The Hill – by Max Greenwood

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Thursday said the U.S. is considering an “appropriate response” to the Syrian government’s apparent use of chemical weapons and that he sees “no role” in the country for President Bashar Assad.

“The process by which Assad would leave is something that requires an international community effort both to first defeat ISIS within Syria, to stabilize the Syrian country to avoid further civil war and then to work collectively with our partners around the world through a political process that would lead to Assad leaving,” Tillerson said at a news conference in Palm Beach, Fla.    Continue reading “Tillerson: ‘Steps are underway’ to remove Assad”

The Hill – by Jordain Carney

The Senate voted Thursday to move forward with Neil Gorsuch’s Supreme Court nomination after Republicans took a historic step that lowers the vote threshold for high court nominees to a simple majority.

Senators voted 55-45 to end debate on Gorsuch’s nomination, setting up a final confirmation vote for Friday. Thanks to a procedural move that changed Senate rules earlier Thursday, a simple majority was needed to move forward.   Continue reading “Senate goes ‘nuclear’ to advance Trump Supreme Court pick”

VOA News – by Catherine Maddux

The United States formally entered World War I a hundred years ago, on April 6, 1917.

The nation set aside its posture of neutrality nearly three years after the start of the bloody conflict that came to be known as the “Great War.”     Continue reading “This Day in History: US Marks Centennial of Entry Into the ‘Great War’”

Fox News

As the U.S. and other Western nations sharply denounced the Assad and Putin regimes for the deadly gas attack in Syria, Russia on Wednesday tried to deflect blame by pointing to Syrian rebels.

“It’s necessary to demand that the rebels offer full access to study the area and collect necessary information,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said during an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council.   Continue reading “Syria gas attack: Russia deflects at UN Security Council”

Bloomberg – by Catherine Traywick and Sheela Tobben

China became the biggest buyer of U.S. crude oil in February, surpassing Canada, at a time when OPEC is cutting back output.

China imported 8.08 million barrels of U.S. light crude, nearly quadrupling its January purchases, according to data released by the U.S. Census Bureau Tuesday. That helped boost U.S. exports to a record 31.2 million barrels during the month. Canada, the U.S.’s largest trade partner, imported 6.84 million, down 20 percent from a month earlier.  Continue reading “China becomes top importer of US crude”

Yahoo News – AP

SALEM, N.H. (AP) — A condemned house exploded after a neighbor dispute over stacking firewood, and a body was found in the basement, police said Tuesday.

The body was seen through a basement window; police hadn’t gone inside yet. Investigators found items on the Salem property such as boards with nails poking through them, which appear to be intended to hurt or slow anyone approaching the house, Capt. Joel Dolan said. The Nashua bomb squad was called in to assist.   Continue reading “Condemned home explodes after neighbor fight; body found”

Yahoo News

WASHINGTON (AP) — After his press secretary blasted it as an example of rampant government overreach, President Donald Trump signed a bill into law Monday that could eventually allow internet providers to sell information about their customers’ browsing habits.

The bill scraps a Federal Communications Commission online privacy regulation issued in October to give consumers more control over how companies like Comcast, AT&T and Verizon share that information. Critics have argued that the rule would stifle innovation and pick winners and losers among internet companies.   Continue reading “Trump signs bill blocking online privacy regulation”

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Zero Hedge – by ZeroPointNow

Journalist and author Mike Cernovich has just dropped an exclusive bombshell – naming Obama’s National Security Advisor Susan Rice as the official responsible for the ‘unmasking’ of the incoming Trump team during ‘incidental’ surveillance. This was apparently discovered after the White House Counsel’s office reviewed Rice’s document log requests:   Continue reading “REPORT: Mike Cernovich Reveals Obama Natl Security Advisor Susan Rice Responsible For Unmasking Trump Team”

Breitbart

NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, flew to Iraq with the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford on Monday.

Kushner’s travel plans initially were revealed late Sunday by a Trump administration official who said Kushner wanted to see the situation there for himself and show support for Baghdad’s government.   Continue reading “Kushner arrives in Iraq with Joint Chiefs chairman for visit”

ABC News 7

SPRING, Texas (KTRK) — Two masked men tried to abduct a woman outside her home in the Legends Trace subdivision Friday, but Montgomery County deputies ended up arresting the woman’s fiancé who came to her rescue.

Her fiancé, Jeremiah Morin, ran outside shooting at the men as they ran away from the subdivision near Elan and Birnham Woods Drive.   Continue reading “Man arrested after shooting at fiancee’s attempted abductor”

Yahoo News

ATLANTA (AP) — Three people have been arrested in connection with the raging fire that collapsed a portion of Interstate 85 a few miles north of downtown Atlanta, crippling a major traffic artery in a city already known for dreadful rush-hour congestion.

Deputy Insurance Commissioner Jay Florence said Friday evening that Basil Eleby faces a charge of criminal damage to property, and Sophia Bruner and Barry Thomas each were charged with criminal trespass.   Continue reading “3 arrested in Atlanta fire underneath interstate bridge”

Chicago Tribune

Atlanta’s notorious traffic is expected to be more tangled than usual after a massive fire caused a bridge on Interstate 85 to collapse, completely shutting down the heavily traveled highway.

Georgia’s top transportation official said there’s no way to tell when the highway, which carries 250,000 cars a day, can be safely reopened to traffic in either direction following the collapse, which happened Thursday afternoon during rush hour.   Continue reading “Massive fire in Atlanta crumbles interstate bridge during rush hour; none hurt”

CNN

United Nations, New York (CNN)US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley announced Monday that the United States and almost 40 other nations would not participate in the first-ever talks on an international treaty to ban nuclear weapons.

Flanked by ambassadors from about 20 nations, including nuclear powers United Kingdom and France, Haley couched the decision not to attend the talks, which began Monday, in personal terms.   Continue reading “US leads boycott of UN talks to ban nuclear weapons”

AOL News

President Donald Trump took aim at the growing controversy over the investigation into his campaign’s possible ties to Russia in flurry of tweets sent on Monday night.

“Why isn’t the House Intelligence Committee looking into the Bill & Hillary deal that allowed big Uranium to go to Russia[?]” he asked in a message posted to Twitter.   Continue reading “Trump calls for investigation into Hillary Clinton, Russia connection”

Fox News

JESSUP, Md. –  The father of an 18-year-old Rockville High School student charged with the rape of a fellow classmate has been arrested for being in the country illegally, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

ICE spokesperson Sarah Rodriguez said 43-year-old Adolfo Sanchez-Reyes was arrested last Friday “after a review of his immigration history revealed he was unlawfully present in the United States” from Guatemala.   Continue reading “Father of Maryland high school rape suspect arrested by ICE”

Miami Herald

Police on Tuesday continued their search for six people involved in an ambush-style shooting of two undercover Miami-Dade police officers in their unmarked car.

The detectives were working a gang detail in Brownsville when they were shot late Monday night by suspects who walked past them, opened fire and fled.   Continue reading “Two Miami-Dade police detectives ambushed and shot in their unmarked car”