lightblink: January 2019

Thursday, 31 January 2019

On Politics: Trump Calls His Own Intelligence Officials ‘Naïve’

By Unknown Author from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/2RZBYZV

Another Go for Charles and Di, This Time With Music

By SARAH LYALL from NYT Theater https://nyti.ms/2RoY8zC

A Black Legacy, Wrapped Up in Fur

By JASMINE SANDERS from NYT Style https://nyti.ms/2sYq1os

How Much Do You Know About Your Family’s History?

By KATHERINE SCHULTEN from NYT The Learning Network https://nyti.ms/2TpuAU8

Word + Quiz: upstage

By THE LEARNING NETWORK from NYT The Learning Network https://nyti.ms/2CXxwQO

What’s on TV Thursday: ‘30 for 30’ and ‘The Big Lebowski’

By LAUREN MESSMAN from NYT Arts https://nyti.ms/2FVZlgo

After Death on Subway Stairs, New Yorkers Lament Accessibility Issues

By YOUSUR AL-HLOU, ROBIN LINDSAY and NATE SCHWEBER from NYT New York https://nyti.ms/2BbTfVb

Las principales noticias del jueves

By Por ALBINSON LINARES from NYT Universal https://nyti.ms/2FZFZqK

St. Louis Prosecutor Accuses Police of Obstructing Inquiry Into Killing of Officer

By LIAM STACK from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/2TlYgl3

An Angry Trump Pushes Back Against His Own ‘Naive’ Intelligence Officials

By MARK LANDLER from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/2Gcqb3g

Jury Awards Rand Paul Over $580,000 in Damages From Attack

By NOAH WEILAND from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/2GgXDp8

Undocumented Immigrant Who Worked at a Trump Golf Club Will Attend State of the Union

By MATT STEVENS from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/2S0FxyM

Quotation of the Day: A Merciless Cold Lingers in the Midwest

By Unknown Author from NYT Today’s Paper https://nyti.ms/2sUhliK

Mavericks Thump Knicks as Dirk Nowitzki Comes Alive at the Garden

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS from NYT Sports https://nyti.ms/2sWxuUX

Corrections: January 31, 2019

By Unknown Author from NYT Corrections https://nyti.ms/2Rt3aey

Help Pick the Worst of Trump

By GAIL COLLINS from NYT Opinion https://nyti.ms/2TmebzR

Palindromic Number

By DEB AMLEN from NYT Crosswords & Games https://nyti.ms/2FYVr6q

Samsung Forecasts Earnings Weakness Throughout 2019

By REUTERS from NYT Business https://nyti.ms/2G9LOkO

China, Venezuela, Climate Change: Your Thursday Briefing

By PENN BULLOCK from NYT Briefing https://nyti.ms/2S1jVCw

Relief coming for blast-chilled Midwest, but not until after another record-low day - NBCNews.com

Relief coming for blast-chilled Midwest, but not until after another record-low day NBCNews.com
Polar vortex: -46C temperatures turn Chicago River to ice Guardian News
A Merciless Cold Lingers in the Midwest The New York Times
Chicago Weather Forecast Calls For More Snow Thursday Before Temperatures Rise CBS Chicago
How dangerous (and historic) is the Polar Vortex hitting the Midwest? | TheHill The Hill
View full coverage on Google News

from Top stories - Google News https://nbcnews.to/2HF78kE

Testimony by intelligence chiefs on global threats highlights differences with president - Philly.com

Testimony by intelligence chiefs on global threats highlights differences with president Philly.com
Dem lawmaker: Trump is 'becoming a national security threat' | TheHill The Hill
Trump's slow-building war on intelligence The Washington Post
Trump Faults Intelligence Chiefs As Break Widens Between Them NPR
The TERRIFYING countries most likely to spark WORLD WAR 3 - shock US spy warning Express.co.uk
View full coverage on Google News

from Top stories - Google News http://bit.ly/2TmtqJf

Mueller: Sensitive Election Meddling Evidence Handed Over to Lawyers for Russian Defendant Leaked Online to Discredit Probe - Slate

from Top stories - Google News http://bit.ly/2MGau5t

Undocumented worker fired from Trump golf club to attend State of the Union: report | TheHill - The Hill

from Top stories - Google News http://bit.ly/2MIfbMq

Federal Judge Blasts PG&E's Commitment To California Wildfire Safety - NPR

Federal Judge Blasts PG&E's Commitment To California Wildfire Safety NPR
PG&E Judge Sees a ‘Clear-Cut Pattern’ of Utility Starting Fires Yahoo! Finance News
The Deadliest Wildfire In California History | VICE on HBO VICE News
Are California’s solar and wind projects at risk in PG&E bankruptcy? Chico Enterprise-Record
PG&E Violated Probation, Federal Judge Says in Heated Hearing The Wall Street Journal
View full coverage on Google News

from Top stories - Google News https://n.pr/2UrMMwD

Officer Alix's family weighs legal action as search for answers continues - KMOV.com

from Top stories - Google News http://bit.ly/2MFkk7X

Sen. Rand Paul awarded more than $580,000 in suit over neighbor's attack - NBCNews.com

Sen. Rand Paul awarded more than $580,000 in suit over neighbor's attack NBCNews.com
Sen. Rand Paul awarded over $580G after he was attacked by neighbor Fox News
Jury Awards Sen. Rand Paul More Than $580000 In Damages In Attack By Neighbor NPR
Sen. Rand Paul awarded $580,000 after neighbor broke six of his ribs in attack The Washington Post
Jury awards Rand Paul more than $580K after attack by neighbor in Kentucky CBS News
View full coverage on Google News

from Top stories - Google News https://nbcnews.to/2CTOBv1

White House's Bolton says he met with Citgo executives - Reuters

White House's Bolton says he met with Citgo executives Reuters
Bolton warns of 'serious consequences' if harm comes to Guaido CNN
Cotton suggests Bolton was sending message to Venezuela about 5,000 troops Washington Times
Don't deal in Venezuelan gold, White House says, in anti-Maduro push Reuters
Venezuela gold: White House warns STAY AWAY from gold 'STOLEN from people by Maduro mafia' Express.co.uk
View full coverage on Google News

from Top stories - Google News https://reut.rs/2G0IkBU

Extreme Weather Is Already Breaking Records Around The World In 2019 - HuffPost

Extreme Weather Is Already Breaking Records Around The World In 2019 HuffPost

In just a few weeks' time, extreme temperatures have smashed records around the world this year, with parts of the Midwestern U.S. seeing the mercury drop as ...

View full coverage on Google News

from Top stories - Google News http://bit.ly/2Sf4GVP

U.S. Asks Western Allies to Help Form Buffer Zone in Northern Syria - The Wall Street Journal

U.S. Asks Western Allies to Help Form Buffer Zone in Northern Syria The Wall Street Journal
Trump singled out Dan Coats in morning rant about intelligence community CNN
Bipartisan House group introduces bills to stall Syria, South Korea troop withdrawals | TheHill The Hill
What Keeps the Spies Up at Night The New York Times
Trump’s 2020 rivals: Tell us why he’s unfit as commander in chief The Washington Post
View full coverage on Google News

from Top stories - Google News https://on.wsj.com/2S2SvMz

The Hot Topic in Markets Right Now: ‘Quantitative Tightening’ - The New York Times

The Hot Topic in Markets Right Now: ‘Quantitative Tightening’ The New York Times
US economy is in a good place: Fed Chair Jerome Powell Fox Business
Fed holds rates stable, pledges 'patient' approach, expects 'ample' balance sheet CNBC
Fed Signals End of Interest Rate Increases The New York Times
Fed holds rates, updates balance sheet policy after 'extensive deliberations' Yahoo Finance
View full coverage on Google News

from Top stories - Google News https://nyti.ms/2G1qVJ6

The forthcoming WarnerMedia streaming service will be partially supported by ads - TechCrunch

The forthcoming WarnerMedia streaming service will be partially supported by ads TechCrunch
AT&T Sheds Pay-TV Customers, but Wireless Profits Surge The Wall Street Journal
AT&T's wireless growth stung by tablet losses, but Aquaman did great CNET
AT&T Is Testing Investors’ Patience Bloomberg
AT&T’s DirecTV Now is losing the cord cutters TechCrunch
View full coverage on Google News

from Top stories - Google News https://tcrn.ch/2BasErN

China's factory activity shrinks as slowdown worries rise - BBC News

China's factory activity shrinks as slowdown worries rise BBC News
China says its manufacturing activity contracted for the second-straight month in January CNBC
Is it more bad news for China’s economy as manufacturing contracts again? South China Morning Post
China Manufacturing Shows Resilience Amid Trade War, Slowdown Bloomberg
China’s Manufacturing Remains Listless, if Slightly Improved The Wall Street Journal
View full coverage on Google News

from Top stories - Google News https://bbc.in/2sTvT28

Apple busts Facebook for distributing data-sucking app - KSBY San Luis Obispo News

Apple busts Facebook for distributing data-sucking app KSBY San Luis Obispo News
A handy list of ways Facebook has tried to sneakily gather data about you The Next Web
Facebook paid users to collect data from their phones Yahoo Finance
Google is disabling its app that lets users earn gift cards in exchange for their data INSIDER
Apple rips Facebook for phone app it says is 'clear breach' of agreement Fox News
View full coverage on Google News

from Top stories - Google News http://bit.ly/2GaKMoK

New Overwatch map, Paris, goes live on PTR - Polygon

New Overwatch map, Paris, goes live on PTR Polygon
Overwatch Gets New Paris Map Kotaku
New ‘Overwatch’ Map Drops Players Into Elegant Paris Variety
'Overwatch' heads to Paris in latest map Engadget
View full coverage on Google News

from Top stories - Google News http://bit.ly/2RuBTZf

2 ways you can avoid future privacy breaches like the FaceTime bug - KSL.com

2 ways you can avoid future privacy breaches like the FaceTime bug KSL.com
Apple Gets Sued Over FaceTime Bug That Lets People Eavesdrop Bloomberg
Apple Was Slow to Act on FaceTime Bug That Allows Spying on iPhones The New York Times
How to stop iPhone's eavesdropping bug KRCRTV.COM
This 14-year old found Apple's FaceTime bug before it went viral CNN
View full coverage on Google News

from Top stories - Google News http://bit.ly/2FXvPHi

Lawyer Files Suit Over FaceTime Bug, Claims It Allowed Spying During Deposition - Above the Law

Lawyer Files Suit Over FaceTime Bug, Claims It Allowed Spying During Deposition Above the Law
New York investigates Apple's Group FaceTime privacy bug Engadget
How a high school student 'stumbled upon' Apple's FaceTime bug and tried to report it Yahoo News
'Fortnite' Player First Discovered Apple's FaceTime Bug Comicbook.com
10 things in tech you need to know today Business Insider
View full coverage on Google News

from Top stories - Google News http://bit.ly/2RWcX1E

Police have images of people they'd like to question in Jussie Smollett attack - CNN

from Top stories - Google News https://cnn.it/2sYgjm0

'Masked Singer' recap: Who was unmasked this week? - USA TODAY

'Masked Singer' recap: Who was unmasked this week? USA TODAY
Who Is the Unicorn? The Masked Singer Reveals the Disguised Celebrity Contestant PEOPLE.com
Donna Martin graduates: ‘Masked Singer’ Unicorn is ‘90210’ star Yahoo Entertainment
‘The Masked Singer’ spoiler: The Lion is … Gold Derby
Fox’s ‘The Masked Singer’ Reveals Fifth Celebrity Masked Singer: And the Unicorn Is… (Video) TheWrap
View full coverage on Google News

from Top stories - Google News http://bit.ly/2SfMJXd

‘Picard’ Will Be Set ’20-Plus Years’ After ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation,’ Alex Kurtzman Says - TheWrap

‘Picard’ Will Be Set ’20-Plus Years’ After ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation,’ Alex Kurtzman Says TheWrap
Patrick Stewart teases the return of Jean-Luc Picard Yahoo Entertainment
Captain Pike's here and Spock's due, so will Romulans make it to 'Star Trek: Discovery'? USA TODAY
CBS All Access Sees Double-Digit, Young-Skewing Subscriber Growth Variety
Patrick Stewart teases return of Jean-Luc Picard, says new 'Star Trek' series 'is a 10-hour movie' Yahoo Entertainment
View full coverage on Google News

from Top stories - Google News http://bit.ly/2Ga0SyM

Forget it, guest star Kelly Ripa, it's Extra-Reverent Noir Homage Week on Riverdale - The A.V. Club

from Top stories - Google News http://bit.ly/2CTDPVL

Nick Wright Destroys Critics Of Tom Brady's Super Bowl Record - NESN

Nick Wright Destroys Critics Of Tom Brady's Super Bowl Record NESN
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft open to extension for Tom Brady ESPN
Trump praises Brady, Belichick and Kraft ahead of Super Bowl 53 New York Post
Football Still Exists: Why This Super Bowl Is Still Worth Getting Excited About Battle Red Blog
Ranking the Best Super Bowl Performances of All Time Bleacher Report
View full coverage on Google News

from Top stories - Google News https://foxs.pt/2DLhPht

In Search of Emiliano Sala - ESPN

In Search of Emiliano Sala ESPN
Arsenal and Cardiff pay tribute to Emiliano Sala before match Guardian Football
Alexandre Lacazette, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Edge Arsenal Past Cardiff City Bleacher Report
Debris found likely to have come from Emiliano Sala plane - authorities ESPN
Video: ‘Shameless’ Leicester coach slammed for what he did during moment of silence for Emiliano Sala before Liverpool game CaughtOffside
View full coverage on Google News

from Top stories - Google News https://es.pn/2TlF1rZ

Gurley beats Gronk in 'Madden' Super Bowl matchup - Fox News

Gurley beats Gronk in 'Madden' Super Bowl matchup Fox News
The Secret To The Rams’ Blocking Success Isn’t The Linemen. It’s Sean McVay. FiveThirtyEight
Todd Gurley says he may regret teaching Sony Michel everything he knows Yahoo Sports
Pro Football Focus releases top 2019 free agents Turf Show Times
Mike Freeman's Super Bowl 10-Point Stance: Can Todd Gurley Recapture His Mojo? Bleacher Report NFL
View full coverage on Google News

from Top stories - Google News https://fxn.ws/2MJ6lOj

Dustin Poirier: UFC is ‘No. 1 bullsh*t company,’ demands Conor McGregor or Tony Ferguson next - MMA Mania

from Top stories - Google News http://bit.ly/2RuaoPc

Scientists Have Detected an Enormous Cavity Growing Beneath Antarctica - ScienceAlert

Scientists Have Detected an Enormous Cavity Growing Beneath Antarctica ScienceAlert
Huge Cavity in Antarctic Glacier Signals Rapid Decay Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Giant cavity found eating away at Antarctic glacier from underneath New Atlas
Fears rise 'world's most dangerous glacier' could soon collapse Daily Mail
Journey to Antarctica: Jeff Goodell Begins His Trip to Thwaites Glacier Rolling Stone
View full coverage on Google News

from Top stories - Google News http://bit.ly/2Ux3fjg

New York subway: new demand for accessibility after young mother's death

Just a quarter of stations in the nation’s largest transit system are accessible, leaving wheelchair users and parents with small kids struggling

New Yorkers have stepped up their criticism of the lack of elevators in city subway stations after the death of a young mother shed new light on the inaccessibility of the nation’s largest transit system.

Only a quarter of subway stations – 118 out of 472 – are accessible, leaving people who use wheelchairs, parents with small kids, and others struggling to get around the city.

Continue reading...

from US news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2MO5ImR

How the religious right gained unprecedented access to Trump

As the president offers a sympathetic ear – and policies to match – critics see a de facto advisory committee, violating federal law

The US health secretary sat for an interview with a man experts say is the leader of a hate group known for “defaming gays and lesbians”, just two days after Karen Pence, the US second lady, was criticized for teaching at a Christian school that bans homosexuality.

Alex Azar, secretary of health and human services, was interviewed by the Family Research Council President, Tony Perkins, at an anti-abortion event called ProLifeCon in mid-January.

Continue reading...

from US news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2sYuozS

'That income is gone': shutdown pain lingers for unpaid contract workers

Unlike federal employees, contractors don’t expect Congress will vote to pay them back wages for work missed

Hundreds of thousands of US government contractors went back to work early this week after the end of a record 35-day government shutdown, but Tamela Worthen, who works as a security guard at the Smithsonian museum in Washington DC, wasn’t among them.

Instead, she was at home recovering from an emergency room visit on Monday after a dangerously-elevated blood pressure left her dizzy and feeling like she couldn’t breathe. Worthen has hypertension and after a month of missed paychecks, she was unable to afford her medication this month, causing the flare-up.

Continue reading...

from US news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2DLdjja

'Cold as ºF': Chicago residents make best of life in 'Chiberia' during polar vortex

Residents brave the weather to post photographs on social media showing just how cold things have got

Polar vortex: deaths as Arctic air spreads across US midwest

In “Chiberia” – as locals have dubbed Chicago as temperatures have plummeted to -23F (-30C) – it is cold enough to freeze an egg on the sidewalk. Or to turn a bubble blown outside into a beautiful frosty snow globe before it splinters with the cold.

A blast of polar air has swept across many cities in the US leading to the lowest temperatures in a generation. Schools and businesses have closed, flights have been cancelled and as of Wednesday evening, at least eight deaths had been linked to the system.

Continue reading...

from US news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2FYpCL5

Polar vortex: eight dead as Arctic air spreads across midwest

Thousands of flights canceled, schools close, and post office halts deliveries as Chicago lows approach record

Frozen Arctic winds brought record-low temperatures across much of the US midwest on Wednesday, as a blast of Arctic air known as the polar vortex unnerved residents accustomed to brutal winters.

As of Wednesday evening, at least eight deaths were linked to the system, including an elderly Illinois man who was found several hours after he fell trying to get into his home and a University of Iowa student found behind an academic hall several hours before dawn. A man was struck by a snowplow in the Chicago area, a young couple’s SUV struck another on a snowy road in northern Indiana and a Milwaukee man froze to death in a garage, authorities said.

Continue reading...

from US news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2FXY74f

Republicans and Democrats meet to avoid new government shutdown – as it happened

Manson cult: panel recommends parole for youngest member

Commissioners find Leslie Van Houten, 69, suitable for release, prompting 150-day review before governor makes decision

A California panel on Wednesday recommended that Charles Manson follower Leslie Van Houten be paroled after serving more than four decades in prison.

After a hearing at the women’s prison in Chino, California, commissioners of the Board of Parole Hearings found for the third time that the 69-year-old Van Houten was suitable for release.

Continue reading...

from US news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2Gc9dlF

New York: woman who died after subway fall may have had pre-existing condition

Malaysia Goodson’s cause of death is still pending but she had no significant trauma, said city’s chief medical examiner

Authorities say the death of a young woman who fell down stairs at a Manhattan subway station with her one-year-old daughter appears to be related to a pre-existing medical condition.

The city’s chief medical examiner said on Wednesday the cause of death is still pending but that 22-year-old Malaysia Goodson, of Stamford, Connecticut, had no significant trauma.

Continue reading...

from US news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2S1q81t

Russians leaked Mueller investigation evidence online, prosecutors say

More than 1,000 files shared confidentially appeared to have been uploaded to a filesharing site, according to court documents

Evidence gathered by Robert Mueller, the special counsel, was obtained by Russians and leaked online in an attempt to discredit his inquiry into Moscow’s interference in US politics, prosecutors said on Wednesday.

Continue reading...

from US news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2CTbE9h

Social justice, unspoken truths, and Bradley Cooper: inside Kamala Harris's book

The 2020 candidate plays her cards close to the chest in her new book. But readers can learn a lot from what she doesn’t say

Hollywood stars never tell you what they’re actually allowed to eat, and political memoirs never tell you how a politician actually got elected.

Senator Kamala Harris’s new autobiography, released just before she announced her presidential campaign, reveals very little about the California senator’s fascinating, historic rise in Democratic politics. Campaign memoirs are not a literary exercise: they’re an excuse for a speaking tour. Like most examples of the genre, The Truths We Hold: An American Journey is a mix of copy-pasted policy papers and “relatable” personal anecdotes. Harris repeats, sometimes nearly word for word, many of the stories she has shared in speeches and interviews.

Continue reading...

from US news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2RUlPF7

Sorry, Howard Schultz – America doesn't want another billionaire president | Luke Savage

Schultz opposes Medicare for All and raising the top tax rate – his middle-of-the-road vision is not what America needs

Howard Schultz, the former Starbucks CEO, has a bold plan to rescue America, and it involves putting another billionaire in the White House to put a stop to dangerous ideas like universal healthcare and higher taxes on the wealthy.

Continue reading...

from US news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2FYBBID

How Facebook robbed us of our sense of self

Fifteen years ago, the social network site was set up to connect people. But now, with lives increasingly played out online, have we forgotten how to be alone?

‘Thefacebook is an online directory that connects people through social networks at colleges. We have opened up Thefacebook for popular consumption at Harvard University. You can use Thefacebook to: search for people at your school; find out who are [sic] in your classes; look up your friends’ friends; see a visualization of your social network.”

On 4 February 2004, this rather clunky announcement launched an invention conceived in the dorm room of a Harvard student called Mark Zuckerberg, and intended to be an improvement on the so-called face books that US universities traditionally used to collect photos and basic information about their students. From the vantage point of 2019, Thefacebook – as it was then known – looks familiar, but also strange. Pages were coloured that now familiar shade of blue, and “friends” were obviously a central element of what was displayed. However, there was little on show from the wider world: the only photos were people’s profile pictures, and there was no ever-changing news feed.

Continue reading...

from US news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2FZ8XHc

The key to winning victories against big oil? Perseverance | Bill McKibben

Vermont’s Middlebury College has reversed its course on fossil fuel companies and is leading the way on renewable energy

Vermont’s Middlebury College announced on Wednesday that it was divesting its holdings in fossil fuel companies. Given that more than a thousand institutions with endowments totaling more than $8tn have made similar pledges, it might not seem so newsworthy – but Middlebury was one of the first to reverse course. Six years ago the college flatly rejected divestment, and the shift makes it clear why big oil’s purchase on our economy and our society is eroding.

Much of the explanation, of course, stems from local factors, and since I’m employed there I’ve had a firsthand view. The college’s students never gave up, passing on the activist torch to each new entering freshman class – indeed, some of the students who pioneered the fight were on hand for today’s announcement. And along the way the college got a new president: religion scholar Laurie Patton proved an adept conciliator able to help her institution move.

Continue reading...

from US news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2sYwXBG

Worse than plastic waste: the burning tyres choking India | George Monbiot

The British government is already flouting its own rules, allowing scrap tyres to be sent abroad for burning – what will happen post-Brexit?

What we see is not the economy. What we see is the tiny fragment of economic life we are supposed to see: the products and services we buy. The rest – the mines, plantations, factories and dumps required to deliver and remove them – are kept as far from our minds as possible. Given the scale of global extraction and waste disposal, it is a remarkable feat of perception management.

Continue reading...

from US news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2TkrMYp

MPs have voted for a fantasy. It’s an indictment of our entire political class | Jonathan Freedland

History will damn the architects of Brexit – and the politicians on both sides whose delusions are leading us to disaster

Stressed out by Brexit? I have a mindfulness exercise for you, one guaranteed to bring calm. Instead of imagining a deep, cool lake or a beach of bone-white sand, comfort yourself by imagining the day, several years from now, when a Chilcot-style inquiry probes the epic policy disaster that was Brexit. As you take deep breaths, and with your eyes closed, picture the squirming testimony of an aged David Cameron under sustained interrogation. Look on as Boris Johnson is at last called to account for the serial fictions of the 2016 campaign. Or perhaps contemplate the moment the panel delivers its damning, final report, concluding that this was a collective, systemic failure of the entire British political class.

Continue reading...

from US news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2sSsXCS

Parents can police screen time – but good luck telling your children that | Zoe Williams

Stories about its effects spook parents with children glued to YouTube. But do we even understand what we’re fighting?

This morning, I was in bed, listening to the Today programme’s headlines, including a new Ofcom study that finds children are watching less TV, and more YouTube, although since YouTube is a content delivery platform, a better headline would be, “children watch less telly, in preference for more telly”. My 11-year-old was downstairs, also in bed, watching YouTube. I knew this not because I have any kind of parental surveillance system, but because if he wasn’t, that would mean the internet had broken, and I’d have heard about it.

Continue reading...

from US news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2RW3JCx

As the Super Bowl approaches, is high school football dying a slow death?

Millions will watch the Rams and Patriots play this weekend. But participation in high-school football is falling, and fears over brain trauma could be to blame

For Mike Kelly, a high school football coach in Manassas Park, Virginia, early August usually means anticipation and excitement. But last year, he had a problem. Practices at Manassas Park High School were drawing only 15 players – a tiny number for a sport in which rosters often exceed 50 athletes. Concluding that Kelly’s team was too undermanned to compete safely, the school cancelled its varsity football season, instead playing a junior varsity schedule.

“Finding out that you are not going to have a program, that has a big impact on not just the kids [on the team], but on the school itself and the community,” said Kelly, who has coached at the the school for four seasons and played football himself at the University of Virginia. “You don’t feel good.”

Continue reading...

from US news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2SdsqK9

State of the Union: women of both parties invited to wear 'suffragette white'

The House Democratic women’s working group says it will be a symbol of solidarity

Donald Trump’s State of the Union address to Congress could be an overwhelmingly white affair, and we’re not just talking about Senate Republicans.

The House Democratic women’s working group is inviting female members of both parties to wear white to the address next week as a symbol of solidarity.

Continue reading...

from US news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2GhoVft

Kamala Harris: resurfaced video on truancy prosecutions sparks backlash

Critics responding to 2010 speech said they disapproved of her willingness to use law enforcement tactics on parents of truant children

In a 2010 speech, Kamala Harris laughed as she described the backlash to her decision to start prosecuting the parents of children who were truant from school.

Continue reading...

from US news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2HFEobl

Wednesday US briefing: Brexit, brain drain and Venezuela's future

Top story: MPs agree Brexit backstop plan but EU refuses to renegotiate. Plus, the woman jailed for child abuse she did not commit

Good morning, I’m Tim Walker with today’s essential stories.

Continue reading...

from US news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2Tn1Qvo

Federal shutdown's legacy may be brain drain to private sector

Government employees – especially in science, research and technology – could find higher pay and more stability

The longest government shutdown in US history has come to an end, but experts fear its long-term consequences will include a brain drain among professionals who won’t want to work for a federal government they can’t count on to stay open.

The pain of the shutdown and fear of another one may drive away current and would-be government employees – especially those in highly skilled fields such as science, research and technology who can often command bigger paychecks in the private sector.

Continue reading...

from US news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2Tmfij3

Markets surge on positive earnings from tech firms and Fed move to hold rates

Dow climbs 1.8% and S&P 500 rises 1.6% amid relief over Microsoft and Facebook results, while Tesla earnings miss expectations

Wall Street breathed a sigh of relief after Microsoft and Facebook reported positive earnings on Wednesday, while the Federal Reserve’s decision to keep US interest rates the same added to optimism that a slowdown in the global economy may not be as sharp as economists have feared.

While the market reacted positively, Microsoft’s results initially disappointed investors, with revenue coming in at $32.47bn, slightly lower than the $32.51bn expected by analysts, causing shares in the Seattle giant to fall 3%.

Continue reading...

from US news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2Gdhaqw

Stocks surge as Fed leaves US interest rates on hold and promises 'patience' - as it happened

‘Velvet Buzzsaw’ Review: Art Snobs Get a Gory Comeuppance

By GLENN KENNY from NYT Movies https://nyti.ms/2Tswtjf

Peter Jackson to Direct Beatles Film

By SARA ARIDI from NYT Movies https://nyti.ms/2Tr6gBC

Are the Oscars Ashamed to Be the Oscars?

By KYLE BUCHANAN from NYT Movies https://nyti.ms/2G9Jb2u

Senate judiciary chair requests FBI briefing on arrest of Trump ally

The Republican chairman of the U.S. Senate judiciary panel on Wednesday requested a briefing from the FBI on the arrest of Roger Stone, a longtime associate of President Donald Trump, in an inquiry into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election. Senator Lindsey Graham said he was concerned about the number of agents involved, tactics employed and the timing of Stone's arrest on Friday in Florida. Special Counsel Robert Mueller is investigating U.S. allegations that Russia meddled in the election and whether members of the campaign of then-Republican candidate Trump coordinated with Moscow officials.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2t0TPk1

Mexico, Spain discuss differing stances toward Venezuela

MEXICO CITY (AP) — The leaders of Mexico and Spain said Wednesday they hope to be in a position to mediate a dialogue to resolve the political crisis in Venezuela, but also revealed differences in their approach.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2CZHVvl

Polar vortex stalks Midwest, 'El Chapo' trial, Roger Goodell talks state of NFL: 5 things to know Wednesday

Polar vortex expected to paralyze parts of U.S. with extreme cold, Roger Goodell talks state of the NFL and more things to start your Wednesday.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2Bb4cpU

Rep. Ilhan Omar calls for sharp tax increases on the wealthy: 'We've had it as high as 90 percent'

“Through Her Eyes” is a new weekly half-hour show hosted by humanitarian and women’s rights activist Zainab Salbi that aims to explore a hot button news issue through the lens of a female newsmaker. Weeks after Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., made headlines by calling for a top marginal income tax rate of 70 percent in an interview with “60 Minutes,” her fellow freshman congresswoman, Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., suggested that the rich could pay even more. “There are a few things that we can do,” Rep. Omar said in an interview with “Through Her Eyes.” “One of them, is that we can increase the taxes that people are paying who are the extremely wealthy in our communities.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2CNfxwo

Phone Giant Plays a Cunning Game Over Huawei Ban

(Bloomberg Opinion) -- If Deutsche Telekom AG is to be believed, a ban on equipment from Huawei Technologies Co. would slow down its rollout of 5G networks by two years. Even though such an embargo would be a huge burden for the German phone giant, there are factors that might lessen the pain. A delay to its 5G plans might even be welcome.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2WxNWsb

Woman rages after being seated next to ‘big’ passengers on United Airlines plane: ‘I eat salad, okay?’

A woman was reportedly thrown off a flight after raging against “big” passengers she claimed she was wedged between in a middle seat. The outburst was filmed and later shared online by Norma Rodgers, one of the passengers on the receiving end of the woman’s insults, and has since been viewed more than one million times. Footage of the incident shows the passenger complaining about being seated between Ms Rodgers and a man she had been travelling with, named only as Mac.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2DGrsOi

How major cities are helping homeless populations during the polar vortex intrusion

New York, Washington, D.C., Boston and Chicago are taking extra measures to protect homeless populations amid extreme cold, and experts recommend tips for how you can help if you see someone in need.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2RscJKo

Top airline is selling flights for $44

Winter weather and the general lull of the post-holiday season can leave just

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2sXku1c

Trump Associate Roger Stone Pleads Not Guilty in Obstruction Case

Stone was arraigned after blasting special counsel Robert Mueller's case against him

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2GgqSsa

'El Chapo' must not 'escape' again, U.S. prosecutor tells jury

Accused Mexican drug boss Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman's repeated escapes from the law prove that he "knows he's guilty," a U.S. prosecutor told jurors in closing arguments at his trial on Wednesday, urging them not to let him escape again. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Goldbarg's description of Guzman's history of dramatic prison escapes capped off a day-long summation in federal court in Brooklyn in which she also attacked the defense argument that Guzman was a scapegoat.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2ToZpIz

US reiterates 'all options on the table' as John Bolton accidentally flashes plans for troops to Venezuela border

US National Security Advisor John Bolton was photographed on Monday holding a notepad that included the handwritten line: "5,000 troops to Colombia." Bolton spoke to White House reporters while holding the yellow notepad and discussing the crisis in Venezuela, where the US now recognizes opposition leader Juan Guaido as the country's interim president. It was not until after the briefing that observers spotted the black scrawl. Speaking on condition of anonymity, a US official said "we are not seeing anything that would support" a potential troop deployment to Colombia, which neighbors Venezuela. The Pentagon referred a query back to the White House. John Bolton was caught out holding a notepad saying '5,000 troops to Colombia' Credit: Win McNamee/Getty During the briefing, Bolton would not rule out use of US troops in Venezuela. "The president has made it clear on this matter that all options are on the table," he said. The US military's Southern Command did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Bolton's notepad also had the line: "Afghanistan - welcome the talks" - a reference to a potential breakthrough in discussions with the Taliban.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2FVfcMr

Best Buy Goes Back on Decision to Fire Security Guard Who Tackled Suspect

A Northern California Best Buy is walking back its decision to fire a security guard who tackled a shoplifting suspect.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2UuRMki

Tyson recalls chicken nuggets over reports of rubber inside

WASHINGTON (AP) — Tyson Foods is recalling some chicken nuggets after customers said they found pieces of "soft, blue rubber" inside.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2TsX7bL

Pound Falls After U.K. Lawmakers Reject Plan to Delay Brexit

The currency held its losses as lawmakers subsequently approved the Brady amendment that seeks changes to the Irish backstop arrangement in the Brexit deal. Prime Minister Theresa May had backed the Brady plan herself as a way to demonstrate to Brussels that changes to the backstop would allow the Brexit deal to be approved. “The positive is that May has found a majority for some sort of Brexit,” said Danske Bank A/S analyst Mikael Olai Milhoj.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2RrNVCj

PG&E files for bankruptcy after California wildfires

The company, the largest utility in America's most populous state, has been under intensifying scrutiny in the wake of the so-called 2018 Camp Fire in Northern California that left 86 people dead, destroyed some 18,000 buildings and came on the heels of deadly wildfires in the state in 2017. PG&E, whose shares have fallen 72 percent over the last year, could face huge liabilities if investigations reveal its equipment was directly responsible for the fire.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2FXuT5L

Winter storm snarls travel: More than 1,000 flights canceled on Tuesday

Southwest Airlines alone has canceled more than 500 Tuesday flights, including nearly 300 at Chicago's Midway International Airport.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2G8eIla

Trump orders ‘several thousand’ more troops to US-Mexico border, costing taxpayers over $600m

Donald Trump’s White House administration has ordered “several thousand” more troops to the US-Mexico border, Pentagon officials said Tuesday. Acting Defense Department Secretary Patrick Shanahan said the latest dispatch of troops to the southern border would occur “soon” following a new request from the Department of Homeland Security. Meanwhile, reports indicate the president’s demands for an increased US military presence along the border are expected to cost American taxpayers over $600m (£458m).

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2Gbp047

Man arrested for killing 3 also accused of stealing $210K

SANFORD, Fla. (AP) — A Florida man killed his parents and brother after he was kicked out of his home and accused of stealing $210,000 from his family to send to a woman he had met on a porn website, according to a sheriff's office.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2RY8w6m

Venezuela targets Guaido with probe, travel ban, asset freeze

The court also said prosecutors could investigate Guaido, in apparent retaliation for sweeping U.S. sanctions on oil firm PDVSA, announced on Monday. The sanctions mean the state-run company may not be able to fulfill contracts with North American buyers, the government of President Nicolas Maduro said. Aimed at driving Maduro from power, the sanctions were the strongest measures yet against the 56-year-old former union leader, who has overseen economic collapse and an exodus of millions of Venezuelans in recent years.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2HCSAle

NASA’s mission to ‘Touch the Sun’ just reached a major milestone

NASA had a big year in 2018 with several bold new missions to study various features of our Solar System, and one of the most exciting was the launch of the Parker Solar Probe which will study the Sun in more detail than has ever been possible before. The probe has already broken several records and proven that it's capable of enduring the intensity of our star, and it's starting out 2019 by adding another notch to its belt. The probe, which launched in August of last year, recently completed its first full orbit of the Sun on January 19th. It's a feat that the spacecraft will repeat many times over the next several years, but completing the first full loop is obviously cause for celebration. "It's been an illuminating and fascinating first orbit," Parker Solar Probe Project Manager Andy Driesman said in a statement. "We've learned a lot about how the spacecraft operates and reacts to the solar environment, and I'm proud to say the team's projections have been very accurate." The probe gathered a huge amount of data during its first trip around the Sun, and it performed much of its work without being in radio contact of its handlers back on Earth. As it orbits the Sun, the probe will regularly lose contact with Earth and then reconnect when it emerges from behind the star once more. Thus far, the probe has sent back over 17 gigs of scientific data and it's still streaming more observation data back. The data dump won't be finished until April, NASA says. The probe is expected to put in nearly seven years of work, making a total of 24 orbits and getting gradually closer to the Sun with each pass. It is tasked with observing many different functions of the star, including the generation of solar wind and the outflow of energy from the Sun into space, advancing our understanding of solar weather.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2ToE2Ya

Alibaba profit up 37% but revenue growth eases

Chinese e-commerce leader Alibaba said Wednesday that net profit increased 37 percent in the latest quarter as growth in cloud computing and other business lines helped offset a slowing expansion in core online retail. The company's net profit grew to 33.0 billion yuan ($4.9 billion) in the October-December third quarter, compared to 24.1 billion yuan over the same period in 2017. Alibaba dominates China's emerging consumer culture and its corporate results were widely anticipated for any signs of whether a worsening Chinese economic slowdown and the US-China trade tussle was curbing the country's appetite for shopping.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2Wv5llx

Dutch Cabinet Gets Emergency Powers in Case of No-Deal Brexit

A majority of lawmakers in the parliament’s lower house in The Hague granted the cabinet a six month period -- rather than a year as the government had proposed -- to use special powers as the country of about 17 million prepares for the eventuality of the U.K. leaving the European Union without a divorce agreement. Under the new legislation, the government will have to submit emergency measures to parliament within ten weeks after implementing them. If the government fails to submit within the set time-frame, the measures will be scrapped.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2DIHQ0S

Teased 2020 Toyota Tacoma debuting at Chicago Auto Show

Toyota revealed that the 2020 Tacoma is "tacom-ing" to Chicago next week but gave out little more information about the upcoming truck apart for a picture of a shadowy top half. On Tuesday, Toyota shared a teaser image of the 2020 Tacoma showing only the top part of the truck as seen from the front at dusk. From what is barely pictured in the image, we can see that not much has changed in terms of exterior design -- at least, for the top half -- which makes sense considering that this 2020 update will likely just be a midcycle refresh.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2RsgGPr

Polar vortex causes another lousy travel day for fliers, over 3,500 flights canceled

Brrr! The polar vortex caused hordes of flights to be canceled across the country on Wednesday.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2BcIeDj

Howard Dean warns Schultz's 'vanity candidacy' could mean a 2nd term for Trump

The former Starbucks chief executive stirs up fear and anxiety by floating an independent presidential run.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2sZe6q8

Sheriff: Suspect confesses to killing 5 with dad's gun

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — A young man from Louisiana has confessed to killing his parents, his girlfriend, and two of her family members who had taken him in after he was kicked out of his house, authorities said Tuesday.