| Obamas unveil official portraits by Kehinde Wiley, Amy Sherald at National Portrait Gallery Posted: 12 Feb 2018 08:17 AM PST  Former President Barack Obama and wife, Michelle Obama, celebrated the unveiling of their official portraits at the National Portrait Gallery on Monday, as the nation observed the latest art installations.
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| The Christian Who Cried Abortion Posted: 11 Feb 2018 11:44 AM PST  The fable The Boy Who Cried Wolf chronicles the story of a young boy who, in his boredom, deceives his village into believing that the sheep have all been scattered by a wolf.
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| McConnell fulfills promise, Senate opens immigration debate Posted: 12 Feb 2018 12:43 PM PST  Can an open-ended debate on immigration reform produce a bipartisan bill in the Senate? Democratic commentator Monique Pressley and syndicated radio host Kevin McCullough join the debate.
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| Plane crash outside Moscow leaves 71 dead amid snowy conditions Posted: 12 Feb 2018 06:01 AM PST  An airplane carrying 65 passengers and six crew members crashed outside Moscow amid snowy conditions on Sunday.
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| South Africa's Ramaphosa says working to resolve issue of Zuma's future Posted: 11 Feb 2018 06:05 AM PST ![South Africa's Ramaphosa says working to resolve issue of Zuma's future]( "South Africa's Ramaphosa says working to resolve issue of Zuma's future") CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - African National Congress (ANC) leader Cyril Ramaphosa said on Sunday that the ruling party was holding talks over Jacob Zuma's position as president of the country and that those talks should be handled with "care and purpose". "We know you want this matter to be finalised," Ramaphosa told a crowd of ANC supporters in Cape Town. South Africa's ANC has called a meeting of its national executive for Monday, as Ramaphosa and his allies lobby for President Zuma to step down. (Reporting by Wendell Roelf; Writing by Alexander Winning and Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo)
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| Monday's Morning Email: The Next Recession Will Be Brutal. Here's Why. Posted: 12 Feb 2018 04:22 AM PST  TOP STORIES (And want to get The Morning Email each weekday?
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| Tearful mother testifies about 8-year-old's abduction Posted: 12 Feb 2018 12:02 PM PST ![Tearful mother testifies about 8-year-old's abduction]( "Tearful mother testifies about 8-year-old's abduction") Struggling through tears, the mother of an 8-year-old who was abducted from a Florida Walmart and later raped and killed said the man accused of the crime had convinced her he was a good Samaritan who was trying to help her family out.
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| Police Move In As Clashes Erupt At Right-Wing Rally At University Of Washington Posted: 10 Feb 2018 10:22 PM PST  Five people were arrested Saturday when counter-protesters clashed with members and supporters of a controversial right-wing "Patriot Prayer" group at the University of Washington campus in Seattle.
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| US immigration authorities to deport Arizona father whose five-year-old son has cancer Posted: 12 Feb 2018 12:19 PM PST  An undocumented father from Mexico who has a five-year-old son with cancer and a pregnant wife is due to be deported. Jesus Berrones, who lives in Arizona with his wife and five children, was denied an extension to stay in America by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Thursday and is scheduled to be deported on Monday. The 30-year-old took refuge at the Shadow Rock United Church - a sanctuary church that provides a safe place for undocumented migrants - in Phoenix on Friday.
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| Explosion At Power Station Plunges Northern Part Of Puerto Rico Into Darkness Posted: 11 Feb 2018 10:56 PM PST  A power station caught fire and exploded in Puerto Rico on Sunday, causing blackouts in the city of San Juan and the northern part of the island, authorities said.
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| Democrats Will 'Clean Up' Their Blocked Memo Into the Russia Investigation Posted: 11 Feb 2018 07:57 PM PST  The document tries to counter Republican allegations of surveillance excesses
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| Helicopter Crash in Grand Canyon Kills 3, Injures 4: 'It Was Horrible' Posted: 11 Feb 2018 10:47 AM PST  The Papillon Airways EC130, which was carrying a pilot and six passengers, crashed under unknown circumstances near Quartermaster Canyon on the Hualapai Nation about 5:20 p.m. Saturday.
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| Suspected poacher mauled to death by pack of lions in South Africa Posted: 12 Feb 2018 12:00 PM PST  Authorities in Limpopo, which is the northernmost province of South Africa, discovered the unidentified man's remains alongside a rifle and ammunition at a private nature park outside of the famous Kruger National Park. Police spokesman Moatshe Ngoepe told AFP that he believes the victim was poaching in the game park when he was attacked and killed by the pack of lions.
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| Sea level rise is accelerating: study Posted: 12 Feb 2018 01:03 PM PST  Sea level rise is accelerating and could reach 26 inches (66 centimeters) by century's end, in line with United Nations estimates and enough to cause significant problems for coastal cities, a study said Monday. The past annual rate of sea level rise -- about three millimeters (0.1 inches) per year -- may more than triple to 10 millimeters per year by 2100, said the report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer-reviewed US journal. The findings are "roughly in agreement with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 5th Assessment Report (AR5) model projections," said the report, based on 25 years of satellite data.
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| Gigi Hadid Shuts Down Body Shamers, Speaks Out On Hashimoto's Disease Posted: 12 Feb 2018 08:51 AM PST  Gigi Hadid slammed critics of her weight on social media on Sunday night, explaining her journey with Hashimoto's disease and imploring others to have more empathy.
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| Dutch foreign minister admits lying about meeting with Putin Posted: 12 Feb 2018 04:36 AM PST  THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — In a potentially damaging admission on the eve of his first visit to Russia as a member of the Dutch government, Foreign Minister Halbe Zijlstra on Monday acknowledged lying about attending a meeting with President Vladimir Putin in 2006.
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| A Disney Vacation Just Got Way More Expensive Posted: 12 Feb 2018 02:02 AM PST  Disney raised entry prices for most tickets at Disneyland in California and Walt Disney World in Florida over the weekend.
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| Israel Strikes Syria After Iranian Aerial Intrusion Posted: 12 Feb 2018 11:37 AM PST  An Iranian drone flying into Israeli airspace Saturday triggered a mushrooming crisis involving retaliatory strikes and counterstrikes in Syria. After its provocative violation of Israeli airspace, the drone was destroyed by an Israeli helicopter, and Israel responded with airstrikes on an Iranian command-and-control trailer from which the drone was launched from a base in Syria. An Israeli F-16 fighter involved in that operation was shot down by Syrian missiles and crashed inside Israel, injuring one pilot.
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| Katie Couric Is Skating On Thin Ice With Dutch Olympics Fans Posted: 12 Feb 2018 01:07 AM PST  NBC Olympics commentator Katie Couric managed to tick off plenty of people in the Netherlands when she attempted to explain the country's dominance in speed skating.
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| Obama's official portrait unveiled Posted: 12 Feb 2018 08:32 AM PST  On Monday, February 12, the official portraits for former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama were unveiled at at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.
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| Jeff Sessions accused of fueling racism after speech mentioning 'Anglo-American heritage' of US policing Posted: 12 Feb 2018 01:30 PM PST  Attorney General Jeff Sessions veered from his prepared remarks to hail the "Anglo-American heritage" of law enforcement. "Since our founding, the independently elected sheriff has been the people's protector, who keeps law enforcement close to and accountable to people through the elected process," Mr Sessions told a National Sheriffs Association meeting, adding "the office of sheriff is a critical part of the Anglo-American heritage of law enforcement". The invocation of Anglo-American roots appears to have been an impromptu decision, with a copy of Mr Sessions' prepared remarks reading: "The Sheriff is a critical part of our legal heritage".
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| The Latest: Man accused of killing 2 Ohio officers charged Posted: 11 Feb 2018 06:59 PM PST  CLEVELAND (AP) — The Latest on two Ohio officers fatally shot while responding to 911 hang-up call (all times local):
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| Server Fired After Complaining About Getting Stiffed on Tip by Church Group Posted: 12 Feb 2018 01:17 PM PST  Tamlynn Yoder, 25, said she prepared 75 orders for a church group that called Outback Steakhouse in Palm Beach Gardens for a massive takeout meal.
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| OFF THE AIR: NBC Pulls Commentator Whose Insensitive Japan Comments Sparked Furor Posted: 12 Feb 2018 02:59 AM PST  The NBC commentator who was skewered by viewers for insensitive remarks he made during the Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Pyeongchang, South Korea, has been relieved of his duties, the broadcaster announced on Monday.
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| Liberia's Johnson Sirleaf wins $5 mln African leadership prize Posted: 12 Feb 2018 01:05 AM PST  Former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Africa's first elected female head of state, has won a $5 million Mo Ibrahim award, designed to improve the quality of African political leadership. Johnson Sirleaf, who handed over leadership of the war-scarred West African state last month to ex-international soccer star George Weah, is only the fifth person to win the 10-year-old award. Since its inception, the prize founded by Sudanese telecoms tycoon Mo Ibrahim has not been awarded on several occasions because there was not deemed to be a suitable candidate.
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| The Education Department Officially Won't Deal With Transgender Students Experiencing Bathroom Discrimination Posted: 12 Feb 2018 09:45 AM PST  The Trump administration's Education Department will no longer investigate complaints filed by transgender students who are kept from using the bathroom that aligns with their gender identity, a department official told BuzzFeed News.
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| Israel targets 'Iranian' positions in Syria after F16 downed Posted: 10 Feb 2018 06:47 PM PST  Israel attacked what it said were Iranian positions inside Syria on Saturday in "large-scale" raids after one of its warplanes was targeted by Syrian air defences and crashed. Following the most serious confrontation between arch foes Israel and Iran since Syria's civil war began in 2011, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to prevent Tehran from establishing a threatening military presence in the Arab state. Israel's raids came after it intercepted what it said was an Iranian drone entering its airspace from Syria, calling it an "attack".
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| Twitter Bans GOP Candidate For Racist Meghan Markle Tweet Posted: 12 Feb 2018 11:53 AM PST  Twitter has permanently banned the account of a GOP congressional candidate after he posted a racist picture targeting soon-to-be royal bride Meghan Markle.
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| 3 Reasons Trump's Plan to Privatize the International Space Station Won't (and Shouldn't) Happen Posted: 11 Feb 2018 02:53 PM PST  Talk about bad real estate deals
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| Couple who quit jobs and sold belongings to sail round the world lose everything as boat capsizes two days into journey Posted: 12 Feb 2018 02:23 AM PST  Tanner Broadwell and Nikki Walsh began their adventure on a 28-foot sailboat last week, setting off from the marina in Tarpon Springs. Two days later, the emergency services were called to reports of a capsized boat in the Gulf of Mexico near Madeira Beach – about 25 miles down the coast. "I sold everything I had to do this," Mr Broadwell told the Tampa Bay Times.
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| The Latest: Police identify suspect in 2 officers' shootings Posted: 10 Feb 2018 07:59 PM PST  WESTERVILLE, Ohio (AP) — The Latest on two police officers fatally shot in Ohio (all times local):
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| Investigators search snow for clues to deadly Russian plane crash Posted: 12 Feb 2018 12:54 PM PST  Investigators on Monday begun examining a black box containing flight data about the Russian passenger plane which crashed near Moscow minutes after take-off, killing all 71 people on board. Russia's Aviation Committee said the black box was recovered from the scene on Monday, adding that "some 400 pieces of the plane" have also been found. The accident happened in Ramensky district around 70 kilometres (44 miles) southeast of Moscow on Sunday after the plane departed from Domodedovo airport outside the Russian capital and disappeared off the radar at 2:28 pm (1128 GMT).
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| Trump Says Israeli Settlements Complicate Peace Process Posted: 12 Feb 2018 06:33 AM PST  Right now is the "only opportunity" for Israelis and Palestinians to reach a peace agreement, according to President Donald Trump ― but he expressed doubt over whether Israel is up to the task.
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| 5 Cable-Cutting Problems You Probably Didn't Think About Posted: 12 Feb 2018 01:35 PM PST  As alternatives to live television ― such as Sling TV, YouTube TV and Hulu Live ― improve and other streaming services ― like Netflix and Amazon Prime ― add better original programming, it's become increasingly tempting to cut the cord.
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| Mike Pence says US is willing to talk to North Korea as Japan warns against 'smile diplomacy' Posted: 12 Feb 2018 02:12 AM PST  United States vice president Mike Pence has raised the prospect of direct talks without preconditions between Washington and North Korea, while continuing to impose tough sanctions on the regime. His remarks follow widespread criticism of his failure to engage with a high level North Korean delegation at the opening of South Korea's Winter Olympics at the weekend, which analysts described as a squandered opportunity. As he flew out of Seoul on Air Force Two, Mr Pence walked back from Washington's previous hard-line stance that there would be no negotiations before Pyongyang made real concessions, telling the Washington Post that talks could start while the pressure campaign is ongoing. "The point is, no pressure comes off until they are actually doing something that the alliance believes represents a meaningful step toward denuclearisation," he said. "So the maximum pressure is going to continue and intensify. But if you want to talk, we'll talk," he said. The change in policy suggests real progress was made on the sidelines of the Olympic Games, despite the overt chilliness between Mr Pence and the North's delegation, which included Kim Jong-un's younger sister, Kim Yo-jong. The new strategy was conceived while watching Olympic speedskating heats on Saturday evening with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, whose government is considering an invitation from Kim Jong-un to attend a rare summit in Pyongyang. The invite, which was hand-delivered by Kim Yo-jong during a lunch at the presidential palace, has revived hopes of an end to a tense international stand-off with North Korea over its nuclear and weapons programme. Ms Kim appeared to charm South Korea's media with her near-permanent smile as she conducted a whirlwind round of diplomacy as the first member of the Kim dynasty to visit the South since the Korean War of 1950-1953. However, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson stressed on Monday that it was still too early to judge whether the latest developments represented the start of a diplomatic process "We've said for some time it's really up to the North Koreans to decide when they're ready to engage with us in a sincere way, a meaningful way," Mr Tillerson told reporters during a trip to Egypt. "They know what has to be on the table for conversations." Dr Tony Michell, a North Korea expert and managing director of the Euro-Asian business consultancy, said President Moon would likely wait until after the mid-June local elections if he decided to go to Pyongyang. "He has some time and the real question is how far can he modify the American line to allow meaningful talks to take place?" he said. One negotiating option could be a "freeze for a freeze", where North Korea would put its nuclear and missile tests on hold in exchange for the scaling down of joint US and South Korean military drills, suggested Dr Michell. However, Seoul's regional ally Japan has urged caution. On a trip to Brunei, Taro Kono, Japan's foreign minister, warned the world to remember that North Korea remained committed to its internationally-opposed nuclear and missile development programme. "Without being swayed by [North Korea's] smile diplomacy, Japan will firmly coordinate with [the US and South Korea] towards the ultimate goal of denuclearising the Korean Peninsula," he said.
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| Range Rover Sport PHEV conquers Heaven's Gate Posted: 12 Feb 2018 03:15 AM PST  With Land Rover now producing some two-wheel drive models that are more road-focused than its traditional off-road fare, and even a convertible, it's probably a good time for the company to reaffirm the imperious off-road capability its vehicles have long been renowned for. The petrol-electric performance SUV has now become the first vehicle in history to climb the stairs to the natural rock arch of Heaven's Gate. The Range Rover Sport P400e used for the challenge was a showroom standard model, so there were no enhancements made to help it overcome the awaiting obstacles to reaching the summit and negotiating the demanding course.
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| The Best Comeback Story At Westminster Dog Show Sadly Ends On Day One Posted: 12 Feb 2018 09:15 AM PST  A German shepherd who recovered from a shattered leg to become one of the favorites at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show had his comeback cut short on the first day of competition Monday.
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| Pakistan Taliban says deputy chief killed in US drone strike Posted: 12 Feb 2018 06:10 AM PST  The deputy chief of the Pakistani Taliban has been killed in a US drone strike, the militant group said in a statement Monday, as Washington continues to intensify attacks along the Afghan border region. Khalid Mehsood, deputy leader of the umbrella Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), died after the pre-dawn strike in North Waziristan tribal agency on February 8, the militants said in the emailed statement. The group's leaders have nominated Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud to take his place, the statement said, adding Mehsud has "undeterring trust" in Pakistani Taliban leader Maulana Fazlullah.
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| Five people killed in 'horrific' Kentucky shooting spree Posted: 11 Feb 2018 11:22 AM PST  Five people have been killed, including a gunman thought to have taken his own life, during a "horrific" shooting spree in Kentucky. Police received an emergency call on Saturday afternoon reporting a shooting at a rural home near the small city of Paintsville, in the northeast of the state. Officers found two people dead and began to search the area for the shooter, Johnson County Sheriff Dwayne Price said in the statement.
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| 'Yay': Man in US illegally says after being found guilty of killing 2 California deputies Posted: 11 Feb 2018 08:34 PM PST  A man in the United States illegally was convicted of killing two deputies in a case that helped fuel the national immigration debate.
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| Attack On Pennsylvania Supreme Court Is An Attack On The Rule Of Law Itself Posted: 12 Feb 2018 08:58 AM PST  Congratulations of a cynical sort are in order for Republican Pennsylvania state Rep. Cris Dush, who has accomplished something notable.
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| An American Man Actually Won A Luge Medal At The Olympics Posted: 11 Feb 2018 07:07 AM PST  Chris Mazdzer won a silver medal in the luge singles at the Winter Olympics on Sunday in Pyeongchang, South Korea, becoming the first U.S. man to earn a medal in the event.
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| Boeing Is Working on a Mach-5 Spy Plane Posted: 12 Feb 2018 07:35 AM PST  The Valkyerie II could compete with Lockheed's SR-72. In early January 2018, Boeing announced it's developing a concept for a hypersonic reconnaissance and strike drone that could compete with Lockheed's own SR-72. Both Boeing's "Valkyrie II"concept and Lockheed's "Son of Blackbird" could be capable of cruising at speeds exceeding Mach 5, potentially allowing them to evade all but the most sophisticated enemy defenses.
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| EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt's First Class Habit Costing Taxpayers Thousands Posted: 11 Feb 2018 08:47 PM PST  Scott Pruitt, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, regularly flies first or business class, often costing American taxpayers thousands of dollars more than equivalent seats in coach, The Washington Post reported on Sunday.
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| British tourists dead in US Grand Canyon chopper crash Posted: 11 Feb 2018 03:33 PM PST  Three British tourists have been killed in a US helicopter crash after the chopper went down in the Grand Canyon, Britain's foreign ministry said late Sunday. "We are providing support to the families of six British visitors involved in a helicopter accident at the Grand Canyon on 10 February, and we are in close contact with the US emergency services," a spokeswoman for the foreign ministry told AFP. Francis Bradley, Hualapai Nation police chief, said the chopper went down in Grand Canyon West, located in northwestern Arizona.
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| Israel warns over Iran's presence in Syria after air strikes Posted: 11 Feb 2018 07:52 AM PST  Israel issued stark warnings on Sunday over Iran's presence in neighbouring Syria after a confrontation threatened to open a new and unpredictable period in the country's seven-year civil war. Israel carried out major air raids in Syria on Saturday, including against what it described as Iranian targets -- the first time it had publicly acknowledged doing so since the war began. The raids came after an Israeli F16 fighter was shot down by Syrian air defences.
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| John McCain 'doing really good' in cancer fight, daughter says Posted: 11 Feb 2018 03:33 AM PST  Republican senator John McCain is making an "incredible comeback" following a bout of pneumonia related to his treatment for brain cancer. The Arizona Senator's daughter, Meghan McCain, told CNN her father "doing really well" and working on his physical therapy after chemotherapy treatment led to his infection. Mr McCain was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a type of brain tumour, last July, after having routine surgery to remove a blood clot behind his eye.
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