On Wednesday, the US House of Representatives passed a bill to renew sweeping surveillance powers for the government’s intelligence agencies. The vote on Section 702 of theForeign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which must be renewed every five years and is set to expire on January 19, passed by a 256 to 164 margin. Contradictory early morning tweets by President Donald Trump sparked confusion prior to the House vote. Initially in his tweet, he seemed opposed to the bill. A little over an hour later he had completely reversed himself, tweeting: “We need it! Get smart!”... [Read Full Story]
Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens admitted late Wednesday that he had been “unfaithful” in his marriage, after a St. Louis television station reported he had an affair before he became governor and that he allegedly threatened to blackmail the woman about their sexual encounter. The allegations prompted the opening of a probe by the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office and prompted calls by Republican Missouri state senators for an immediate investigation by the state’s attorney general. They asked that the Senator resign if the blackmail allegations are proven to be true. Greitens has denied through his attorney, James Bennett, that he had tried to blackmail the woman to keep her quiet, and said there were multiple false allegations in the TV station’s report.... [Read Full Story]
President Donald Trump is telling South Korea’s president that he’s open to U.S.-North Korean talks “at the appropriate time, under the right circumstances.” That’s according to a White House readout of the president’s call Wednesday with South Korean President Moon Jae-In. The phone call comes after the Koreas held their first high-level talks in two years. North Korea agreed to send a delegation to the Olympic Games and both sides agreed to hold talks on reducing tensions along their border. Moon has said he’s open to meeting with Kim Jong Un to resolve the North Korean nuclear standoff.... [Read Full Story]
A federal judge’s decision to stop President Trump from ending protections for so-called Dreamers offered the young immigrants a temporary reprieve, but may have stalled the urgency in Congress toward a more lasting legislative solution. On Wednesday, Trump denounced the federal courts as “broken and unfair” after a district judge in San Francisco issued a temporary ruling keeping the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program in place, despite Trump’s decision to end it this year. Pressure had been mounting for Congress to broker a deal by Jan. 19 as part of a must-pass budget package to fund the government. The White House suggested the court’s ruling would make a legislative deal harder to obtain. “We find this decision to be outrageous,” White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement. “An issue of this magnitude must go through the normal legislative process.”... [Read Full Story]
At least eight people are dead and 25 are injured in California from weather-related incidents, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office. The southern part of the state has been drenched with severe rain just weeks after several fires tore through the area. Flash flooding, debris flow and mudslides are affecting counties hit hard by the Thomas and La Tuna fires. In the community of Montecito, some homes have been ripped from their foundations as a result of the torrential conditions, and excessive flooding and debris made some parts of Santa Barbara impassable. Routes in and out of Santa Barbara have been shut down from the south, and various roadways have been swallowed by the floods. The only way into some of the washed-out homes is by air.... [Read Full Story]
Steve Bannon, who returned to run Breitbart News after a stint as White House chief strategist last year, said on Tuesday that he was stepping down from his post as the outlet’s executive chairman. The move comes as Bannon deals with backlash from Michael Wolff’s explosive book, Fire and Fury, in which Bannon harshly disparaged several members of the president’s inner circle, including Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump, and Jared Kushner. On Sunday, Bannon offered a quasi-apology for his statements, but it does not seem to have stopped the fallout. Reports claim that Bannon’s departure was forced by Rebekah Mercer, a Republican mega-donor whose investment in Breitbart gave her a seat on the board. In an article on Breitbart News, the site announced that “Bannon and Breitbart will work together on a smooth and orderly transition.”... [Read Full Story]
A college football reporter was found unharmed Monday morning, 36 hours after she vanished and told friends she had been followed home by a suspicious man. Courtney Roland disappeared late Saturday after covering a Texas A&M elite football camp in Houston, her family said in social media posts. “We believe she was confused because of a reaction to medications that she had been taking,” Houston Police Capt. Mark Lentini said during a news conference Monday afternoon. Roland was discovered at around 8:15 a.m. local time Monday morning by a citizen who said she was passing underneath an overpass walking toward a Chick-fil-A. Roland was taken to a local hospital for a routine evaluation, where she remains with family and friends, police said.... [Read Full Story]
Officials have ordered thousands of people who were affected by recent wildfires in Southern California to evacuate as an upcoming winter storm poses a threat for mudslides and flash floods. Mandatory evacuations were issued for about 7,000 people in mountainous areas affected by theThomas, Whitter, Sherpa and Rey fires. Another 23,000 people were under evacuation warnings, officials said. The storm is the West Coast’s first significant winter storm of the season, and heavy rain and strong winds are expected in the area through Tuesday, bringing “strong potential” for flash flooding and mud in areas where wildfires recently burned through.... [Read Full Story]
The first Hollywood awards show of 2018 kicked off with a focus on social issues instead of fashion. Actors descending upon Sunday’s Golden Globes red carpet were in black to ban together in support of the newly created “Time’s Up” initiative and the already widespread #MeToo movement. Reese Witherspoon, The movement to wear black was to represent Hollywood taking a stand against the numerous sexual harassment cases uncovered last year, declaring that time is up on inequality and mistreatment of women. Tracee Ellis Ross, Rashida Jones, Brie Larson and Tessa Thompson created a viral video together to urge those at the Globes to join them in wearing black. ... [Read Full Story]
A water main broke in a JFK International Airport terminal on Sunday, flooding a baggage claim area and adding to travelers’ misfortunes at the airport this week. The water main broke about 1:30 p.m. in Terminal 4, which was later evacuated and had to be shutdown to international flights, according to the airport. A JFK spokesperson said that a frozen pipe caused the main to break, and that about three to four inches of water are on the ground. The flooding has caused further delays and cancellations at JFK as New York City recovers from the “bomb cyclone” that hit the northeast last Thursday. Thousands of flights were cancelled because of the winter storm, leaving many travelers stranded at the airport for days.... [Read Full Story]
At least six people have died and more than 4,000 U.S. flights have been canceled due to a massive winter storm hitting the East Coast, with heavy snow, gusty winds and the coldest air of the season. State officials said three of the deaths occurred in North Carolina and a fourth happened in South Carolina, as the weather system barreled up the eastern coast. Two people were killed in Virginia on Thursday, according to authorities. Meanwhile, U.S. airlines canceled at least 4,020 flights within, into and out of the United States, according to airline tracking. Most of the cancellations were in New Jersey, Boston and New York.... [Read Full Story]
U.S. and Canadian health officials are investigating whether contaminated romaine lettuce caused dozens of E. coli infections leading to one death.The Public Health Agency of Canada said it found enough evidence to link 41 cases of E. coli to the vegetable, though the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it is still attempting to determine the cause. The CDC said it’s unable to recommend whether Americans should stop eating romaine lettuce, but Consumer Reports issued a warning Wednesday. It’s also advising that stores remove the item from store shelves.... [Read Full Story]
President Donald Trump signed an executive order to dissolve his voter fraud commission Wednesday, the White House said. Trump cited lack of cooperation from states as the reason for his decision to dissolve the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, which faces a series of lawsuits over privacy. Trump established the commission in May to research “improper” voter registration procedures, systemic vulnerabilities and voting irregularities including any scenario where a person ineligible to vote becomes an eligible voter in a particular jurisdiction. ... [Read Full Story]
As record cold temperatures paralyze much of the country, a “bomb cyclone” forming off the East Coast is threatening to douse the area in ice and snow. Meteorologists are calling the event Winter Storm Grayson, and they say it could bring snow to the Southeast on Wednesday, as well as possible blizzard conditions to the Northeast Wednesday night and Thursday. The weather event has the potential to make 2018 one of the worst winters in the U.S. yet. A bomb cyclone typically brews over the water where drops in barometric pressure can make it an extra forceful weather event. Making matters worse, forecasters say the storm could trap the bone-chilling cold currently putting the middle of the U.S. in a deep freeze over the Atlantic coastline later this week.... [Read Full Story]
Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah said on Tuesday he would retire when his current term ends next year, opening the door for a possible political comeback by 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney. Ending speculation of whether he would seek reelection after more than three decades in office, Hatch, 83, made the announcement in a short video, saying “every good fighter knows when to hang up the gloves.” President Donald Trumphad urgedHatch to run again, a move that would have prevented Romney from potentially filling his seat. Romney issued astatementshortly after Hatch’s announcement, writing on Facebook, “I join the people of Utah in thanking my friend, Senator Orrin Hatch for his more than forty years of service to our great state and nation.”... [Read Full Story]
A new storm is making its way to the Southeast Wednesday, likely dumping rain, sleet and some snow before moving north. The storm has prompted schools to close in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. Ice has already formed on fountains in some southern cities, including Savannah, Georgia, and Charlotte, North Carolina. In northern Florida and southern Georgia, a dangerous mix of snow and ice are in the forecast for Wednesday morning, and residents of cities including Tallahassee, Florida, and Valdosta, Georgia, may see up to an inch of snow on the roadways during the Wednesday morning commute. Georgia and the Carolinas may see 1 to 3 inches of snow.... [Read Full Story]
A two-hour outage in U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s processing systems caused delays at some of the nation’s biggest airports on New Year’s Day. In a statement, CBP said the outage began at 7:30 p.m. and ended at 9:30 p.m. All the airports involved are currently back online, according to CBP, though some are still experiencing effects from the outage. “CBP took immediate action to address the technology disruption,” the agency said in a statement. “CBP officers continued to process international travelers using alternative procedures at affected airports. Travelers at some ports of entry experienced longer than usual wait times as CBP officers processed travelers as quickly as possible while maintaining the highest levels of security.... [Read Full Story]
A family of five from New York, vacationing in Costa Rica, were among the victims of a New Year’s Eve plane crash that killed all 12 people on board, investigators and local media have revealed. The small plane carrying 10 American tourists and two local crew members crashed and burst into flames in a wooded area in in Guanacaste, northwest Costa Rica, the government reported Sunday. Five of the victims were identified as Americans Bruce, Irene, Matthew, William and Zachary Steinberg, from Scarsdale, New York. In St. Petersburg, Florida, Rabbi Jacob Luski of Congregation B’nai Israel said Monday that four members of his congregation, Drs. Mitchell Weiss and Leslie Weiss and their two children, Hannah and Ari, also died in the crash.... [Read Full Story]
Days before the ball drops in Times Square, security is already building. To protect about 1 million revelers in the city, the NYPD is promising to step up patrols, canine teams and heavy-weapons squads. Concrete barriers are back, along with sand trucks to block vehicles. And the NYPD is putting special focus on aerial security, with spotters on buildings and officers stationed in every hotel along 7th Avenue in the event of a sniper-style attack. Other big cities are beefing up their security too. Chicago police said they are adding specialized teams with a focus on vehicle-style attacks, and for the first time Miami will conduct random security checks at its outdoor events.... [Read Full Story]
Alabama officials certified the results of its special Senate election Thursday, officially naming Democrat Doug Jones the victor not long after a judge rejected a last-minute challenge from Republican Roy Moore. Late Wednesday, hours before the Alabama State Canvassing Board was scheduled to meet Thursday to certify Jones’ victory, Moore and his campaign filed a lawsuit alleging that voter fraud had tainted the election results and requesting that certification be delayed.... [Read Full Story]
A U.S. Border Patrol agent and two other people have died after a sport utility vehicle collided with a wild hog in Southwest Texas, authorities said. The accident happened late Monday on a rural road near Uvalde, about 110 miles southwest of San Antonio. On Tuesday after a preliminary investigation there was indication that a Ford Expedition collided with the hog, which caused the vehicle to swerve into oncoming traffic and hit a Mercedes SUV head-on. The Expedition’s driver, 51-year-old Ruby Garza, and the driver of the Mercedes, 27-year-old Antonio Cordova, were pronounced dead at the scene. A passenger in the Expedition, 51-year-old Julia Vasquez, died later at a hospital. ... [Read Full Story]
Power was largely restored at Disneyland on Wednesday after an outage at the California theme park forced some guests to be escorted from stalled rides. About 12 rides were affected and no one was hurt, a parks spokeswoman said. A transformer problem caused the late morning outage in Toontown and Fantasyland, and an unknown number of guests were taken off rides. No one else was being allowed into the park and power was restored in Toontown and much of Fantasyland within a couple hours. Power was expected to be fully restored later in the day. ... [Read Full Story]
A singer and potential congressional candidate said Tuesday that she has filed a sexual assault complaint against President Donald Trump’s former campaign manager for hitting her twice on her buttocks during a Washington gathering in November. Joy Villa, a Trump backer who wore a “Make America Great Again” dress at the Grammys, says she will meet with detectives in Washington next week about the complaint against Corey Lewandowski. Villa said she was initially reluctant to come forward because she was worried about any backlash, but after a friend who witnessed the incident spoke about it publicly, and other friends urged her to come forward.... [Read Full Story]
A Christmas storm dumped a record amount of snow on the Pennsylvania city of Erie and surrounding areas. The National Weather Service office in Cleveland says the storm brought 34 inches on Christmas Day — a new all-time daily snowfall record for Erie. Another 19 inches fell before dawn Tuesday, bringing the total to 53 inches — the greatest two-day total in commonwealth history. The city of Erie issued a snow emergency, citing “dangerous and impassable” roads, and asked residents to stay off city streets until the snow stops and roads can reopen.... [Read Full Story]
For many in the Northeast and Midwest it was a White Christmas. A blizzard swept into parts of New England and bitter cold enveloped much of the Midwest as blizzard warnings were issued Monday for portions of central and northern Maine, and part of the New Hampshire coast. In addition to slowing travel in New England, the storm was responsible for some power outages. More than 20,000 customers in eastern Massachusetts without electricity. Mountain areas in parts of Colorado, Montana and Wyoming received more than 1 foot of snow, which started Saturda, but it meant a heightened warning of avalanches in higher elevations outside of ski areas.... [Read Full Story]
President Trump and first lady Melania Trump released a joint Christmas Day video message on Monday. Mr. Trump tweeted out the video, which was pre-recorded at the White House before he left for his holiday vacation at Mar-a-Lago in Florida. “My fellow Americans, Melania and I are delighted to wish America and the entire world a very Merry Christmas,” the president says in the video. The first lady says that at this time of year, “we see the best of America and the soul of the American people,” and pays tribute to “our brave men and women in uniform.”... [Read Full Story]
Nearly 9 million Americans have signed up for health coverage in 2018, nearly reaching last year’s total, a significantly higher number than had been expected. The Trump administration had taken steps to discourage signups, in fact President Trump said this Wednesday: “We essentially repealed Obamacare.” While Republicans did pass a tax bill Wednesday that undoes one of the central components of Obamacare: the mandate that people have health insurance, or pay a fine. Health-care experts say that does not mean Obamacare is dead. ... [Read Full Story]
One of two Wisconsin girls who tried to kill a classmate to win favor with a fictional horror character named ‘Slender Man’ has been sentenced to 25 years in a mental hospital. Anissa Weier pleaded guilty in August to being a party to attempted second-degree intentional homicide, but claimed she wasn’t responsible for her actions because she was mentally ill. On Thursday the 16-year-old Weier was sentenced to be hospitalized for 25 years from the date of the crime, which would keep her institutionalized until age 37. She and Morgan Geyser lured Payton Leutner into a wooded park near Milwaukee in 2014, where Geyser stabbed Leutner 19 times while Weier urged her on. All three girls were 12 years old at the time.... [Read Full Story]
U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley has emailed members of the United Nations, who are set to vote Thursday in favor of a General Assembly resolution urging the United States to rescind its decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. In the email, Haley wrote: “As you consider your vote, I want you to know that the President and U.S. take this vote personally,” “The President will be watching this vote carefully and has requested I report back on those countries who voted against us. We will take note of each and every vote on this issue.” Haley also said the U.S. is not asking other countries to follow its lead, and move their embassies to Jerusalem, “though we think it would be appropriate.”... [Read Full Story]
President Donald Trump applauded Republicans for passing a sweeping tax bill Wednesday, promising Americans they would see relief by February. During a cabinet meeting Wednesday, Trump said the “historic” bill would be an “incredible Christmas gift for hardworking Americans” and touted the lower corporate rate that he says will keep businesses in the country. GOP senators and members of Congress came to the White House later Wednesday — after the House voted on the measure a second time — to celebrate the bill’s passage. The bill also marks the first significant legislative achievement of Trump’s presidency. ... [Read Full Story]
