Sunday’s Super Bowl pits the New England Patriots against the Los Angeles Rams. LA’s talent-packed offense gives New England’s head coach Bill Belichick a tough choice on who to target.
Va. Gov. Ralph Northam Defies Calls To Resign, Doesn’t Recall Being In Racist Photo
“I do not believe that I am either of the people in the photo,” Gov. Northam said of the image, which shows two individuals, one dressed in blackface, and another as a member of the Ku Klux Klan.
Groundhog Day 2019: Punxsutawney Phil Predicts An Early Spring
Phil, the famous groundhog, did not see his shadow, meaning an early spring is upon us.
Your Mailbox Could Be Opened Up To Private Carriers
By law, only you and the Postal Service are allowed to put things in your mailbox. But what if companies like FedEx and UPS could do it too? That could happen under a Trump administration proposal.
Remembering Lamia Al-Gailani, Pioneering Iraqi Archaeologist
The noted Iraqi archaeologist died Jan. 18 in Jordan. She helped restore Iraq’s national museum after it was looted in 2003 and specialized in the study of ancient cylinder seals.
Beyond Rash And Fever: How Measles Kills 100,000 Children A Year
Many people consider measles to be a quaint disease from the past. But it still kills over 100,000 children a year and can cause severe complications such as permanent hearing loss.
TEACH Grant Updates; And Denver Teacher Negotiations At An Impasse
The Education Department has published guidance for teachers hurt by the federal TEACH Grant program. And a possible Denver teacher strike is on hold while the state decides whether to intervene.
Judge Orders Pentagon To Stop Discriminating Against Naturalized Citizen Soldiers
A federal judge says the Pentagon has provided no justification for profiling immigrant recruits who became U.S. citizens.
In UK First, Court Convicts Mother Of Female Genital Mutilation
It’s the first time anyone has been successfully prosecuted under the anti-FGM law, passed more than 30 years ago. Officials say the mother performed the procedure on her 3-year-old daughter in 2017.
Calls For Resignation As Va. Governor Apologizes for Racist Image In 1984 Yearbook
Ralph Northam, a pediatric neurologist and Democrat, was elected in 2017. The photo shows a person wearing blackface standing next to another person wearing a Ku Klux Klan robe.
Warren Apologizes To Cherokee Nation For DNA Test
Last fall, Sen. Elizabeth Warren released the results of a DNA test indicating she has Native American ancestry. The move backfired; Warren was hesitant to admit she did something wrong — until now.
White House Says State Of The Union Will Be Bipartisan Pitch, Even As Shutdown Looms
The speech the White House outlined belies the deep divisions right now not only between Republicans and Democrats but between President Trump and Congress, including some within his own party.
ICE Failed to Hold Detention Center Contractors Accountable, Report Finds
The Department of Homeland Security inspector general found 14,000 deficiencies at facilities where migrants in the country illegally are held but issued only two fines.
Trump Administration Wants To Cut Drug Prices By Eliminating Middlemen’s Rebates
Pharmacy benefit managers are the focus of proposed regulations that could reduce drug costs for seniors and cut profits for middlemen. It could set a precedent for the broader market.
U.S. Ends Funding For Palestinian Security Forces That Counter Militants
The U.S. is ceasing aid to the Palestinians as a new anti-terror law takes effect Friday but will continue efforts to coordinate between Palestinians and Israelis.
At Least 3 Students Killed After School Walkway Collapses In South Africa
“It is painful to see those tiny bodies in that state,” says Panyaza Lesufi, an education official in Gauteng province, where the high school is located.
Heavy Student Loan Debt Forces Many Millennials To Delay Buying Homes
The Federal Reserve says the big increase in student loan debt is creating a noticeable dent in younger people’s ability to buy homes. But economists say millennials may eventually catch up.
Concealed By Cucumbers And False Floor, Massive Fentanyl Stash Found In Produce Truck
U.S. Customs and Border Protection said agents at an Arizona port of entry uncovered over 254 pounds of fentanyl and nearly 395 pounds of methamphetamine in the trailer.
Lawsuit Details How The Sackler Family Allegedly Built An OxyContin Fortune
The Massachusetts attorney general alleges that the family behind Purdue Pharma knew that OxyContin was causing overdoses, yet continued to cash in. New documents in the case were released Thursday.
U.S. Announces It Will Withdraw From Nuclear Arms Control Treaty With Russia
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the U.S. will suspend its obligations under the 1987 INF treaty as of Saturday and pull out in six months if Russia isn’t deemed to be in compliance.
Trumps Exult Following Reports Of No Phone Contact Ahead Of 2016 Russia Meeting
Donald Trump Jr. did not call his father from his cellphone as he was arranging a Trump Tower meeting to get dirt on Hillary Clinton, according to new reports.
U.S. Added 304,000 Jobs In January; Shutdown Boosted Unemployment To 4 Percent
Job growth picked up for the 100th consecutive month even as hundreds of thousands of federal workers were furloughed during the partial government shutdown. Wage growth held steady.
Cory Booker Makes It Official: He’s Running For President In 2020
The 49-year-old New Jersey Democratic senator has long been seen as a likely presidential candidate. Booker, a former mayor of Newark, raised a national profile with an early embrace of social media.
Oh Yes Son, They’re Talking To You: 20 Years Of ‘No Scrubs’
TLC’s 1999 smash was a song women loved about the men they wouldn’t put up with. Two decades later, fans still take its message to heart when scrubs run amok.
Net Neutrality Goes Back To Court
It’s the first major court challenge since the Trump administration rolled back Obama-era net neutrality rules. Challengers say the FCC is abandoning its responsibility to ensure an open Internet.
Court Approves Historic Reforms To Chicago Police Department
The new guidelines cover everything from police recruitment practices to policies on use of force. The department was harshly criticized by Obama’s Justice Department for civil rights violations.
The U.S. And Russia Are Stocking Up On Missiles And Nukes For A Different Kind Of War
The U.S. and Russia seem increasingly interested in battlefield nuclear weapons. Arms control advocates fear a return to the darkest days of the Cold War.
The Shutdown Is Over. Now The Federal Workforce Faces ‘Untold Morale Problems’
“The federal government already has a recruitment problem, right?” said one expert. If “you watch this play out for the last 35 days, are you saying to yourself, ‘Sign me up for that?’ Probably not.”
FACT CHECK: Did The FBI Use Unusual Force When It Arrested Roger Stone?
The FBI and the Justice Department have been criticized for what some Republicans say was an excessive presence. But law enforcement veterans called it standard operating procedure.
Welcoming Girls, Boy Scouts Program Is Now Scouts BSA
Younger girls have been able to join Cub Scouts for nearly a year, and more than 77,000 joined. Now, older girls 11-17 have a path to earn the organization’s highest rank.
ICE Confirms Force-Feeding Of Detainees On Hunger Strike
The agency said it respects the right to voice opinions and doesn’t retaliate against hunger strikers. “It’s extremely painful and it’s against their will,” a lawyer for two asylum-seekers told NPR.
Federal Appeals Court Blocks San Francisco Law On Ad Warnings For Sugary Drinks
A voter-approved law requiring large warnings about the effects of soda and other sugar-sweetened drinks was challenged by the beverage industry.
Iraqi Has Returned To U.S. After ICE Deported Him Against Court Orders
Muneer Subaihani says immigration agents told him he would be in jail for life if he didn’t agree to be deported to Iraq. On Tuesday, in a rare event, he was admitted back into the U.S.
Asylum-Seeker Barred From Entering Australia Wins Its Richest Literary Prize
Behrouz Boochani, who has been detained offshore since 2013, had to compose his debut using WhatsApp messages. Now, that book has earned him the Victorian Prize for Literature
Months-Long Dutch Church Service To Protect Migrants Ends After Policy Shift
The Bethel Church in The Hague carried on services for 96 days to protect the Tamrazyan family, Armenian migrants who have lived in the Netherlands for nearly nine years, from deportation.
Juan Guaidó Claims Police Raided His Home As He Struggles To Consolidate Power
Juan Guaidó accuses Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro of sending police to intimidate his family. The U.S.-backed opposition leader seeks to oust Maduro and replace him as interim president.