Russia bristles as fresh US sanctions loom
Now, they're likely feeling the hangover, as early hopes for a better relationship between Moscow and Washington grow dim. "Reckless" and "insane" were the Kremlin's words of choice for a current push among US lawmakers to pass new Russia sanctions. The outburst came after a bipartisan group of US senators introduced a bill to impose stringent sanctions on Russia over its meddling in US elections and aggression against Ukraine. The sanctions would target Russian banks, the cyber sector, sovereign debt, and individuals. The bill would also impose strict measures on Russia's lucrative oil and gas sector -- where global energy companies are heavily invested.
Source:CNN
February 17, 2019 08:37 UTC
Gov. Gavin Newsom faces a key test on his embrace of a new California water tax
But the Senate will be particularly tough, given Democrats saw one of their own, former Orange County Sen. Josh Newman, recalled from office last year after voting for a $52-billion fuel and vehicle tax to finance road and highway repairs. Backers of that 2018 effort have vowed to launch similar campaigns against lawmakers who would vote for a water tax. Some new members of the Assembly, elected from districts previously represented by Republicans, are also unlikely to back the tax.
Source:Los Angeles Times
February 17, 2019 08:03 UTC
Gov. Newsom pushes for new ties with Mexico as Trump fights to build a wall
Along with a commitment to reopen a trade office in Mexico City, the governor also plans to revitalize a state commission that would allow California officials to work on issues with their counterparts in Mexican government. And over the course of his first term, Newsom and state Democrats are expected to refocus attention on what they consider the real issues at the heart of the U.S.-Mexico relationship: tackling cross-border pollution, promoting cultural and educational exchanges, and defending the human rights of all immigrants.
Source:Los Angeles Times
February 17, 2019 08:03 UTC
On ‘S.N.L.’, Alec Baldwin Mocks President Trump’s Emergency Declaration
Then, Baldwin said, “Let’s cut to the chase, folks. “Wall makes safe.” He said that you don’t have to be smart to understand that, “and in fact it’s even easier to understand if you’re not that smart,” he added. “So you can all see why I gotta fake this national emergency, right?” Baldwin asked. And I’ll say, it’s time to repay the Donny. “And my personal hell of playing president will finally be over,” Baldwin said.
Source:New York Times
February 17, 2019 07:18 UTC
This Is Why February's Full Supermoon Is The Biggest, Brightest Full Moon Until 2026
This means that if we have a perigee Moon that's also a full Moon this year (2019) on February 19th, we can expect another perigee full Moon next year (2020), but offset by approximately 20 days: on March 10th. In general, the largest Supermoons will occur when lunar perigee and the full Moon phase are most closely aligned. As it stands today, we can predict and observe the Earth-Moon distance at any given time to better than centimeter-level precision, compared to a typical Earth-Moon distance of 380,000 kilometers. And when those two things line up — perigee and the full Moon — we see the Moon at its largest and brightest of all: a Supermoon. The Supermoon of February 19th, 2019, will be the largest, brightest, closest full Moon that Earth will experience until 2026.
Source:Forbes
February 17, 2019 06:56 UTC
Authorities catch 2 men who escaped from Mississippi jail
(CNN) Two men who escaped from a jail in Mississippi have been taken into custody, authorities said Saturday. The inmates, Carlos Sibley, 26, and Donaven Harris, 29, were captured in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, according to the Hattiesburg Police Department. The two escaped from the Forrest County Jail on Friday night, police saidSibley recently pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, and Harris has an armed robbery charge as well as two aggravated assault charges. Investigator John Tryner of the Forrest County Sheriff's Office told CNN affiliate WDAM that the pair likely escaped from their cell and breached the fence on the jail yard. No information was immediately available about the circumstances surrounding their capture.
Source:CNN
February 17, 2019 06:33 UTC
Shark attacks man surfing at Australia's Byron Bay
(CNN) A man has been airlifted to the hospital after being bitten by a shark off the coast of New South Wales in Australia, according to local police. Police said in a statement Sunday that emergency services were called to Byron Bay around 6:40 a.m. local time, after reports that a man surfing near Belongil Beach was bitten on the leg by a shark. The 41-year-old local man returned to shore on his board and alerted other surfers, police said. He was treated at the scene by NSW Ambulance paramedics, before being airlifted to Gold Coast University Hospital in serious but stable condition, the statement said. Belongil Beach and Main Beach have been closed for 24 hours.
Source:CNN
February 17, 2019 06:22 UTC
Amy Klobuchar, Beto O'Rourke visit Wisconsin with clear message: You won't be ignored this time
Eau Claire, Wisconsin (CNN) Amy Klobuchar's bid to prove she's the most electable of the Democratic presidential aspirants began with a message to voters in this swing state Saturday: She'll get right what Hillary Clinton got wrong in 2016. She told a packed-in crowd she planned to "go to places that maybe we didn't focus on enough in the last few years." A day earlier, Beto O'Rourke, the former Texas congressman now weighing a run for president, made two stops at colleges in Wisconsin. Klobuchar and O'Rourke never used Clinton's name. But their visits were an implicit rebuke of Clinton's 2016 campaign.
Source:CNN
February 17, 2019 06:22 UTC
Southland basketball roundup: Yoeli Childs scores 18 to lift BYU past LMU 70-62
Gavin Baxter had 13 points and seven rebounds for BYU (18-10, 10-3 West Coast Conference), which earned its fifth straight win. TJ Haws added 13 points and eight assists. Zac Seljaas had 12 points and six rebounds for the visitors.
Source:Los Angeles Times
February 17, 2019 06:19 UTC
Rivals Fairfax and Westchester will face off for City Section Open Division title
The Comets better hope the Fairfax team that performed in the first quarter Saturday doesn’t make a return appearance. The Lions opened a 28-11 lead over Washington behind All-City guard Ethan Anderson, who scored 14 points. The lead grew to 21 points in the second quarter before Noel Scott and Hassan Hughey pulled the Generals to within 12 at halftime.
Source:Los Angeles Times
February 17, 2019 06:07 UTC
Leo Santa Cruz retains belt with unanimous decision over Rafael Rivera
Rivera took solace, saying, “I showed I was good enough to go 12 rounds with one of the best fighters in the world, and I’m very proud of that. I tried all night long. He’s just very experienced, and he showed that all night long. He’s a great fighter and I’m very proud to have shared the ring with him.”
Source:Los Angeles Times
February 17, 2019 06:00 UTC
Laguna Beach girls' water polo outlasts CdM in sudden death for CIF title
“Maya’s a great goalie. Maya’s always been a great goalie since we started water polo. Kudos to her; she had a great game. She was hogging one side, and that’s normally the side I shoot on. She had been blocking me all game, so I just tried to throw it the other way and it went in.”
Source:Los Angeles Times
February 17, 2019 05:37 UTC
Westchester prevails on late basket against Narbonne to advance to title game
Hayley Berfield had 20 points for Granada Hills. The key basket was a three-pointer by Stephanie Ornelas with 1:45 left that gave the Highlanders a 40-38 lead. Ornelas had struggled much of the game and wasn’t confident in her shot.
Source:Los Angeles Times
February 17, 2019 05:37 UTC
Alec Baldwin's Trump returns to declare a national emergency on 'SNL'
New York (CNN Business) Alec Baldwin's President Trump returned to NBC's "Saturday Night Live" after a few weeks away to declare a national emergency and explain why the country needs a wall on its southern border. "I'm here to declare a very urgent, important national emergency," Baldwin as the President said. Baldwin's Trump then said he'd just had a great health examination and was 6 feet, 7 inches tall, 185 pounds and "shredded." "We need wall because wall works," he said. The faux president explained that declaring the emergency would likely lead to a challenge in court.
Source:CNN
February 17, 2019 05:26 UTC
Casey Potter, Kyle Poelker
Casey Jay Potter and Kyle Andrew Poelker were married Feb. 16 at the Jewel Box at Forest Park, an events space in St. Louis. Ms. Potter, 34, is a staff lawyer at the Texas Court of Appeals for the First District in Houston. She is a daughter of Carol Craig Potter and David C. Potter, both of Dallas. She is the vice chairman of the board of the Miss Texas Scholarship Pageant in Richardson, Tex., a part of the Miss America pageant. She is also a traveling companion to Miss Texas.
Source:New York Times
February 17, 2019 05:03 UTC