PoliticsUSA TODAYTrump repeatedly tried to impede the Russia probe, Mueller report said. Was it obstruction?
WASHINGTON – To thwart a federal investigation of Russian efforts to help him win the White House, President Donald Trump fired the FBI director, ordered an aide to fire special counsel Robert Mueller and urged associates to pressure the attorney general to curb the inquiry. From the first months of his administration, Trump pushed repeatedly to limit the inquiry into Russian interference with the 2016 election that began with the FBI and continued under Mueller. His attempts to block or curb the inquiry that he worried could tarnish his presidency are detailed in Mueller's final report on his 22-month investigation, released Thursday by the Justice Department.
NewsAssociated PressThe Latest: Crown of Thorns presented at Paris service
He says firefighters have been able to cool down the walls and debris that fell inside the cathedral from the roof. He says "it's a miracle that the cathedral is still standing, and that all the relics were saved," he said. The fire Monday night burned through the network of enormous centuries-old oak beams supporting the monument's vaulted stone ceiling, dangerously weakening the building.
WorldAFPDown in the polls, Ukraine leader begs for second chance
Ukrainian leader Petro Poroshenko begged for forgiveness and a second chance Thursday as polls showed him facing all-but-certain defeat three days ahead of a presidential vote. In a dramatic televised address, Poroshenko pleaded with voters to support him over Volodymyr Zelensky, a comedian with no political experience who has surged ahead in the polls. What did not work out hurts the most," Poroshenko said.
WorldReutersDoctors assessing when Madeira bus crash survivors can fly home to Germany
Doctors from Germany are working with a Portuguese medical team to evaluate when the German tourists who survived a fatal bus crash on the island of Madeira can be transferred home, the hospital said on Friday. The bus - carrying 55 tourists and a tour guide - veered off a steep road in the coastal town of Canico on Wednesday, and came to a halt next to a house, killing 29 Germans and injuring 27, including the Portuguese driver and tour guide. Portugal's public prosecutor's office has opened an investigation into the accident.
- LifestylePopular Mechanics
How to Get Rid of Lawn Weeds
The best way to eradicate weeds is to use a two-prong approach of applying fertilizer and herbicide at different times of the year. A regular application of fertilizer produces strong, healthy grass plants that have a better chance of fighting off weeds. And herbicides have been proven to be effective at killing existing weeds and deterring the growth of new weeds.
- NewsThe Daily Beast
Man Charged With Trying to Set St. Patrick's on Fire Was Arrested at Newark Cathedral Days Earlier
Days before a 37-year-old philosophy professor allegedly tried to set fire to the iconic St. Patrick's Cathedral in the heart of Manhattan, he was arrested for refusing to leave a church in New Jersey—setting off a bizarre 48 hours for a man who previously had little interaction with law enforcement. According to an arrest report of the incident at Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart obtained by The Daily Beast, Marc Lamparello was charged Monday night after he refused orders from an Essex County Deputy Sheriff to leave the Newark church. A few moments later, as two sheriffs tried to get him to leave, Lamparello apparently threw himself onto a pew and yelled “no.” Then, as officers tried to take him into custody, he resisted, and at one point threw himself onto the church floor, stating, “I'm not leaving.
- U.S.WTVD – Raleigh/Durham
Driver with STAYUMBL license plate, notorious for cutting people off around Durham, charged in incident with bus
The STAYUMBL license plate is notorious on the road and social media. Folks say the driver behind the wheel will speed up, cut people off and then slam on her brakes, sometimes causing a crash.
- WorldThe National Interest
How the U.S. Navy Sunk Imperial Japan's Top Secret Aircraft Carrier
Warfare History Network Security, Asia The first torpedo struck farthest aft. Over the next 30 seconds three more warheads detonated against the massive aircraft carrier's hull, working their way forward. The explosions and instant flooding immediately killed scores of men, many asleep in their bunks.
WorldAFPBee-wildering! Hives of Notre-Dame in miraculous survival
Some 200,000 bees inhabiting hives in Notre-Dame cathedral survived the inferno that engulfed the heritage landmark in a miraculous escape, their beekeeper said Thursday. Until this morning, I had had no news," said beekeeper Nicolas Geant who looks after the hives which are kept on top of a sacristry that adjoins the cathedral. It has become increasingly customary in the French capital for bee hives to be introduced at seemingly unlikely locations, including also at the Paris Opera.
- PoliticsNational Review
Barr: Mueller Found 'No Evidence of Any Collusion' Between Trump Campaign and Russia
Attorney General William Barr said that special counsel Robert Mueller's 22-month investigation produced “no evidence of any collusion” between the Trump campaign and Russia during a press conference Thursday held hours before the release of the special counsel report. “After two years of investigation the special counsel did confirm Russian meddling in 2016 campaign but no evidence of any collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia,” Barr said. Barr's categorical description puts to rest the suggestion by many of the president's critics that, while Barr's summary of the report made clear that Mueller could not prove criminal coordination beyond a reasonable doubt, his report would likely include some evidence of same.
WorldUSA TODAYAir France-KLM offering free flights to those helping rebuild Notre Dame Cathedral
Air France-KLM is doing its part to assist with the reconstruction of the Notre Dame Cathedral following the devastating fire on Monday. "All Air France and Air France-KLM teams around the world have been deeply affected and saddened since (Monday)," the airline said in a Tuesday statement. "Moreover, in the days ahead, the Air France-KLM group will set up a voluntary donations fund for its customers to help finance the reconstruction work," the airline added.
NewsAssociated PressAppeals court backs California laws to protect immigrants
A federal appeals court on Thursday kept in place three California laws intended to protect immigrants, continuing the state's efforts to be a national leader in opposing Trump administration policies. The court upheld lower court rulings denying the Trump administration's request to block law enforcement from providing release dates and personal information of people in jail, as well as to throw out a law barring employers from allowing immigration officials on their premises unless the officials have a warrant. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected U.S. District Judge John Mendez's reasoning last year for denying a portion of the third law, which requires the state to review detention facilities where immigrants are held.
- PoliticsTime
Why the Mueller Report Shouldn't Be the Final Word on Trump, Russia and Obstruction of Justice
In “The Special Counsel's Charging Decisions” section of Volume I of the Mueller Report, the Special Counsel reveals some of the frustration that prosecutors can face in the course of an investigation. Because such a decision relates to the available and admissible evidence at the time it's made, it is not always final. Indeed, in his later discussion of obstruction of justice, Mueller tells us that he would not hesitate to say if that were so.
WorldAFPNorth Korea's Kim to meet Putin as tensions rise with US
North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un will visit Russia for talks with Vladimir Putin this month, the Kremlin said Thursday, as tensions between Washington and Pyongyang spiked higher. The Kremlin announced the talks just hours after North Korea launched a blistering attack on US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, demanding he be removed from negotiations over its banned nuclear programme. Pyongyang also claimed to have tested a new kind of weapon with a "powerful warhead".
- NewsThe Daily Beast
Measles Crisis: Judge Dismisses Parents' Suit Against NYC
A New York judge on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit brought against the city's Department of Health by five parents who refuse to vaccinate their children. In addition to mandating the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine for children in zip codes affected by the crisis, it threatened parents with fines of up to $1,000. There have been 329 confirmed cases of the viral illness, mostly among observant Jews in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn.
- BusinessReuters
UPDATE 2-Sears sues Lampert, claiming he looted assets and drove it into bankruptcy
Sears Holdings Corp sued longtime former Chairman Eddie Lampert, his hedge fund ESL Investments and others like Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, claiming they illegally siphoned billions of dollars of assets from the retailer before it went bankrupt. The lawsuit, made public on Thursday, was filed by the restructuring team winding down Sears' bankruptcy estate and suing on behalf of creditors, many of whom blame Lampert for the retailer's downfall. The complaint seeks the repayment of "billions of dollars of value looted from Sears," including while it was in what Lampert would later call a "death spiral" where it sold core assets to meet daily expenses with no real plan for becoming profitable.
- BusinessCar and Driver
100 Stolen Mercedes-Benz and Smart Cars Missing in Chicago after Thieves Nab Them Using Car2Go App
Car-sharing app Car2Go has been temporarily shut down in Chicago while an investigation into theft of some 100 of its vehicles is pursued. Over 100 Mercedes-Benz and Smart brand vehicles have been stolen using the app, and some reportedly were used to commit other crimes. The car-sharing service Car2Go has halted all activity in Chicago after it was discovered that thieves abused the platform to steal more than 100 high-end vehicles, some of which were then used to commit other crimes.
- LifestylePopular Mechanics
8 Things We Learned Driving the Roush Ford F-150 SC, a Pickup Truck on Steroids
Eight things you should know about this beast, which is what happens when you turn a Ford truck into an off-road monster. From Popular Mechanics
BusinessConsumer Reports2020 Hyundai Venue Preview
Consumer Reports has no financial relationship with advertisers on this site. It's fitting that Hyundai took the wraps off the tiny Venue SUV at the New York International Auto Show, because it's small enough to park on crowded city streets where few other vehicles would fit. It's the seventh SUV in the automaker's lineup, and Hyundai has no qualms about calling the Venue “entry level.” It is destined to replace the Accent hatchback.
U.S.Yahoo News VideoTwo top deputies resign from Chicago prosecutor's office
Two top deputies to the Chicago prosecutor whose office handled the Jussie Smollett case are resigning.
WorldAFPIn war-torn Syria, an ancestor of Notre-Dame still stands
An arched entrance flanked by two towers, elaborate carvings and a broad-aisled nave: a 5th century limestone church in northwestern Syria is the architectural forerunner of France's famed Notre-Dame cathedral. Hemmed by the village of Qalb Lozeh (Arabic for Heart of the Almond), the cathedral which goes by the same name is widely hailed as Syria's finest example of Byzantine-era architecture. "It is the earliest known example of the twin tower facade flanking a highly elaborate arched entrance, the precursor to what became known as the Romanesque style," says Middle East cultural expert Diana Darke.
- NewsUSA TODAY
How Pete Buttigieg handled anti-gay protesters shouting about Sodom and Gomorrah at Iowa rally
Protesters shouting about "Sodom and Gomorrah" interrupted South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg on Tuesday at an Iowa campaign rally. One of the men who shouted about the biblical cities destroyed by God's wrath for their sinful ways was Randall Terry, a Christian activist who founded the anti-abortion rights group Operation Rescue. "The good news is, the condition of my soul is in the hands of God, but the Iowa caucuses are up to you," an unshaken Buttigieg responded, pointing at the crowd.
- PoliticsTime
5 Times the Mueller Report Showed Trump and His Associates Didn't Tell the Truth
President Donald Trump and his staff misled the public on a number of important matters, and even at times on minor details, according to Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report. After issuing thousands of subpoenas and interviewing hundreds of witness under oath, Mueller's team of investigators carefully documented how Trump and his staff made false statements about a meeting with a Kremlin-connected lawyer in Trump Tower and the firing of FBI director James Comey, among other key moments. The report also provides evidence that how Trump and his staffers would sometimes fail to tell the truth about even inconsequential details.
- BusinessCar and Driver
View Photos of the Volkswagen I.D. Buggy
VW's I.D. Buggy, one of its ambitious lineup of EV concepts, will owe much to the classic Sixties beach-lifestyle icon if it ever makes it to production. From Car and Driver
NewsAssociated PressThe Latest: Columbine moves ahead with memorial events
Columbine High School is moving ahead with ceremonies marking the 20th anniversary of an attack that killed 13 people, and the community is awaiting more details on what led a teenager allegedly obsessed with the 1999 shooting to buy a shotgun and kill herself in the snowy foothills nearby. An already tense time at the school was exacerbated after 18-year-old Sol Pais traveled to Denver from Miami on Monday and immediately bought a pump-action shotgun. Colorado schools that were shuttered just ahead of the 20th anniversary of the Columbine school shooting have reopened, a day after authorities found the body of a young Florida woman who was obsessed with the shooting.
