2019-02-10

Headlines:

From Al Jazeera, Associated Press, BBC News, Reuters, The Globe and Mail, New York Times, and Wired

Virginia lieutenant governor resists calls to step down – (Associated Press)
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia’s embattled lieutenant governor has urged authorities to investigate sexual assault allegations made against him, but hasn’t heeded calls to resign and it is unclear what comes next for the once-rising star of the state Democrati…

Yemeni conjoined twins die without treatment abroad – (Reuters)
Conjoined twin boys born in Yemen who were in urgent need of treatment abroad died on Saturday, the health ministry in Houthi-controlled Yemen said overnight.

No more congressional talks scheduled to avert shutdown: source – (Reuters)
No additional congressional talks were scheduled on border security issues to avert another U.S. government shutdown after negotiations stalled over the weekend, a source familiar with the process told Reuters.

Where are Stoneman Douglas students, parents, officials now? – (Associated Press)
PARKLAND, Fla. (AP) — The massacre that left 17 dead at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School pushed students, parents, officials and others into the national limelight, something most never sought. A look at where some of the most prominent are today:STUDENTS…

U.S.-backed Syrian fighters advance in clashes with Islamic State: official – (Reuters)
The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have seized ground from Islamic State in a fierce battle to capture its last enclave in eastern Syria, an SDF official said on Sunday.

Exclusive: Venezuela shifts oil ventures’ accounts to Russian bank – document, sources – (Reuters)
Venezuela’s state-run oil company PDVSA is telling customers of its joint ventures to deposit oil sales proceeds in an account recently opened at Russia’s Gazprombank AO, according to sources and an internal document seen by Reuters on Saturday.

Russia’s Gazprombank says Venezuela’s PDVSA has not opened new accounts – (Reuters)
Russia’s Gazprombank said on Sunday that Venezuela’s state-run oil company PDVSA opened accounts with the bank several years ago and has not opened any accounts recently.

Egypt’s Sisi takes over as new head of African Union – (Al Jazeera English)
Egyptian leader appointed chair of the 55-member pan-African body as Rwandan President Paul Kagame steps aside.

Senator Klobuchar to join widening Democratic presidential field – (Reuters)
U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar will enter the 2020 presidential race on Sunday, becoming the first moderate in an increasingly crowded field of Democrats vying to challenge Republican President Donald Trump.

Talks to avert shutdown ‘stall’ over immigrant detention policies – (Reuters)
Lawmakers’ talks on border security issues to avert another U.S. government shutdown have broken down over immigration detention policies, a Republican senator said on Sunday.

South Korea, US sign cost-sharing deal for American troops – (Associated Press)
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea and the United States struck a new deal Sunday that increases Seoul’s contribution for the cost of the American military presence on its soil, overcoming previous failed negotiations that caused worries about their decade…

Spanish nationalists call for Pedro Sanchez’ resignation – (Al Jazeera English)
After socialist PM’s attempt to calm tensions with Catalonia, right wingers call him a traitor and demand elections.

Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar expected to join 2020 Dem race – (Associated Press)
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota is set to join the 2020 presidential race Sunday, becoming the most prominent Midwestern candidate as the party tries to win back voters in a region that helped put Donald Trump in the White House.…

Blackface turmoil comes amid bid to honor black tennis great – (Associated Press)
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A movement to rename a Richmond, Virginia, thoroughfare for groundbreaking black tennis player Arthur Ashe Jr. is cresting just as the state finds itself in turmoil over a blackface scandal involving the governor and attorney general.The …

Nancy Pelosi gets rock star treatment at Clive Davis gala – (Associated Press)
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — The audience at Clive Davis’ white-hot gala included Barbra Streisand, Joni Mitchell and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, but it was House Speaker Nancy Pelosi who got the most requests to take a selfie.Pelosi received rock star treatment Sat…

Was Ruskin the most important man of the last 200 years? – (BBC News)
In the bicentenary of his birth, it’s time we looked again at the forward-thinking and influential ideas of the great Victorian, writes Daisy Dunn.

Vonn wins bronze medal in the final race of her career – (Associated Press)
ARE, Sweden (AP) — One last comeback complete. One last medal.Five days after crashing in super-G, Lindsey Vonn bounced back to win the bronze medal in the world championship downhill Sunday in the final race of her career.”I laid it all on the line. That’s a…

In pictures: Heavy snow hits Seattle – (BBC News)
Residents, more used to rain, joke that the city in the US Pacific Northwest faces #Snowmageddon.

2019 Grammy Nominations: Kendrick Lamar, Drake and Women Lead the Way – (The New York Times)
Facing criticism for a lack of diversity, the Recording Academy shifted its show’s processes, giving a crop of young and less heralded artists a chance to shine.

How Venezuela turns its useless bank notes into gold – (Reuters)
(REUTERS) – Venezuela’s most successful financial operations in recent years have not taken place on Wall Street, but in primitive gold-mining camps in the nation’s southern reaches.

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From various sources

Mossad, MI6 smuggled Iranian nuclear scientist to the UK – Report – (The Jerusalem Post)
The Iranian scientist was allegedly involved in the 2012 assassination of Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan in Tehran and was able to enter the UK using the migrant crises as a cover, reports the Daily Mail.

BDS attempts to derail proposed multi-million dollar deal between Israel – (The Jerusalem Post)
Israel’s Central Bottling Company offering to buy 59.5% of South Africa’s biggest dairy producer

Projected lineups, starting goalies for today – (NHL News)
NHL.com identifies daily projected lineups and starting goalies. Set your fantasy hockey rosters accordingly.

Premier League Live: Man City vs. Chelsea – (Bleacher Report)
Get the latest news, photos, rankings, lists and more on Bleacher Report

What history tells us about the US-China conflict – (Financial Times)
Markets are much too sanguine about the possibility of de-globalisation

Chris Pratt slammed by Ellen Page for attending ‘infamously anti-LGBTQ’ church – (Fox News)
Ellen Page slammed Chris Pratt for attending a church she claimed is “infamously anti-LGBTQ” and doubled down on her comments on Saturday.

Ocasio-Cortez adviser admits he falsely claimed Green New Deal didn’t promise security for those ‘unwilling’ to work’ – (Fox News)
A top adviser to New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has admitted that an official “Green New Deal” document posted by Ocasio-Cortez’s office contained a guarantee of economic security even for those “unwilling to work” — but not before he went…

Police step in after burglary suspect’s mugshot is relentlessly mocked – (Metro)
Officers felt so bad for him they asked people to stop abusing him.

West Indies vs England, third Test day two: live score updates – (The Telegraph)
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Northam vows to stay in office: “I’m not going anywhere” – (CBS News)
In an interview with “CBS This Morning” co-host Gayle King, Virginia’s Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam says he will not resign amid the controversy over his racist yearbook photo. “I have thought about resigning, but I’ve also thought about what Virginia needs …

Create emoji masterpieces with any image using this fun web tool – (The Verge)
Turn any image into an emoji mosaic with this free web tool built by programmer Eric Lewis. Don’t stop until you’ve emojified every bit of your life.

Scotland Yard’s top cop Cressida Dick cannot smell cannabis – (Metro)
The head of the Met said she could be living above a cannabis crop house and she wouldn’t know.

100,000 German jobs at risk from no-deal Brexit – (The Telegraph)
An influential economic research centre has warned that 100,000 jobs could be put at risk in Germany if the UK leaves the EU without securing a deal.

Man City vs Chelsea live score and goal updates – (Mirror)
Keep track of the latest Premier League action at the Etihad as Pep Guardiola’s men look to regain top spot. Kick-off: 4pm

Paris Saint Germain To Deploy ‘Plan D’ Against Manchester United In The Champions League – (The Sport Bible)
Interesting…

Meet the Israeli company optimistic about beating ALS – (The Jerusalem Post)
NeuroSense is planning to commence clinical trials later this year in the United States and Israel.

Furloughed workers: We support the shutdown – CNN Video – (CNN)
Federal law enforcement officers Charles and Jill Gilbert, who did not receive paychecks during the government shutdown, say they support President Trump’s efforts to fund his border wall.

A divisive week along the US-Mexico border – CNN Video – (CNN)
From Brownsville, Texas to San Diego, activity and division is ramping up along the US-Mexico border. CNN’s Ed Lavandera looks at the developments from this week.

Apple is offering an extended Apple Music trial during the Grammys for Shazam users – (The Verge)
Apple acquired Shazam last year, and it’s using the music search app to provide a special offer for users who are watching tonight’s Grammy Awards. They’ll get a rundown of the award show in the app, and can unlock an extended, four-month free trial for Apple…

Crash victim says Prince Philip is right to give up driving | CBC News – (CBC News)
A woman who was injured in a car accident involving Prince Philip says the roads will be safer now that the 97-year-old royal has given up his driver’s licence.

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All about Trump

Furloughed workers: We support the shutdown – CNN Video – (CNN)
Federal law enforcement officers Charles and Jill Gilbert, who did not receive paychecks during the government shutdown, say they support President Trump’s efforts to fund his border wall.

Venezuela: Nicolás Maduro’s demise is ‘irreversible’, Trump adviser says – (The Guardian (UK))
Top Latin America adviser claims ‘there is not a single scenario’ in which Maduro and his ‘cronies’ are able to retain power

Trump appears to mock Trail of Tears in tweet about Senator Warren’s campaign announcement – (USA Today)
President Donald Trump was highly criticized on Twitter Saturday for appearing to make a joke about the Trail of Tears.

Lawmakers heading to funding deal with far less border money than Trump wants – (CNN)
Republican and Democratic negotiators are exchanging border security proposals that contain far less funding for the border wall than President Donald Trump has demanded, with just days left before a deadline to release their bill ahead of another potential g…

Mulvaney: Trump can ‘move money around’ to get wall funding – (The Hill)
Acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney says that President Trump will pull from several pots of money to fulfill his pledge to build a Southern border wall, indicating the White House is prepared to accept a deal from Congress that doesn’

Democrat vows to move forward with impeachment, dividing his party – (The Hill)
House Democrats are facing the prospect of another floor vote on impeaching President Trump, the first since they took control of the chamber.

Border wall talks break down ahead of second possible government shutdown – (Fox News)
With less than a week to go until another potential partial federal government shutdown, talks on funding for President Trump’s proposed border wall have completely broken down, sources tell Fox News.

Senator Klobuchar to join widening Democratic presidential field – (Reuters)
U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar will enter the 2020 presidential race on Sunday, becoming the first moderate in an increasingly crowded field of Democrats vying to challenge Republican President Donald Trump.

Mick Mulvaney on chances of border security deal, Democrats ramping up investigation of Trump admini – Fox News – (Google News)

Key GOP senator: Border wall talks are stalled: Border wall talks are stalled – (The Hill)
Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), a key negotiator on President Trump’s demand for a border wall, said on Sunday that congressional talks are stalled, raising the prospect of another government shutdown at week’s en

Border talks at impasse as shutdown looms Friday, officials say – (The Washington Post)
The breakdown in negotiations come as lawmakers and Trump face a Feb. 15 deadline when portions of the federal government will begin to shut down.

Border talks at impasse as shutdown looms Friday, officials say – (Google News)
The breakdown in negotiations come as lawmakers and Trump face a Feb. 15 deadline when portions of the federal government will begin to shut down.

Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar expected to join 2020 Dem race – (Associated Press)
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota is set to join the 2020 presidential race Sunday, becoming the most prominent Midwestern candidate as the party tries to win back voters in a region that helped put Donald Trump in the White House.…

New battle lines in war over Trump’s judicial picks – (The Hill)
The Senate is adding new fuel to the fire in its long-running feud over President Trump’s judicial nominations.

Klobuchar expected to announce 2020 presidential bid – (Google News)
Sen. Amy Klobuchar is expected to announce a presidential bid on Sunday, people close to her tell CNN, vaulting the three-term senator from Minnesota into the crowded field of Democrats angling to take on Trump in 2020.

Gutfeld: Trump’s week was about as good as the Democrats’ week was bad – (Fox News)
While President Trump drew praise for his State of the Union, Democrats were forced to address late-term abortion, blackface and sexual assault accusations.

3 reasons Democrats are climbing all over themselves to tax the rich – (NBC News)
Setting up a general election contrast with President Donald Trump, Democrats are one-upping one another with new proposals to impose new taxes on the rich.

Mexico’s former president drops F-bomb in describing Trump’s approach to the world – (CNBC)
Mexico’s former president shared some choice words for President Donald Trump, describing the American leader as a “machine” with “no compassion” while at the World Government Summit in Dubai on Sunday.

A Tale of Two Steel Firms and Their Diverging Paths Under Trump’s Tariffs – (The Wall Street Journal)
The shifting fortunes of two family businesses show how steel tariffs imposed last year have created opportunities for some and challenges for others.

Trump, Dems have reasons to work together, but tensions are boiling over – (The Hill)
Tensions between President Trump and Capitol Hill Democrats have reached a boiling point just a month into the new Congress, highlighting the gulf between the parties under divided government and dimming prospects for bipartisan action this year.

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