| Mike Pence Suggests Legal Abortions In U.S. Could End ‘In Our Time’ Posted: 28 Feb 2018 02:39 AM PST  Standing before a roomful of anti-abortion activists in Nashville on Tuesday, Mike Pence described the "great progress" made under President Donald Trump to limit women's access to legal abortions in the U.S. and abroad. Speaking at a luncheon hosted by the Susan B. Anthony List and Life Institute, an anti-abortion group, the vice president announced that "life is winning in America once again," before ticking off the many policies enacted under Trump aimed at limiting access to abortions.
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| Officials Worried 'Naive' Kushner Could Be Manipulated By Foreigners: Report Posted: 27 Feb 2018 04:50 PM PST  Jared Kushner's complicated financial holdings, business debt and political inexperience have prompted foreign officials in several countries to discuss ways they can manipulate the president's son-in-law and close adviser, The Washington Post reported on Tuesday. Politico reported on Tuesday that he had his top-secret security clearance downgraded after months of working with an interim clearance due to ongoing issues with his FBI background check. Officials from at least four countries ― China, Israel, Mexico and the United Arab Emirates ― have discussed ways to influence Kushner, although it's unclear if they acted on such plans, The Washington Post wrote, citing current and former officials familiar with the intelligence reports.
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| Independent group, now called Unite America, names its Senate candidates — all two of them Posted: 27 Feb 2018 02:47 PM PST  Unite America, formerly The Centrist Project, a group hoping to create a third political force in America, on Tuesday named the two candidates it plans to run for the U.S. Senate in November.
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| Missing CDC doctor was passed up for promotion before his disappearance Posted: 28 Feb 2018 01:29 PM PST  Missing CDC doctor Timothy Cunningham was passed up for a promotion shortly before he disappeared without a trace more than two weeks ago, according to police. Cunningham, a highly regarded epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, went missing after he left work mid-day on Feb. 12. Atlanta Police Department Major Michael O'Connor said that on the morning of his disappearance, Cunningham called his sister before going to work and talking with his supervisor about a promotion that he didn't receive.
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| Father Of Florida Shooting Survivor Admits He Altered Email From CNN Posted: 27 Feb 2018 07:35 PM PST  Glenn Haab, the father of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School student Colton Haab, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that he left out some words when forwarding an email that he and his son received from CNN producer Carrie Stevenson. CNN hit back against the claims on Friday, releasing a copy of the email exchange that shows Stevenson was informing Haab that his son had to ask a question "that he submitted" instead of a 700-word opening statement plus three questions and a closing statement that was sent over to the network after one question had already been agreed upon.
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| Alaska lawmaker cites Holocaust deaths to oppose gun control Posted: 28 Feb 2018 04:41 PM PST  ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — An Alaska Republican and most senior member of the U.S. House argued against gun control by wondering how many Jewish people "were put in the ovens" because they were not armed.
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| Kim Jong-Un Traveled With a Fake Passport to Apply for Western Visas: Report Posted: 27 Feb 2018 12:04 PM PST  Kim Jong-Un used an illegally obtained Brazilian passport to apply for visas to western countries in the 1990s, according to a report
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| US deputy branded a 'coward' breaks silence, defends actions Posted: 27 Feb 2018 10:00 AM PST  Now, after nearly two weeks of opprobrium, the sheriff's deputy accused of failing to take action during the Florida high school shooting is fighting back. Scot Peterson, 54, broke his silence on Monday and defended his conduct during the shooting at Marjory Douglas Stoneman High School in Parkland, Florida, which left 14 students and three adult staff members dead. "Let there be no mistake, Mr. Peterson wishes that he could have prevented the untimely passing of the 17 victims on that day, and his heart goes out to the families of the victims," his attorney, Joseph DiRuzzo III, said in a statement.
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| Nikolas Cruz's Biological Mom Was a Drug Addict Who Gave Him Up for a $50,000 Fee: Report Posted: 28 Feb 2018 10:28 AM PST  He was given up for adoption when he was days old.
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| Trump rips Sessions's 'DISGRACEFUL' decision on probe of alleged FISA abuses Posted: 28 Feb 2018 08:31 AM PST  President Trump lashed out at Attorney General Jeff Sessions's decision to ask the Justice Department's inspector general to look into claims that the FBI and other Obama administration officials misled a FISA court judge.
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| Alex Jones Decries YouTube's Temporary Ban On Infowars, Asks Parkland Teen To Debate Posted: 27 Feb 2018 06:22 PM PST  According to The Hill, Infowars claimed it had received a notice from YouTube on Tuesday morning that it would be temporarily barred from uploading new content after receiving a second strike for videos it had posted about the Feb. 14 school shooting in Parkland, Florida. InfoWars got another strike on their YouTube account for a Florida shooting video, now one strike left before they get banned.
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| Satanic Temple sues Arizona city to lead city council prayer Posted: 27 Feb 2018 04:23 PM PST  FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — A group that invokes the name Satan as a metaphor for opposing religious tyranny has sued the well-off Phoenix suburb of Scottsdale, accusing officials of discrimination after being denied an opportunity to give the opening prayer at a City Council meeting.
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| Powerful Men Who Lose Their Jobs Over Harassment Can Still Get Big Payouts Posted: 26 Feb 2018 09:17 PM PST  WASHINGTON ― The Me Too movement has a pattern: Someone accuses a powerful man of sexual misconduct. Steve Wynn, the Las Vegas casino mogul accused of pressuring workers to perform sex acts, made news earlier this month — not because he's getting a severance payment, but because he's not. NBC apparently did not plan to give a payout to Matt Lauer, but the network was reportedly considering a severance package for his onetime booker Matt Zimmerman, who was also dismissed over inappropriate conduct.
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| Is Ivanka Trump unqualified? Newsroom readers respond Posted: 27 Feb 2018 03:24 PM PST  "Ivanka and Jared must return to NYC and stay out of U.S. politics." "She's qualified, she's designed handbags, stilettos and a wonderful perfume fragrance, Ugh!" Newsroom readers are joining the chorus questioning if Ivanka Trump has too much power. The first daughter and adviser to dad President Trump recently traveled to the Winter Olympics in South Korea, the latest eyebrow-raising appearance as part of her controversial post. Pundits and the public have long questioned her role and influence, but now White House chief of staff John Kelly is also said to be concerned. This week he made the call to downgrade the security clearance of Ivanka's husband, Jared Kushner. According to a report, Kelly is frustrated and questioning whether the first daughter has the qualifications to represent the administration. Newsroom seems to agree: "We have children playing king and queen while poppa plays President," one reader wrote. Another chimed in: "To represent the U.S. should be an earned honor, not appointing relatives." What do you think? Does Ivanka deserve her power in the White House? Join the conversation in Newsroom.
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| North Carolina Facebook Live Murder Suspect Arrested Posted: 27 Feb 2018 11:55 AM PST  The motive for the shooting is still unclear
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| Anger as Israel denies its forces shot Palestinian teen Posted: 27 Feb 2018 07:41 AM PST  Israel on Tuesday denied its forces shot a Palestinian teenager and said he suffered a severe head injury when he fell off his bicycle, sparking outrage from activists and his family. Mohammed Tamimi, 15, confirmed to AFP that after being arrested from his home in the middle of the night he had told Israeli interrogators the cause of his misshapen skull was falling off his bike, not being shot. A cousin of prominent jailed Palestinian teenager Ahed Tamimi, he says he was shot in the head with a rubber bullet during a protest in the occupied West Bank in December, leaving part of his skull missing.
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| Republicans in Congress reject new gun limits Posted: 27 Feb 2018 01:45 PM PST  By Susan Cornwell and Richard Cowan WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican leaders of the U.S. Congress said on Tuesday that they would not raise the minimum age for gun buyers, in a sign that one of President Donald Trump's proposals likely will not get far on Capitol Hill after a deadly Florida school shooting. The second-deadliest shooting at a U.S. public school has reignited the long-running national debate over gun rights, pitting many of the students who survived the Feb. 14 high school shooting in Parkland, Florida, against powerful gun rights groups like the National Rifle Association.
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| US judge blocks weed-killer warning label in California Posted: 27 Feb 2018 11:54 AM PST  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A U.S. judge blocked California from requiring that the popular weed-killer Roundup carry a label stating that it is known to cause cancer, saying the warning is misleading because almost all regulators have concluded there is no evidence that the product's main ingredient is a carcinogen.
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| Georgia's Lieutenant Governor Tells Delta To Give NRA Back Its Discounts, Or Else Posted: 26 Feb 2018 05:55 PM PST  Georgia's lieutenant governor said on Monday he would work to derail a multimillion-dollar tax cut that would benefit Delta Air Lines unless the company reinstated its relationship with the National Rifle Association. Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, who also serves as president of the Georgia state Senate, intimated in a tweet he would "kill any tax legislation" as punishment to Delta, which last week said it would end its discount program for members of the NRA. Delta, headquartered in Atlanta, is one of more than a dozen companies that have distanced themselves from the gun lobby following the massacre of 17 people at a Florida high school on Feb. 14.
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| Harrowing Video Shows Mom Handing Kids to Firefighters Before Saving Herself Posted: 27 Feb 2018 07:12 AM PST  The family of four made it out of the building safely.
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| What did Hope Hicks lie about? Newsroom readers have thoughts Posted: 28 Feb 2018 02:43 PM PST  "She tells Trump how great he is." "Does Hicks realize that she is not a contestant on 'The Bachelor'?" Hope Hicks resigned one day after reports claimed she told "white lies" for President Trump, but it's unclear what about. Newsroom readers have some theories. During a closed-door testimony, White House communications director Hope Hicks reportedly admitted her job has sometimes required her to tell "white lies" on the president's behalf. The admission has sparked questions and concern. Newsroom commenters believe: "Lies are lies" no matter how big or small. Others think that "anyone who doesn't take truth seriously … cannot be trusted." According to reports, Hicks insisted she didn't lie about the investigations into Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential election. What do you think Hicks lied about? Should "white lies" get a pass? Join the conversation in Newsroom.
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| Oprah Says She Would Run For President Under One Condition Posted: 28 Feb 2018 07:24 AM PST  "I've always felt very secure and confident with myself in knowing what I could do and what I could not," Oprah said in an interview with InStyle, conducted three weeks before her Globes speech. "Gayle ― who knows me as well as I know myself practically ― has been calling me regularly and texting me things, like a woman in the airport saying, 'When's Oprah going to run?'" Oprah revealed to InStyle. If Oprah did run, the "A Wrinkle In Time" actress already has experience with attention she'd receive from President Donald Trump.
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| Protests as sanctioned Iran minister addresses UN rights meet Posted: 27 Feb 2018 10:09 AM PST  Demonstrators gathered outside the UN in Geneva Tuesday and some diplomats left in protest over an address by Iran's justice minister to the rights council, despite facing Swiss and EU sanctions over rights violations. Alireza Avaie took the podium at the Human Rights Council, slamming "appalling deficiencies" there and in other UN rights mechanisms, and accusing Washington and others of "exploiting human rights for their political ends". Standing near a large pyramid of shoes meant to represent the thousands killed in a 1988 massacre of political prisoners, demonstrator Safora Mohammadi, a 35-year-old law student, insisted Avaie was "a killer".
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| Lion kills woman at refuge of South African 'lion whisperer' Posted: 28 Feb 2018 06:21 AM PST  JOHANNESBURG (AP) — A lion that mauled a young woman to death in South Africa was under the care of a man known as the "lion whisperer" for his close interactions with the predators.
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| Trump campaign nixes Kushner title amid legal questions Posted: 27 Feb 2018 12:48 PM PST  The Trump campaign appears to have fallen afoul of the Hatch Act while announcing that digital strategist Brad Parscale would run the 2020 operation. The statement referred to Jared Kushner by his official White House title.
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| Stephen Colbert Nails The NRA's Complete Hypocrisy In A Single Sentence Posted: 26 Feb 2018 08:57 PM PST  Stephen Colbert doesn't understand why the National Rifle Association is upset that rental car company Enterprise cut ties with the gun rights group, ending discounts for members at its locations.
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| Russia 'both arsonist and firefighter' in Syria: U.S. general Posted: 27 Feb 2018 02:24 PM PST  By Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A senior U.S. general accused Russia on Tuesday of playing a destabilizing role in Syria and acting as "both arsonist and firefighter," as a brief truce unilaterally declared by Moscow in the eastern Ghouta region collapsed. The United States and Russia have been on different sides of the seven-year-old war, with Moscow heavily backing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad whose forces are besieging eastern Ghouta, a rebel-held area near Damascus.
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| North Carolina Man Broadcasts His Own Killing On Facebook Live Posted: 27 Feb 2018 02:20 AM PST  A man in Wingate, North Carolina live-streamed his own killing on Monday, police said. Prentis Robinson, 55, had been broadcasting a visit to the local police station on Facebook Live when he was shot multiple times on camera. Wingate police confirmed that Robinson captured the shooting on film, reported the Charlotte Observer.
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| Taiwan urges calm over panic buying of toilet paper Posted: 27 Feb 2018 02:50 AM PST  Shelves usually stacked with toilet paper, kitchen paper and boxed tissues stood empty in many hypermarkets and supermarkets as residents stockpiled supplies. Major online retailers had also run out, including PChome which reportedly sold five million packs of toilet paper in three days. The panic buying started after major hypermarkets were informed by toilet paper manufacturers of a 10 to 30 percent price hike from mid-March due to rising international pulp prices.
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| Use of private firm for Greitens investigation questioned Posted: 27 Feb 2018 06:01 PM PST  JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — The St. Louis prosecutor's office said Tuesday that it has hired a Michigan firm to aid its investigation into Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens to try to ensure that the probe remains independent.
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| Judge Sides with President Trump on a Challenge to Build a Border Wall with Mexico Posted: 27 Feb 2018 05:38 PM PST  The judge's decision removes what could have been a major obstacle to the President's signature campaign pledge
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| US aircraft carrier to dock in Vietnam for first time since 1975 amid tension over China’s rising sea power Posted: 28 Feb 2018 08:04 AM PST  The US navy is to dock in the Vietnamese coastal city of Danang in March, in the first visit of an American aircraft carrier to the country since the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. The USS Carl Vinson will arrive in Vietnam during the navy's multinational disaster response exercises in the Indo-Pacific region, but its presence is also being widely perceived as an attempt to counter China's military influence in Asian waters, where the East and South China Seas are the scenes of escalating territorial disputes. Vietnam, which borders China, has long resisted its power and influence, but Beijing's insistence that it controls almost all of the South China Sea has threatened competing territorial claims, including from Hanoi. China's assertion has also challenged US naval supremacy in the western Pacific, prompting Washington to attempt to woo Asian allies with the idea of closer military ties. US aircraft carriers were a common sight off the coast of Vietnam in 1960s and 1970s, during the war. Relations between the two nations were normalised in 1995 and Washington lifted an embargo on weapons sales to Hanoi in 2016. US navy jets take off from the deck of USS Constellation south-east of Saigon, on bombing missions during the Vietnam war, 1972 Credit: Bettmann The news comes as the Japanese government is reportedly considering the deployment of surface-to-ship missile units across southern Okinawa to counter China's rising maritime powers. Officials are exploring plans to deploy a unit on the main Okinawa island in addition to other smaller islands in the region, with a view to bolstering its defences against Chinese vessels, government sources told Japanese media. The deployment plans, which are expected to be detailed in the new National Defence Guidelines to be drafted by the end of the year, reportedly focus on advanced Type 12 surface-to-ship missiles with a range of more than 62 miles. Territorial confrontation in the South China Sea There are reportedly plans to install missile units on both Okinawa island and the smaller island Miyakojima, which would ensure that they can cover the strategically-located Miyako Strait which runs between them. An administrative command centre was also likely to be set up on Okinawa's main island to manage surface-to-missile units deployed across the region, according to Kyodo news agency. The Miyako Strait in the East China Sea has emerged as a regional hotspot of tension, with Chinese naval vessels regularly fuelling tensions by passing through its waters every year over the past decade. Miyako island also lies to the southeast of a disputed group of islands in the East China Sea known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, which emerged as a growing source of bilateral tension between the two nations. Q&A | South China Sea dispute Reports of the missile unit deployments coincide with a growing number of incidents involving increasingly assertive Chinese vessels venturing into waters close to the disputed islands. Last week, three Chinese patrol ships reportedly entered Japanese territorial waters near the disputed islands, while last month, the Japanese government confirmed that a Chinese nuclear-powered submarine also had sailed around them.
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| Denver Mayor Apologizes for 'Inappropriate' Text Messages, Vows to Stay in Office Posted: 28 Feb 2018 07:42 AM PST  Denver Mayor Michael Hancock admitted text messages he sent a woman who worked on his security detail in 2012 were inappropriate but says he will not step down.
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| Walmart To Raise Age Requirement To Buy Firearms And Ammunition Posted: 28 Feb 2018 03:59 PM PST  Walmart has vowed to raise its age requirement to 21 years old for customers looking to purchase firearms or ammunition from their stores. The retail giant decided to change its firearms policy "in light of recent events," Walmart said in a statement to reporters on Wednesday. "We take seriously our obligation to be a responsible seller of firearms and go beyond Federal law by requiring customers to pass a background check before purchasing any firearm," the company's statement read.
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| Delta is sued by Port Authority over 2015 skid at New York's LaGuardia Airport Posted: 27 Feb 2018 01:48 PM PST ![Delta is sued by Port Authority over 2015 skid at New York's LaGuardia Airport]( "Delta is sued by Port Authority over 2015 skid at New York's LaGuardia Airport") Delta Air Lines Inc was sued on Tuesday by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey for damage caused when a jet skidded off a runway at New York's LaGuardia Airport during a March 5, 2015, snowstorm. The complaint seeks $750,047 for property damage and other costs that allegedly occurred when Flight 1086 veered off Runway 13 after touchdown, struck a fence and came to rest on an embankment, just short of plunging into frigid Flushing Bay. According to the Port Authority, which operates the airport, the incident "was caused solely by the negligence of Delta and its agents," including the pilot of the MD-88 aircraft.
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| 36 Tweets That Sum Up Life With 6-Year-Olds Posted: 28 Feb 2018 02:47 AM PST  Every year of a child's life is filled with new adventures, new ideas, new skills ... and new challenges for their parents.
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| Prison work boot sales halted after guard kicked, killed Posted: 27 Feb 2018 02:49 PM PST  HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania prison official said Tuesday the sale of work boots at all prison commissaries was halted because an inmate is accused of killing a guard by knocking him to the floor and kicking him in the head with a boot.
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| Lavrov says Syria rebels must 'act' to make truce work Posted: 28 Feb 2018 05:27 AM PST  Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday that rebels in Syria's Eastern Ghouta were responsible for ensuring that a "humanitarian pause" in the area brings relief for devastated civilians. "Russia, together with the Syrian government, has already announced the establishment of humanitarian corridors in Eastern Ghouta," Lavrov told the UN Human Rights Council. Tuesday was the first day of the five-hour daily "pause" in rebel-held Eastern Ghouta that was ordered by President Vladimir Putin, the Syrian regime's main backer.
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| Donald Glover Needed 'White Translator' To Convince FX To Allow 'N-Word' In 'Atlanta' Posted: 27 Feb 2018 09:13 AM PST  Donald Glover says he had to convince FX to allow him use the "N-word" in his show "Atlanta" by having a "white translator" talk to executives.
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| Suspected Shoplifters Fleeing Officers Accidentally Run Into Police Station Posted: 28 Feb 2018 05:32 AM PST  Two shoplifting suspects running from police scaled a fence to get away from officers and landed in a secure parking lot of a police station
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| Democrats Flip 2 More GOP-Held State House Seats Posted: 27 Feb 2018 08:32 PM PST  Democrats flipped their 38th and 39th GOP-held seats in state legislatures since Donald Trump was elected president in 2016, beating out Republicans in two special elections on Tuesday night. In New Hampshire, Democrat Phil Spagnuolo, a substance abuse coach, won in a district where Trump had defeated Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton by a 54-41 margin, according to data provided by Daily Kos.
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| Disneyland Paris to add Star Wars zone in $2.5 bn upgrade Posted: 27 Feb 2018 09:06 AM PST  The Walt Disney Company on Tuesday announced a two-billion-euro ($2.5-billion) expansion of its Paris amusement park which will add a new Star Wars-themed zone to the huge site. Disneyland Paris will also build new areas devoted to its hit animated film "Frozen" and the Marvel comics franchise (Spider-Man, The Hulk, X-Men) as part of the makeover, which will take several years. The work will start in 2021 and significantly expand the park, which is Europe's most popular private tourism destination with 320 million visits since it opened in 1992.
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| Wisconsin's Top Election Official Resigns After GOP Votes To Oust Him Posted: 27 Feb 2018 01:39 PM PST  Wisconsin's top election official announced Tuesday that he would step down from his post, ending a confrontation with Republicans who suddenly voted to oust him in retaliation for his work on a government board that investigated Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R). Republicans in the state Senate voted in January not to officially confirm Wisconsin elections administrator Michael Haas to that role, which he'd held since 2016 on an interim basis.
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| Delta Will Never, Ever Leave Georgia. Here's Why Posted: 28 Feb 2018 11:31 AM PST  Even if some politicians are mad over the company's NRA stance
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