Sandusky

'A new day is coming to Latin America': Donald Trump warns Venezuelan military leaders

President Trump directs speech at Florida's Venezuelan community as he tries to appeal to Latino voters heading into the 2020 election.

Man punches and throws hot coffee on Sikh 7-Eleven clerk because he 'hates Muslims'

A man has been charged with a hate crime after allegedly attacking a Sikh employee of a California 7-Eleven convenience store. The man can allegedly be seen on surveillance footage punching the employee, and throwing coffee on him after he attempted to leave without paying for coffee. The man, identified by police as John Crain, was arrested by the Marysville Police Department.

China data leak exposes mass surveillance in Xinjiang

A Chinese technology firm has compiled a range of personal information on 2.6 million people in Xinjiang -- from their ethnicity to locations -- according to a data leak highlighting the wide extent of surveillance in the restive region. Xinjiang is home to most of China's Uighur ethnic minority lives and has been under heavy police surveillance in recent years after violent inter-ethnic tensions. Nearly one million Uighurs and other Turkic language-speaking minorities in Xinjiang are reportedly held in re-education camps, according to a UN panel of experts.

Israeli leaders' Nazi remarks scuttle summit with Europeans

JERUSALEM (AP) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's off-hand comment in Warsaw about Poland and the Holocaust set in motion a diplomatic crisis that on Monday scuttled this week's summit of central European leaders in Israel.

Huawei founder says Huawei CFO arrest was politically motivated - BBC

"Firstly, I object to what the U.S. has done. This kind of politically motivated act is not acceptable," Ren told the BBC in an interview. Canada arrested Meng on Dec. 1 at the request of the United States.

Farrakhan Praises Omar’s Anti-Semitic Remarks: ‘Shake Up That Corrupt House’

Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan on Sunday praised Representative Ilhan Omar's (D., Minn.) recent endorsement of an anti-Semitic trope and urged the freshman lawmaker not to bow to pressure from critics.“Ms. Omar from Somalia – she started talking about ‘the Benjamins' and they are trying to make her apologize. Sweetheart, don't do that. Pardon me for calling you sweetheart, but you do have a sweet heart. You sure are using it to shake the government up, but you have nothing to apologize for,” Farrakhan said during his annual Saviour's Day address in Chicago, in comments first reported by the Washington Free Beacon.“Israel and AIPAC pays off senators and congressmen to do their bidding, so you're not lying. So if you're not lying, stop laying down. You were sent there by the people to shake up that corrupt House,” he added.Farrakhan, who has long engaged in anti-Semitic conspiracy-mongering, went on to mock Omar's Democratic allies, who have defended her remarks as the result of inexperience and lack of knowledge regarding the historic plight of the Jewish people.“‘Oh she's just young. She just got here. Don't be so hard on her,’” he said, mocking Omar's defenders. “My beautiful sisters, you were sent there to shake that House up. Your people voted you in, but God is the overseer.”Omar argued in a series of tweets sent last week that the pro-Israel stance held by many of her colleagues can be attributed to the nefarious influence of jewish donors and organizations, such as the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). She subsequently apologized after being publicly urged to do so by Democratic leadership.Since being elected in November, Omar has been confronted with allegations of anti-Semitism by critics who cite both her past tweets, one of which accused Israel of "hypnotizing the world," and her more-recent statements and associations with noted anti-Semitic pro-Palestinian activists.Farrakhan has managed to maintain ties with a number of prominent Democratic lawmakers and activists despite his extensive record of bigotry. Women's March co-chair Tamikah Mallory was roundly criticized for praising Farrakhan as the "GOAT” or “greatest of all time" on social media following his 2018 Saviour's Day address, during which he labeled Jews “satanic.”“I didn’t call him the greatest of all time because of his rhetoric. I called him the greatest of all time because of what he’s done in black communities,” Mallory said during an appearance on ABC's The View last month when asked about the Instagram post.

Alabama editor who called for lynchings by Klan should quit, senators say

Officials in Alabama are calling for a small-town newspaper editor to resign because of an editorial calling for the Ku Klux Klan to terrorize Washington, D.C.

Vice President Pence picks familiar face for chief of staff

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence has chosen a familiar White House figure for his new chief of staff: Marc Short, who was President Donald Trump's top legislative aide until he left in July. "He has a strong relationship with the vice president," said White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders. "Everybody feels like it will be a good fit." Pence's last top aide, Nick Ayers, left in December after he ruled out taking the chief of staff role for Trump.

China's Silicon Valley Blueprint Has Plenty of Holes

Late Monday, the official Xinhua News Agency released details of the State Council's Greater Bay Area plan – a project to knit together Hong Kong and Macau with nine mainland cities into a global innovation hub to rival California’s Silicon Valley. Hong Kong residents struggling with high housing prices will have the opportunity to move across the border and work in state-owned companies while people moving the other way will gain access to the city’s education and health systems.

Pakistan 'ready to talk' with India on Kashmir, will retaliate if attacked: PM

Pakistan is ready to help India investigate the deadliest blast in Kashmir in decades, but will retaliate if Delhi attacks, Prime Minister Imran Khan said Tuesday as tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals soared. "Pakistan won't just think to retaliate. Pakistan will retaliate," said Khan in a nationally televised address.

Mexico announces plans to close shelter housing 1,600 migrants: Will they go to Texas?

Residents in Eagle Pass, Texas, express concerns about an influx in illegal immigrants after a shelter on the other side of the border closes; Jacqui Heinrich reports from the scene.

The Two Venezuelas and Foreign Intervention

Today Venezuela is at an impasse, a term allegedly coined by Voltaire to refer to a situation devoid of exits. It has infinite inflation, four immobilized branches of government, two presidents, and the worst humanitarian crisis to hit the Americas in decades. There is sporadic violence on the streets and in improvised prisons hidden away from YouTube. What today resembles a civil war without weapons could easily escalate into bloodshed. Yet it is foreign powers and not domestic actors that will determine the country’s fate.The Bolivarian divide runs so deep that the republic now has two presidents: Nicolás Maduro and Juan Guaidó. Maduro, elevated to power by the late Hugo Chavéz, insists that he has begun his second constitutional term, sworn in by the Supreme Court, backed by the courts and, crucially, the country’s armed forces. Guaidó is recognized by the National Assembly, the unicameral legislature that Chávez himself created when he wanted to do away with a Senate keen on opposing his accumulation of power. Hundreds of thousands of exiled Venezuelans, including former Chavista officers and representatives, support him, too.The international media have paid scant attention to Venezuela. With rare exceptions, the crisis has seemed far away, complex, and entirely domestic to the outside world. Yet that perception is misguided: Venezuela’s crisis is no longer a mere constitutional battle; it is a power struggle among international powers.When Guaidó invoked articles 233 and 333 of the Venezuelan constitution to declare himself president, he did so with plenty of support. The United States had already refused to recognize Maduro after last year’s presidential “election,” in which he was effectively the only candidate allowed to run. Same with the so-called Lima Group, a gathering of Latin American nations led by Brazil and Argentina. Such support allowed Guaidó to unify an opposition whose internal divisions had previously enabled Chávez and then Maduro to accumulate power. A few days later, the European Union joined the anti-Maduro forces, in a move ironically led by the socialist government of Spain, but not by Italy, where the populists of the Right (the Northern League) could not get the populists of the Left (the 5 Star Movement, old friends of Chavismo) to abandon Maduro.Recognizing a president, however, does not topple a government. The most damaging hits against Maduro were economic. The United States blocked PDVSA, Venezuela’s state-run oil giant and its only true source of funds, from accessing its refineries in the U.S. (Venezuelan oil has always been too heavy, leading the country’s oil industry to rely on American refineries.) The Trump administration also imposed sanctions on Venezuela’s primary debt issuance, as necessary for revolutionaries as it is for capitalists, as well as on the trading of existing securities. Guaidó will now control the country’s official accounts and will get to appoint a board for Venezuela’s crown jewel in the U.S.: the Citgo refinery.When it became clear that the petrodollars would stop flowing, defections from Maduro’s camp ticked up. And yet the regime did not fall. To outsiders, Maduro’s days in charge might appear numbered, but in Caracas he hangs on. That is because Chavismo’s traditional allies — Cuba, Russia, China, Turkey, Iran, Syria — have stood by him. In particular, the support of Russia and China, for whom Venezuela remains a bulwark against the pro-market governments ascendant elsewhere on the continent, has proved crucial.Despite its natural wealth, Venezuela’s debts to China are far larger than is commonly understood. And in Russia, oligarchs close to the Kremlin have too much to lose if the Maduro regime falls apart. That is why RT is keen on broadcasting every single “historic” military exercise by Maduro’s generals. (As my colleague Daniel Lansberg has pointed out, Venezuela now has more generals than all of NATO.) Paradoxically, the socialist revolution that Chávez created is now sustained by the capitalist interests of its main international sponsors.This dynamic is far from unprecedented. Decades ago, when there were two Spains rather than two Venezuelas, the diplomatic support of Western democracies mattered very little on the ground. In 1936, a failed military coup against the legitimate Spanish republic kicked off the century’s paradigmatic civil war. Madrid quickly received the support of international actors, including France, the United States, Mexico, and even the Soviet Union. But the generals under Francisco Franco had sponsors willing to fight. Hitler’s Germany and Mussolini’s Italy invested blood and treasure in Franco — and drove him to victory. His legitimacy was built on the battleground.Intervention matters. And so does the lack of it. When Rwanda’s ethnic conflicts escalated into an unspeakable genocide in 1994, U.N. troops stood by, eventually inspiring Samantha Power’s doctrine of moral intervention. When, later, Power was U.N. ambassador under President Obama, Obama refused to intervene in Syria even after the Assad regime mounted chemical-weapons attacks on its own citizens, thereby crossing the “red line” Obama had laid out. In both cases, the results were gruesome and the victims numerous.Ultimately only force can break an impasse. In Venezuela’s case, as in Spain’s before, legitimacy is not about constitutions but the balance of forces. Economic sanctions can debilitate a regime, but only those willing to use force can truly tilt the balance. As long as Venezuela’s traditional allies areeconomically and financially motivated to keep Chavistas in power, the current regime will endure, with or without Maduro. If Washington is not willing to intervene with force, then it must convince Moscow and Beijing that a political transition is in their interests. Guarantees for their investments are a good place to start. More important, Venezuela’s sorry destiny reminds us that in a world devoid of absolute hegemonies, there are worse things than American global leadership.

Florida inmates use criminal skills to rescue baby from car

A group of prisoners in Florida put their criminal skills to good use on Valentine’s Day – breaking into a car, to free a baby locked inside. The prisoners, on work-release, were repairing parking meters in Pasco County, north of Tampa, when they spotted the family in distress. The one-year-old child was trapped inside the car, with the keys inside. The family was unable to afford a locksmith and so, in the 56 degree Fahrenheit heat, the father was preparing to break the window. That is when the prisoners, in their black and white uniforms, offered to help, and worked in a team to pry open the front door just enough for one inmate to use a coat hanger to push a button that unlocked the 4x4’s door. In a video, which has gone viral, police are heard telling the father to "pop his head in the window" so "strange faces" would not scare the baby. Another person in the video, filmed by the baby’s mother Shadow Lantry, can be heard commenting on the "hilarious situation," with police watching the crew unlock the car. The whole endeavour took about two minutes, and ended with the group cheering.  Ms Lantry said the child was "just sitting there happy" throughout the ordeal. The parents thanked the crew, deputies and firefighters for their help.

Trump news: California attorney general sues White House over national emergency declaration with 12 states expected to join

Donald Trump is being accused of waging a “relentless attack” on the FBI since taking office as the fallout from his decision to declare a national emergency to secure border wall funding continues. The remark comes from former deputy director of the bureau Andrew McCabe - dismissed by ex-attorney general Jeff Sessions in March 2018 after being accused of leaking information to the media - in an interview with NPR’s Morning Edition to promote his new insider account of the bureau, The Threat. President Trump has already responded angrily on Twitter to Mr McCabe's appearance on CBS's 60 Minutes on Sunday, in which the latter said he had discussed removing the president under the 25th Amendment and ordered an investigation into whether ex-director James Comey was removed in May 2017 to impede the Russian election hacking investigation.

An 11-Year-Old Student Was Arrested in Florida After Refusing to Stand for the Pledge of Allegiance

The 11-year-old was charged with disruption and resisting arrest

Indian journalist condemns Twitter for blocking account after abuse online

Dutt said some people had posted and circulated her phone number on Twitter, enabling the harassment, which she said included threats of rape and images of genitalia being sent to her phone. Dutt tweeted some of the threats and images on Monday, and she included phone numbers and names of the men who allegedly threatened her, after which her account was suspended. "I would like to place on record my absolute horror and disgust at Twitter's encouragement of sexual abuse and gender inequality," said Dutt, a former managing editor at news channel NDTV and a regular columnist with the Washington Post.

Sex abuse survivors to meet with Vatican summit organizers

VATICAN CITY (AP) — The organizers of Pope Francis' summit on preventing clergy sex abuse will meet this week with a dozen abuse victims who have descended on Rome to protest the Catholic Church's response to the crisis and demand an end to decades of cover-up by church leaders, officials said Monday.

American Airlines denies man was on flight from Los Angeles

American Airlines had a huge mix-up when they claimed to have no trace of a passenger.

India-Pakistan tensions threaten to derail Saudi prince's Delhi trip

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrived in New Delhi on Tuesday, with his business mission under threat of being overshadowed by soaring tensions between India and Pakistan. The crown prince, who wants to persuade the world's fastest growing major economy to consume more Saudi oil, was greeted at the airport by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who gave his traditional bear hug for honoured guests. The prince arrived from a two-day stay in Pakistan as it clashed with its giant neighbour over responsibility for a suicide attack in Kashmir last Thursday that left at least 40 members of Indian security forces dead.

The Best Thing in IKEA's New Summer Collection Is . . .

Hint: It's going to transform your backyard BBQ setup

Trump sued by 16 states over use of emergency powers to build border wall

A coalition of 16 US states led by California sued President Donald Trump‘s administration on Monday over his decision to declare a national emergency to obtain funds for building a wall along the US-Mexico border. The lawsuit filed in US District Court for the Northern District of California came just days after Mr Trump invoked emergency powers on Friday after Congress declined to fulfill his request for $5.7bn to help build the wall that was his signature 2016 campaign promise.

Seven MPs Resign from Labour Party

Seven members of British Parliament -- Chuka Umunna, Luciana Berger, Gavin Shuker, Angela Smith, Chris Leslie, Mike Gapes, and Ann Coffey -- resigned from the Labour party Monday over concerns about Jeremy Corbyn's leadership, forming their own contingent, the Independent Group.Berger, Labour's most high-profile Jewish member, called the party “institutionally anti-Semitic” and accused it of “a culture of bullying, bigotry and, intimidation," saying she is now "embarrassed and ashamed" to be a member.Leslie said the party has been “hijacked by the machine politics of the hard left.”In a statement, the group charged that Labour, "once committed to pursue a spirit of solidarity, tolerance and respect," has "changed beyond recognition," and lamented that, "Today, visceral hatreds of other people, views and opinions are common-place in and around" the party.Besides the party's struggles with anti-Semitism, the seven lawmakers cited Corbyn's weak handling of Brexit, policies damaging to Britain's national security and economy, and lack of action on humanitarian distress."The values we hold mean that, in all conscience, we can have no confidence in the party’s collective leadership, competence or culture," the group's statement said. It stressed that more power should be delegated to local governments who have their finger on the pulse of their communities' needs. It also said that economic advancement should occur on the basis of merit, asserting that "everybody can and should make a contribution to society and that contribution should be recognized."Corbyn said he was "disappointed" in the members' decision.“The Conservative Government is bungling Brexit,” Corbyn said, “while Labour has set out a unifying and credible alternative plan.”

Emails show how fake university set up by ICE lured foreign students

Emails obtained by the Detroit Free Press offer a glimpse into how a fake university in Detroit may have convinced students it was real.

Pope's credibility 'on the line' as Vatican convenes global meeting on combating child abuse by clergy

Victims of clerical sex abuse have warned Pope Francis that his credibility is on the line as he confronts the biggest challenge of his papacy with a landmark conference on protecting children from rape and molestation. Nearly 200 bishops, archbishops, patriarchs and other senior Catholic figures from around the world will convene in Rome on Thursday for an unprecedented four-day conference that is supposed to tackle the scourge of child abuse by clergy. It is the biggest effort so far to address scandals that have eroded faith in the Catholic Church in the US, Ireland, Australia and elsewhere. “There’s going to be every effort to close whatever loopholes there are,” said Charles Scicluna, an archbishop from Malta who is one of the organisers of the summit. “This is a new day in terms of transparency. Bishops are going to be held accountable. My hope is that people see this as a turning point.” Members of the survivors' group Ending Clergy Abuse in front of St Peter's Square at the Vatican Credit: Gregorio Borgia/AP But victims’ groups are furious that it has taken this long for the Church to organise such a high-profile meeting, pointing out that is has been 17 years since the Boston sex abuse scandal, which lifted the lid on the problem in the Church. They accuse Pope Francis of failing to clearly decree that priests, and the bishops who protect them, should be reported to the police, prosecuted and sent to jail if found guilty of abuse. They say the Vatican has had years to set out clear guidelines to every diocese in the world, instructing them to hand over to the civil authorities any priest accused of abusing children. It has not done so. “Pope Francis has been talking about zero tolerance ever since he was elected. It’s time to deliver on that promise,” said Peter Isely, from Ending Clergy Abuse, a victims’ support group. “There needs to be a universal law for the Church around the world – if you are a priest who rapes or sexually assaults a child, then you are going to be removed from the priesthood. And you are going to be turned over to the authorities and prosecuted and imprisoned.” Peter Isely, founding member of Ending Clergy Abuse, in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican Credit: Gregorio Borgia/AP Survivors of sex abuse are tired of the years of empty rhetoric and lack of action coming from the Vatican. “We’ve been waiting a long time. We’ve waited too long. This is a historic moment. This has never happened before in the history of the Catholic Church. The Pope has acknowledged that this is a global problem in the Church and that’s important. He now has to deliver,” said Mr Isely, speaking in front of St Peter’s Basilica. “They can do something in the next few days that could save a child somewhere in the world from undergoing what we went through as children – these horrible, horrific, terrible crimes.” Peter Saunders, a British victim of sex abuse by priests, said: “This pope is the best public relations pope of our lifetime. He is very media savvy. But his credibility on this issue has been blown away.” The Vatican made Mr Saunders a member of a special commission for the protection of children, but he resigned in protest at how little progress the body made, saying it was “starved of funding”. Around a dozen survivors have been invited to meet the Pope during the conference.  “What we need is action. We need to have a real conversation about this - why is there not zero tolerance for priests who have assaulted children? What’s the hold-up? What’s the problem?” said Mr Isely. The Vatican insists that this time, it means business. Cardinal Blase Cupich, archbishop of Chicago, is one of the organisers of the summit Credit: AP/Gregorio Borgia “It’s going to be a rallying moment,” said Cardinal Blasé Cupich from Chicago, another organiser of the conference. “We want to make sure that bishops claim ownership of the problem.” Archbishop Scicluna vowed that the days of omerta – the code of silence which normally refers to the mafia – were over. “Whether you call it omerta or a state of denial, it’s a no-go. We need to face the facts. This is not the end game but we are going to do everything possible to make people accountable.” On Saturday, Pope Francis defrocked an American cardinal, Theodore McCarrick, for historical sexual abuse allegations. The 88-year-old, a former archbishop of Washington, is the most senior Catholic figure to be dismissed from the priesthood in modern times.

GMC Acadia souped up with new engine, trim, and tech

GMC has unveiled the refreshed Acadia for the 2020 model year complete with a new trim, a fresh look, and the latest GMC infotainment system. GMC announced on Monday that the Acadia has gotten its midcycle refresh, and now, the lineup looks more like a group of Sierra pickups from the front than mid-size SUVs. In addition to its new exterior styling, the Acadia has a new powertrain option and an assortment of new technologies including an enhanced infotainment system and heads-up display.

Amazon's China unit in merger talks with NetEase's Kaola - report

Kaola, owned by Nasdaq-listed NetEase Inc, sells apparel, household appliances and other products, and is the biggest among Chinese shopping sites that focus on imported goods, followed by Tmall Global and JD Worldwide, according to a report from consulting agency iiMedia. It buys goods directly from overseas manufacturers and last year it imported more than 5,000 brands from 80 countries.

The 2020 McLaren 600LT Spider Is a Windy Version of the 600LT Coupe

Carbon fiber allows McLaren to shave the top from its utterly insane coupes without consequence. We drive the latest deroofed McLaren.

China, Iran meet amid efforts to preserve nuclear deal

BEIJING (AP) — The Iranian foreign minister's passionate defense of his country's interests at the Munich Security Conference has made him "a famous person" in China, his Chinese counterpart told him Tuesday, as the sides met amid efforts to preserve the 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran.

Europeans reject Trump's call to repatriate Syria jihadists

European officials on Monday gave a cold shoulder to a call by US President Donald Trump to take back citizens captured in the fight against Islamic State jihadists in Syria for prosecution back home. Concerns rose about the fate of European nationals now being held by Kurdish forces after Trump shocked his coalition allies in December by announcing the withdrawal of American troops from Syria. Officials worry the Kurds will no longer be able to ensure the captives' detention, especially if their longtime foe Turkey mounted an assault on Kurdish fighters to keep them from establishing control in Syrian cities.

Farrakhan to Omar: Don’t apologize for Israel comments

Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan defends Minnesota congresswoman.

Super Moon? Snow Moon? Full moon? Whatever you call it, a lunar spectacle is coming Monday night/Tuesday morning

Whether you call it full, snow or super, the biggest, brightest moon of the year is coming to a sky near you Monday night/Tuesday morning.

Belgian Jewish museum trial interrupted as juror questioned

The trial of a Frenchman accused of shooting dead four people at the Jewish museum of Belgium was briefly interrupted on Monday as police were summoned to question a juror. "We cannot start the closing arguments under these conditions," judge Laurence Massart said, after recusing the juror for having communicated with outside parties. "This is probably a person in search of attention," said Sebastien Courtoy, the lawyer for the accused Mehdi Nemmouche, referring to the juror's work colleague.

The wackiest beauty looks from London Fashion Week

London Fashion Week has wrapped up for another season, leaving us with plenty of hair and makeup inspiration for Fall/Winter 2019. Wild hair and sumptuous colors were the underpinning themes of the beauty look at Vivienne Westwood, where the makeup artist Isamaya Ffrench came up with a series of astounding looks involving covering the models' faces with gooey-like pigment.

Forget the line at Juice Press — this WiFi-enabled Vitamix blender is $160 off

"I'm gonna start eating healthy and cooking at home," said a lot of people, probably.But with Chinese 30-40 minutes away on Uber Eats, how many of us actually follow through? (Not me, that's for sure.)Vitamix blenders make eating better easier though, and the A3500 Ascent Series model is $159.60 off on Amazon today. Just don't get your kale at Trader Joe's.SEE ALSO: How different cold pressed juices will affect your body and soulFor people who love the destination (food) but hate the journey (making it), the A3500 is the fanciest of the Ascent series and the ultimate hands-off blender. It features four touch control programs for smoothies, hot soups, dips and spreads, and frozen deserts, all auto-adjusting to the correct blending speed and time so you won't have to babysit it. Built-in WiFi connectivity and the Vitamix app keep things exciting with 17 blending programs and over 500 recipes for ice cream, coffee, waffles, potato soup, and more.Image: vitamixNix the guesswork even more with Vitamix's new digital timer, which decides what the optimal blending time is for you to get perfect textures without having to experiment. If you know what you're doing, there's a programmable timer that will blend for the time you've entered and stop automatically.All of your options are displayed across a scratch-resistant touchscreen, with a self-cleaning option available to get you off the hook afterwards.Regularly $699.95, you can save $159.60 and get it for $540.35. Image: vitamix Save $160 on the Vitamix A3500 Ascent Blender (64 oz) -- $540.35 See Details

New Zealand Says China's Huawei Hasn't Been Ruled Out of 5G

New Zealand’s spy agency, the Government Communications Security Bureau, in November stopped telecommunications company Spark from using Huawei 5G equipment, citing significant national security risks. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Tuesday her government is working through a process and the Chinese company could still be involved if Spark can satisfy the GCSB’s concerns. “There’s been no final decision here yet,” she told Newshub.

The Latest: Suspect won't testify in US House race hearing

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The Latest on an evidentiary hearing outlining a ballot fraud investigation in an undeclared North Carolina congressional race for which a winner hasn't been finalized (all times local):

Teenager in Lincoln Memorial protest sues Washington Post for $250 million

A high school student from Covington, Kentucky, sued the Washington Post for defamation on Tuesday, claiming the newspaper falsely accused him of racist acts and instigating a confrontation with a Native American activist in a January videotaped incident at the Lincoln Memorial. The lawsuit, filed in US District Court in Kentucky by Covington Catholic High School student Nicholas Sandmann, 16, seeks $250 million in damages, the amount that Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.com and the world's richest person, paid for the Post in 2013. The lawsuit claims that the newspaper "wrongfully targeted and bullied" the teen to advance its bias against President Donald Trump because Sandmann is a white Catholic who wore a Make America Great Again souvenir cap on a school field trip to the March for Life anti-abortion rally in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 18. The Washington Post's Vice President for Communications Kristine Coratti Kelly said: "We are reviewing a copy of the lawsuit and we plan to mount a vigorous defense." In a photo that went viral from the incident, Sandmann is seen standing face to face with Native American activist Nathan Phillips. Sandmann stares smiling at him while Phillips sings and plays his drum. The incident sparked outrage on social media. In a statement, Sandmann's Atlanta-based lawyer, Lin Wood, said additional similar lawsuits would be filed in the weeks ahead. A private investigation firm retained by Covington Diocese in Park Hills, Kentucky, found in a report released last week no evidence the teenagers provoked a confrontation. The students were met at the Lincoln Memorial by offensive statements from members of the Black Hebrew Israelites, the report said. The investigation also determined that the students did not direct any racist or offensive comments toward Phillips although several performed a "tomahawk chop" to the beat of his drum. Phillips claimed in a separate video that he heard the students chanting "build that wall," during the encounter, a reference to Trump's pledge to build a barrier along the US border with Mexico. The investigators said they found no evidence of such a chant and that Phillips did not respond to multiple attempts to contact him.

The New Ford Focus ST Looks Awesome and Makes 276 Horsepower

It's not too late for Ford to change its mind about bringing this hot hatch to America, is it?

American ISIS bride Hoda Muthana, from Alabama, wants to return, face US justice

American Hoda Muthana wants to come home and face the U.S. justice system, her family's lawyer tells USA TODAY.

Israel's first lunar mission to launch this week

Israel is to launch its first moon mission this week, sending an unmanned spacecraft to collect data to be shared with NASA, organisers said Monday. The 585-kilogram (1,290-pound) Beresheet (Genesis) spacecraft is to lift off atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida at around 0145 GMT on Friday. Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and technology NGO SpaceIL announced the date at a press conference.