- PoliticsNational Review
‘I’m Coming for You’: Biden Threatens Gun Makers at South Carolina Rally
Joe Biden warned gun manufacturers during a speech in South Carolina on Monday night that “I'm coming for you, and I'm taking you down. Biden has cast himself as a relative moderate in recent months on gun-control. His campaign's gun control plan, which was released in October, proposed reinstating an “assault-weapons ban” and universal background checks, but would not force the current owners of semiautomatic rifles to sell the guns to government, as a number of his opponents proposed.
- U.S.Associated Press
New Mexico governor to sheriffs: Enforce gun law or resign
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed a red-flag gun bill Tuesday that will allow state district courts to order the temporary surrender of firearms, and she urged sheriffs to resign if they still refuse to enforce it. Flanked by advocates for stricter gun control and supportive law enforcement officials at a signing ceremony, Lujan Grisham said the legislation provides law enforcement authorities with an urgently needed tool to deter deadly violence by temporarily removing firearms from people who pose a threat to themselves or others. “If they really intend to do that, they should resign as a law enforcement officer and leader in that community,” she said.
- PoliticsBloomberg
Roger Stone Judge Scolds Trump, Allies Over Claims of Jury Bias
Three of the jurors who convicted Republican operative Roger Stone for lying to Congress and witness tampering testified that political bias played no role in their decision, pushing back against Stone's contention that he deserves a new trial. U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson did not issue a ruling at the end of a Tuesday hearing on Stone's request. But the judge said a juror's social media posts criticizing President Donald Trump did not necessarily mean she was biased against Stone, who was convicted in November and sentenced last week to three years and four months in prison.
- PoliticsThe Independent
Pete Buttigieg appears to mimic Barack Obama almost exactly in campaign speech video comparison
Presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg has been accused of plagiarising Barack Obama in several campaign speeches. In a compilation video featuring side-by-side comparisons of the two men's speeches, Mr Buttigieg is shown using almost the exact same words as Mr Obama on multiple occasions. The embarrassing video comes as Mr Buttigieg faces mockery for a tweet in which he seemed to borrow from one of the speeches in question.
- WorldYahoo News Video
Secretary of State Pompeo appeared to coordinate with Giuliani on Ukraine, new documents show
A trove of documents released on Friday by the State Department to American Oversight make clear that Rudy Giuliani — who was acting as Trump's personal attorney — pressed American diplomats to consider the information he'd unearthed in Kyiv about corruption. Though the documents released amount to fewer than a dozen pages of emails, they nevertheless show aides to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo unambiguously receptive to Giuliani's overtures.
- BusinessBusiness Insider
It looks like people with no real interest in Bloomberg are signing up to be grassroots campaigners because he pays $2,500 a month
Reuters Mike Bloomberg's efforts to take social media by storm by paying people to post about him may not be working out, according to the Los Angeles Times. Several California-based operatives told the paper anonymously that they mainly signed up to campaign because of the $2,500-a-month offer. One was a Sen. Bernie Sanders supporter who followed up a campaign text to a friend with, "Please disregard, vote Bernie or Warren."
- U.S.USA TODAY
A California man drove his Jeep off the roof of a six-level parking garage and crashed into a McDonald's, police say
Police in California are investigating after a man drove his Jeep off the roof of a six-level parking garage and into a McDonald's across the street. Police responded just after midnight Sunday and found a newer-model Jeep against a building, the Santa Monica Police Department said in a press release. The Santa Monica Fire Department reported it received information that the Jeep had been driven off the top of a parking garage.
- WorldThe National Interest
Fake News or Reality? Did F-35s from Israel Fly Over Iran?
Key point: An Israeli strike in Iran would be risky even with F-35s, given distance to the target and Iranian air defenses... Israel's F-35 stealth fighters are positively supernatural: here, there and everywhere. In 2018, the Israeli Air Force claimed its new F-35s had attacked Iranian targets in Syria.
- PoliticsThe Week
Acting DHS secretary falsely claims flu is just as deadly as the coronavirus
During Senate testimony Tuesday, Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf was grilled by Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) about the United States' preparedness for a potential coronavirus outbreak. At one point Kennedy asked Wolf about the virus' fatality rate, which Wolf said was likely somewhere between 1.5 and 2 percent.
- WorldNational Review
Trump Admin. Considers Booting Chinese Reporters in Response to ‘Egregious’ Expulsion of WSJ Journalists: Report
The Trump administration is considering whether to expel Chinese journalists in response to China's own expulsion of three Wall Street Journal reporters, Bloomberg News reported on Monday. A meeting will be held at the White House on Monday to discuss the administration's options. The meeting will be led by deputy national security adviser Matt Pottinger, who himself was a Journal reporter based in Beijing.
- LifestyleArchitectural Digest
Nine of the World’s Most Beautiful Outdoor Saunas
From Seattle to Oslo, these outdoor saunas take relaxation and high-design to the next level Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
- U.S.Associated Press
Mom of 2 missing Idaho kids wants $5 million bail reduced
A mother arrested in Hawaii over the disappearance of her two Idaho children wants a judge to reconsider her $5 million bail. A court hearing for her request is scheduled Wednesday on Kauai, where Lori Vallow was arrested last week on an Idaho warrant. Seven-year-old Joshua “JJ” Vallow and 17-year-old Tylee Ryan have not been seen since September.
- PoliticsThe Independent
Trump news — live: President mocked and markets slide as CDC issues grave warning over potential coronavirus pandemic
A Donald Trump press conference in India descended into a bitter row with CNN reporter Jim Acosta on Tuesday after the president criticised the journalist's network and the latter replied: “I think our record on delivering the truth is a lot better than yours sometimes. Trump has meanwhile secured a lucrative arms deal with the fellow superpower's prime minister Narendra Modi, a venture he risked putting in jeopardy by refusing to eat any of the vegetarian delicacies – notably broccoli samosas - laid out for him at the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad on Monday afternoon.
WorldAFPAustralian special forces probed for alleged Afghan war crimes
Australia is investigating more than 50 alleged war crimes by the country's special forces in Afghanistan, including the killing of civilians and prisoners, the military watchdog said Tuesday. An annual report by the Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force said 55 separate incidents were being investigated as part of a years-long probe into allegations Australian soldiers committed war crimes while serving in Afghanistan. The probe was launched in 2016 in response to what the watchdog called "rumours" of "very serious wrongdoing" over more than a decade by members of Australian special forces in Afghanistan.
- U.S.Business Insider
San Francisco's mayor has declared a state of emergency as the coronavirus continues to spread
San Francisco Mayor London Breed has declared a state of emergency in the city. Breed said the city is "taking the necessary steps to protect San Franciscans from harm." The coronavirus outbreak, which began in China, has spread in Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.
- U.S.USA TODAY
A rare, 'cryptic' rainbow snake was spotted in a Florida forest for the first time since 1969
In a state constantly dealing with animals it wants gone — like pythons and green iguanas — someone found something rare. A Florida hiker discovered a rainbow snake (Farancia erytrogramma) last week in Ocala National Forest, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Wildlife Research Institute. It's the first time a rainbow snake has been spotted in Florida's Marion County since 1969, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History.
- WorldNBC News
Why is Iran's reported mortality rate for coronavirus higher than in other countries?
Iran has the highest reported number of deaths from the coronavirus outside China, raising questions about how the government is handling the public health crisis and whether the often secretive regime has been fully transparent about the extent of the outbreak. Iran's health ministry spokesman Kianoosh Jahanpour said on Tuesday that 15 Iranians have died out of a total of 95 positive cases. But Iran's state news agency later said one person infected with coronavirus had died in the city of Saveh, bringing the death toll to 16.
- U.S.Reuters
U.S. Supreme Court turns away religious bias claim against Walgreens
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday handed a victory to Walgreens, turning away an appeal by a fired former Florida employee of the pharmacy chain who asked not to work on Saturdays for religious reasons as a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The justices declined to review a lower court ruling in Darrell Patterson's religious discrimination lawsuit that concluded that his demand to never work on Saturday, observed as the Sabbath by Seventh-day Adventists, placed an undue hardship on Walgreens. Patterson, who had trained customer service representatives at a Walgreens call center in Orlando, was fired in 2011 after failing to show up for work on a Saturday for an urgent training session.
- WorldThe National Interest
The Deadly Reason Why Nuclear Missile Submarines Are Called "Boomers"
Key Point: Boomers carry nuclear ballistic missiles that can travel vast distances to lay waste to enemy cities. They could kill millions and are the backbone of several countries' deterrence strategies. Nine years after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Ishirō Honda's Godzilla depicted a monster awakened from the depths of the ocean to wreak havoc on Japanese cities.
- PoliticsThe Week
Tom Steyer has paid more than $40,000 to rent a property owned by Jim Clyburn's daughter
Billionaire Tom Steyer is facing some criticism over his spending in South Carolina, a state where his Democratic presidential campaign is making some legitimate headway. Some people have even accused him of trying to buy votes from the state's African-American voters, which Steyer and many others have adamantly denied, The New York Times reports. One thing that's been particularly scrutinized is the Steyer campaign's rental agreement with a company owned by Jennifer Clyburn Reed, the daughter of Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), the highest-ranking African American in Congress whose endorsement is considered key in South Carolina.
- U.S.Associated Press
Italian hikers rescued in Alaska after visiting infamous bus
An Italian man suffering from frostbite and four other tourists were rescued in the Alaska wilderness after visiting an abandoned bus that has become a lure for adventurers since it was featured in the “Into the Wild” book and movie. Alaska State Troopers say the five Italians were rescued Saturday from a camp they set up after visiting the dilapidated bus on the Stampede Trail near the interior town of Healy.
- PoliticsThe Independent
Trump and his entourage fail to eat anything from special vegetarian menu prepared for them on India trip
Donald Trump and his entourage reportedly failed to eat a single item of a special vegetarian feast prepared for him during his trip to India. The American president and his wife, Melania, were presented with the menu during their visit to Gandhi Ashram in Ahmedabad, one of the former homes of the Indian independence hero. In an effort to please the famously carnivorous tastes of the president, the chef — a well-known award-winning chef called Suresh Khanna — adapted a number of famous Indian delicacies to make them more recognisable for their guests and even included more familiar items such as chocolate-chip cookies and apple pie.
WorldAFPNigeria's ex-opposition spokesman jailed seven years for graft
A Nigerian court on Tuesday sentenced a former spokesman of the country's main opposition party to seven years in prison after convicting him of corruption and money laundering. Judge Okon Abang of the federal high court in the capital Abuja pronounced Olisa Metuh guilty of all seven charges put to him by Nigeria's anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Metuh was convicted of fraudulently receiving 400 million naira ($1.1 million, 945,000 euros) from ex-president Goodluck Jonathan's national security adviser, Sambo Dasuki.
- U.S.Business Insider
Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian Cruise Line are taking a financial beating from the coronavirus — here's how much the companies predict it will hurt earnings this year
The Wuhan coronavirus has had a significant impact on the cruise industry this year. Carnival Corp., Royal Caribbean Cruises, and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings have predicted that the coronavirus will hurt their earnings this year. The world's three biggest cruise companies — Carnival Corp., Royal Caribbean Cruises, and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings — have predicted that the adjustments caused by the coronavirus will hurt their financial performance this year.
- WorldYahoo News Video
Iran health minister falls ill on camera
Video shows Iran's deputy health minister suffering symptoms of the coronavirus at a press conference before being diagnosed.
“There may be some really big pardons coming soon and this may, if you will, soften the public for what’s coming.”
“It was the latest extraordinary example of untamed executive power that suggests the President is feeling invincible now.”
“More than anything else, the pardons aim to discredit the idea of federal anti-corruption prosecution itself.”
“The fact that Blagojevich was a Democrat makes it all the better...Trump wants to convince you that everyone is dirty.”
“The pardons were entirely personal in origin, and so the granting of them was exclusively an exercise of Trump’s own power.”
