A federal grand jury in Washington sent a subpoena to someone involved in the plane's development seeking emails, messages and other communications, the person told The Associated Press.
PoliticsYahoo NewsTrump's likely pick for Pentagon job makes 'trains run on time.' Can he do much more?
He's a very good nuts and bolts guy,” said a former senior Pentagon official, who added that despite having no previous Defense Department experience, Shanahan during his time in government has quickly mastered “how you get things done in the Pentagon, how you exercise power over the budget. The former Boeing executive is “a guy that understands large organizations and how to make them function properly and get the most out of them,” said retired Army Lt. Gen. Guy Swan, a vice president at the Association of the U.S. Army. Swan described Shanahan as a man who could “make the trains run on time,” a phrase repeated verbatim by another person who spoke to Yahoo News.
EntertainmentUSA TODAY OpinionMaher on the college scandal that's 'been very tough on the Hollywood community'
The cheating scandal was dubbed "Operation Varsity Blues" and so far two actresses have been outed as alleged participants in it. Wealthy parents essentially used their money and connections to pay their kids' way into college. Late-night comic Bill Maher focuses on how hurt (insert sarcasm here) the moneyed Hollywood community must be after movie-star Felicity Huffman and television actress Lori Loughlin (best known for her role as Aunt Becky in the 1990s sitcom "Full House") became the public face of this scandal.
WorldAFPNew Zealand attack plays into jihadist hands: experts
White supremacist Brenton Tarrant, who is accused of killing 50 people in the New Zealand mosque massacre in what he claimed was a blow against Muslim "invaders", played into jihadist hands by following their strategy, experts say. From the Islamic State (IS) group to Al-Qaeda, jihadist groups aim to deepen divisions between Muslims and the rest of the world in an apparent aim to trigger all-out war between "believers" and "unbelievers". "The Christchurch attack was a blessing for Daesh," said Alain Chouet, a former senior French intelligence official, using an Arabic acronym for IS.
- NewsThe Independent
California poppies: City declares public safety crisis after 'super bloom apocalypse'
Officials in the California city of Lake Elisnore have previously had large crowds come and see the wildflowers that burst into a vibrant blaze of gorgeous colour as spring gets underway. It happens when it rains hard. But this spring, the poppies have been so abundant and so strikingly coloured – orange peel, marigold and burned copper – that the number of people coming to walk among them has simply been too many.
- WorldThe Telegraph
Mesut Ozil sparks new political row over wedding invite for Turkish president
The footballer Mesut Özil has become embroiled in a new political row in Germany over reports he asked Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Turkey's president, to be guest of honour at his wedding. The Arsenal star resigned from the German national team last year claiming he was a victim of racism after coming under fire over his public support for Mr Erdoğan . German politicians spoke out after he was pictured with his fiancee, Amine Gulse, meeting Mr Erdoğan at Istanbul airport last week.
- BusinessCar and Driver
Photos of the 2020 Bentley Continental GT V8
It gives up four cylinders and some power to the W-12 but still promises to be plenty quick. From Car and Driver
WorldUSA TODAYSocial media scrambles to remove videos of New Zealand Christchurch mosque shooting
Facebook said it quickly removed videos of a gunman opening fire inside a New Zealand mosque on Friday who appeared to have live-streamed his attack in a 17-minute video that looked to be recorded on a helmet camera. The Facebook video began with the man driving up to Masjid Al Noor mosque in the city of Christchurch. In a statement posted to Twitter, Facebook said police alerted them to the video shortly after the livestream commenced and removed both the video and the gunman's Facebook and Instagram accounts.
WorldReutersRussian and U.S. diplomats to hold Venezuela talks in Italy this week
United States Special Representative for Venezuela Elliott Abrams and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov are due to meet in Rome this week to discuss the situation in Venezuela, diplomats from the two countries said. Venezuela, a close ally of Moscow, is in political turmoil. The United States and many other Western countries back Juan Guaido, head of the opposition-controlled National Assembly who invoked the constitution in January to assume an interim presidency, while Russia says President Nicolas Maduro remains the country's only legitimate leader.
NewsAssociated PressThe Latest: Up to 500 homes damaged in 1 Nebraska county
The state's emergency management agency says more record crests are expected in various rivers by Tuesday. Nebraska has had much of the worst of the late-winter flooding that's been seen across the Midwest. Hundreds of homes are damaged and the state says 660 people are staying in shelters.
U.S.FOX News VideosKansas City Chiefs star Tyreek Hill was reportedly being investigated for incidents of battery against his 3-year-old
Kansas City Chiefs star Tyreek Hill was reportedly being investigated for incidents of battery against his 3-year-old son. The investigation reportedly comes after Hill's fiancee, Crystal Espinal, filed multiple police reports where their three-year-old son was listed as the victim.
PoliticsYahoo NewsNever-Trumpers assess his mental health: 'His condition is getting worse'
Donald Trump's most recent eruption of invective on Twitter has some Republicans — admittedly, long-standing critics — questioning not just his policies and temperament but his mental health. In a notable string of tweets posted over the weekend, including 29 tweets and retweets on Sunday, the president attacked Google, General Motors, the United Auto Workers, Hillary Clinton, the Paris climate accord, France, “the Fake News media,” Fox News anchors Shepard Smith, Arthel Neville and Leland Vittert, the late Sen. John McCain, the special counsel's investigation into his 2016 presidential campaign's ties with Russia, and a rerun of “Saturday Night Live” from December.
BusinessAFP'Clear similarities' between Boeing crashes in Ethiopia, Indonesia
Flight recorder data recovered from the wreckage of Boeing 737 MAX planes that crashed in Ethiopia and Indonesia shows "clear similarities," Addis Ababa said Sunday as the US maker announced it was finalizing a software update for its under fire anti-stall system. Pressure was mounting meanwhile on the US Federal Aviation Administration, which insisted it had followed standard procedures in certifying the plane model, even as it was reported to have come under investigation by the Department of Transport. "The 737 MAX certification program followed the FAA's standard certification process," the agency said in an email to AFP.
- NewsU.S.News & World Report
3 Things Students Should Know About AP Registration Changes
The College Board, the not-for-profit organization that oversees the Advanced Placement program, recently announced its plans to alter AP registration policies. Since this decision directly affects students who are considering enrolling in AP courses, you must know exactly which changes will take place, as well as when. -- AP exam registration will now take place in November.
- SportsDelish
Restaurant Quality Lamb Recipes You Can Make at Home
Make something special this holiday. From Delish
- WorldThe National Interest
Navy vs. Nukes: U.S. Navy Plans to Test Missile Defenses Against ICBM
The Pentagon plans a “first-of-its-kind” test of an unprecedented weapons capability to intercept and destroy an enemy Intercontinental Ballistic Missile "ICBM" -- from a Navy ship at sea using a Standard Missile-3 Block IIA. The concept, as articulated by Pentagon officials and cited briefly in this years' DoD “Missile Defense Review,” would be to use an advanced SM-3 IIA to “underlay” and assist existing Ground-Based Interceptors (GBI), adding new dimensions to the current US missile defense posture.
- NewsThe Independent
Frank Cali murder: Suspect in killing of reputed Gambino crime family boss appears in court
A man has been arrested in connection with the murder of reputed Gambino family mob boss Francesco “Frank” Cali, police in New York said. Cali was allegedly the head of the Gambino family, one of the five Italian-American Mafia families that have historically dominated organised crime in New York and New Jersey. Anthony Comello, 24, was detained in New Jersey and appeared at the Ocean County Courthouse in Toms River, New Jersey, at 2.30 pm.
- WorldUSA TODAY
Stephen Colbert postpones surprise trip to New Zealand after mosque attacks
Talk show host Stephen Colbert has postponed what was supposed to be a surprise visit to New Zealand following the terrorist attack in Christchurch that killed 50 people. Colbert's “Late Show,” the top-rated American late-night show, said that he was supposed to travel to New Zealand on Wednesday for a week of shows. The "Lord of the Rings" aficionado was invited last fall when New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was a guest on “Late Show.
