Palm Desert

Lee Radziwill, Jackie Kennedy Onassis' younger sister, dies at 85

CBS News, citing family friend Mathilde Favier, the public relations director for Christian Dior, said Radziwill died on Friday. Women's Wear Daily had first reported the death on its website, saying it occurred at Radziwill's New York City home. Radziwill's world was inhabited by doyennes of high society, artistic celebrities, fashion moguls and wealthy, prominent husbands - including one whose royal status made her a real-life princess.

Former U.S. Cardinal McCarrick defrocked for sex crimes

Pope Francis has decided that the ruling, which followed an appeal by McCarrick, a power-broker as Archbishop of Washington, D.C. from 2001 to 2006, was now final. A Vatican statement said his crimes were made more serious by "the aggravating factor of the abuse of power". The 88-year-old, who in July became the first Roman Catholic prelate in nearly 100 years to lose the title of cardinal, has now become the highest profile church figure to be dismissed from the priesthood in modern times.

Dismissed employee kills five co-workers in Illinois factory shooting

A gunman opened fire at an Illinois factory just after receiving notice of termination from his job there on Friday, killing five fellow workers and wounding five policemen before he was slain by police, authorities said. The assailant, identified as Gary Martin, 45, had worked at the Henry Pratt Company for 15 years before Friday's violence unfolded at the firm's sprawling facility in Aurora, 40 miles (65 km) west of Chicago, Aurora Police Chief Kristen Ziman said. At a late-night news conference, Ziman said it was not yet clear whether the suspect, armed with a Smith & Wesson handgun, was carrying the weapon at the time of his dismissal or whether he "went to retrieve it" before opening fire.

U.S. to slash payouts from 9/11 victims fund

Rupa Bhattacharyya, the special master, said the reduction in payouts from the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund is necessary because the $2.375 billion remaining in the $7.375 billion fund is not enough to compensate the thousands of additional eligible victims and family members. "I am painfully aware of the unfairness of this plan," Bhattacharyya said on a conference call with reporters. Bhattacharyya said the fund would have needed to be $12 billion, instead of $7.375 billion, to compensate everyone fully.

U.S. Supreme Court to decide legality of census citizenship query

The justices, in a brief order, granted the administration's request to hear its appeal of Manhattan-based U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman's Jan. 15 ruling even before a lower appeals court has considered the matter. Furman's ruling came in lawsuits brought by 18 U.S. states, 15 cities and various civil rights groups challenging the Republican administration's decision to include the question. Furman ruled that Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross had concealed the true motives for his "arbitrary and capricious" decision to add the citizenship question in violation of federal law.

Five killed as gunman opens fire at Illinois warehouse

A gunman opened fire in an industrial warehouse in Aurora, Illinois, on Friday, killing five people and wounding five police officers before he was slain, law enforcement officials said. Aurora Police Chief Kristen Ziman said the gunman, identified as Gary Martin, 45, was an employee at the industrial complex. Please avoid the area," the Aurora Police Department said in a tweet shortly after 2 p.m. CST, adding that additional details would be forthcoming.

Trump declares emergency for border wall, House panel launches probe

The Republican president's move to circumvent Congress represented an escalation in his efforts to make good on a 2016 presidential campaign pledge to build a wall to halt the flow into the country of illegal immigrants, who Trump says bring crime and drugs. Hours after Trump's announcement, the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives' Judiciary Committee said it had launched an investigation into the emergency declaration. In a letter to Trump, committee Democrats asked him to make available for a hearing White House and Justice Department officials involved in the action.

Army calls base housing hazards 'unconscionable,' details steps to protect families

Deeply troubled by military housing conditions exposed by Reuters reporting, the U.S. Army's top leadership vowed on Friday to renegotiate its housing contracts with private real estate firms, test tens of thousands of homes for toxins and hold its own commanders responsible for protecting Army base residents from dangerous homes. In an interview, the Secretary of the Army Mark Esper said Reuters reports and a chorus of concerns from military families had opened his eyes to the need for urgent overhauls of the Army’s privatized housing system, which accommodates more than 86,000 families. The secretary’s conclusion: Private real estate firms tasked with managing and maintaining the housing stock have been failing the families they serve, and the Army itself neglected its duties.

U.S. to slash payouts from 9/11 victims fund

Rupa Bhattacharyya, the special master, said the reduction in payouts from the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund is necessary because the $2.375 billion remaining in the $7.375 billion fund is not enough to compensate the thousands of additional eligible victims and family members. "I am painfully aware of the unfairness of this plan," Bhattacharyya said on a conference call with reporters. Bhattacharyya said the fund would have needed to be $12 billion, instead of $7.375 billion, to compensate everyone fully.

Supreme Court Justice Ginsburg back at court after cancer bout

Ginsburg, a liberal jurist who will turn 86 in March, took part in the private conference among the nine justices on the court to discuss cases. Friday's conference proved highly significant, with the justices agreeing to decide the fate of a bid by President Donald Trump's administration to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census, which opponents say will scare immigrant communities from participating, leading to an undercount. While Ginsburg was expected to attend the next round of oral arguments beginning next Tuesday, court officials could not confirm she would be on the bench.

NASA mulls buying new rides to space from Russia amid program delays

The U.S. space agency has since had to rely on Russia's Roscosmos program to ferry astronauts to the orbital space station at a cost of roughly $80 million per seat, NASA has said. After 2019 there are no seats available on the spacecraft for U.S. crew, and a NASA advisory panel recommended on Friday that the U.S. space program develop a contingency plan to guarantee access to the station in case technical problems delay Boeing and SpaceX any further. A NASA spokesman on Friday characterized a solicitation request NASA filed on Wednesday as a contingency plan.

Philadelphia beats U.S. appeal in sanctuary city case

In a 3-0 decision, the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia said the U.S. attorney general lacked power to condition that city's receipt of $1.6 million for local law enforcement on its compliance with three new requirements. In Friday's decision, Circuit Judge Marjorie Rendell said the attorney general has only limited oversight of the program for awarding the Byrne Justice Assistance Grants. "Allowing the attorney general to withhold all funds because a jurisdiction does not certify compliance with any federal law of the attorney general's choosing undermines the predictability and consistency embedded in the program's design," Rendell wrote.

Russia detains prominent U.S. investor on suspicion of fraud

Calvey, senior partner at Baring Vostok, was first detained on Thursday along with three other executives after investigators accused him and others of embezzling 2.5 billion rubles ($37.61 million). Calvey, who is well known in financial circles as one of Russia's most prominent investors, told the court he was innocent and that the accusations against him had been initiated by Russian businessmen embroiled in a commercial conflict with him and his fund over a Russian bank. "Almost everything said here is false," said Calvey.

U.S. investigators probing years of WikiLeaks activities: sources

American investigators are gathering information and pursuing witnesses involved in both recent WikiLeaks disclosures and the website's large-scale postings of U.S. military and diplomatic messages over several years from 2010. A former U.S. Army soldier, Chelsea Manning, was charged and convicted for leaking the reports and cables to WikiLeaks but was released from a lengthy prison term after her sentence was commuted by U.S. President Barack Obama.

Portland, Oregon, police probe texts between officer and right-wing leader

Hundreds of emails and text messages released by the city's police bureau on Thursday showed Portland Police Lieutenant Jeff Niiya and Joey Gibson, leader of right-wing group Patriot Prayer, often discussed Gibson's plans to demonstrate. Portland Police Chief Danielle Outlaw said she ordered an internal investigation to review the communications and determine if any bureau directives were violated. "If anything is identified that is deemed outside of our values and directives, it will be addressed," Outlaw said late on Thursday in a statement.

U.S. targeted 21 Savage for his rap lyrics, lawyer says

The entertainer, whose real name is She'yaa BinAbraham-Joseph, was arrested on Feb. 3 by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on charges he is a foreign citizen who had overstayed his visa by more than a decade. Officials said he came to the United States from Britain. During a Friday appearance on ABC News' "Good Morning America," Abraham-Joseph said he arrived in the United States when he was 7 years old with his mother and brothers, and that his visa expired in 2006.

Trump set to declare border emergency, sign shutdown-averting bill

Trump was also expected to sign a bipartisan government spending bill approved by Congress on Thursday that would prevent another federal shutdown by funding several agencies that otherwise would have closed on Saturday morning. The Republican president was scheduled to deliver remarks on the issue at 10 a.m. EST (1500 GMT) in the Rose Garden at the White House. The bill, lacking any money for his wall, is a defeat for Trump in Congress, where his demand for $5.7 billion in barrier funding yielded no results, other than a record-long 35-day December-January partial government shutdown that damaged the U.S. economy and his poll numbers.

U.S. court dismisses Energy Transfer Partners lawsuit against Greenpeace

ETP had sued https://reut.rs/2SASoIv Greenpeace and other environmental groups in 2017, accusing them of racketeering and defamation with the aim of blocking the Dakota Access Pipeline. In the lawsuit, ETP argued that the environmental groups' actions and negative publicity against it, its sister company Energy Transfer Equity LP and other firms caused billions of dollars in damages.

U.S. judge rules former Venezuelan oil minister owes $1.4 billion

A federal judge in Houston ordered a former Venezuelan oil minister this week to pay the owners of a defunct Houston oil company $1.4 billion in damages in a fraud suit, although it is unclear if or how the payment will ever be made. U.S. District Court Judge Lee Rosenthal issued the default judgment on Wednesday after Rafael Ramirez did not contest Harvest Natural Resources' claims, according to an opinion accompanying the ruling. James Edmiston, Harvest Natural's former chief executive and director, said on Thursday he was pleased with the order.

Explainer: Trump risks legal fight with emergency threat on wall

Legal scholars say it is unclear how such a step would play out, but they agree a court test would likely focus on whether an emergency actually exists on the southern border and on the limits of presidential power over taxpayer funds. Trump is unhappy with a bipartisan border security bill that is going through Congress to avert another government shutdown, because it contains only a fraction of the funds he demanded for his promised border wall. The White House said Trump would sign the bill but declare a national emergency to try to obtain funds for the wall.

U.S. issues new rules requiring rail oil spill response plans

The U.S. Transportation Department on Thursday issued final rules requiring railroads to develop oil spill response plans and to disclose details of shipments to states and tribal governments after a series of high-profile incidents. The new rules apply to High Hazard Flammable Trains transporting petroleum oil in a block of 20 or more loaded tank cars and trains that have a total of 35 loaded petroleum oil tank cars. The rules partially address recommendations made by the National Transportation Safety Board after a 2013 crude-by-rail derailment killed 47 people in the town of Lac Megantic in Quebec and released 1.6 million gallons of crude oil.

House passes border security bill, sends to Trump

The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday approved a bipartisan border security bill aimed at averting a government shutdown and sent it to President Donald Trump, including new barriers for part of the U.S.-Mexico border but not the $5.7 billion he sought. The White House has said Trump will sign it into law, but will also attempt to use unilateral powers to obtain money for a wall.

Colorado man who strangled mountain lion describes life-or-death struggle

A 31-year-old man who fended off and suffocated a mountain lion when it attacked him on a Colorado jogging trail last week described on Thursday how he killed the big cat by stepping on its throat during a life-and-death struggle. Speaking for the first time publicly since the Feb. 4 incident that left him with still-visible lacerations on his neck and face, Travis Kauffman described for reporters the harrowing three-minute encounter. Kauffman said he was running at the Horsetooth Mountain Open Space, about 65 miles northwest of Denver, when he heard pine needles rustling and turned his head only to come face-to-face with a young cougar.

U.S. sends first families to Mexico to await asylum, rights groups sue

Five families with a total of 16 people, including children from El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala, arrived in the Mexican border city of Tijuana on Wednesday, according to a person who works in migration for the Mexican government, who asked not to be named. In late January, the United States began sending non-Mexican migrants who had crossed at the U.S. border with Mexico back to Mexico to wait as their asylum requests are processed, a program called Migrant Protection Protocols. Rights groups say the program endangers asylum seekers by forcing them to remain in regions of Mexico experiencing record levels of violence.

Trump puts on a few pounds, enters obese range: medical report

Trump, known for his love of hamburgers and well-done steaks and an aversion to the gym, was warned by his doctor last year that he needed to change his diet and start to exercise. The added pounds pushed Trump's body mass index into the obese category, which increases the risk of heart disease and is associated with a higher risk for cancers. "He's definitely carrying too much weight," said Dr. Matthew Sorrentino, a preventive cardiologist at the University of Chicago Medicine.

Trump vows emergency declaration over wall, agrees to shutdown-averting bill

Conceding defeat in his demand that Congress provide him with $5.7 billion in wall money, Trump agreed to sign a government funding bill that lacks money for his wall but prevents another damaging government shutdown. The bill, passed by the Republican-led Senate on Thursday, will go to the Democratic-led House of Representatives for final congressional approval. While it contains money for fencing and other forms of border security, it ignores the "great, great wall" that Trump promised in his 2016 campaign to curb illegal immigration and drug trafficking.

U.S. issues new rules requiring rail oil spill response plans

The U.S. Transportation Department on Thursday issued final rules requiring railroads to develop oil spill response plans and to disclose details of shipments to states and tribal governments after a series of high-profile incidents. The new rules apply to High Hazard Flammable Trains transporting petroleum oil in a block of 20 or more loaded tank cars and trains that have a total of 35 loaded petroleum oil tank cars. The rules partially address recommendations made by the National Transportation Safety Board after a 2013 crude-by-rail derailment killed 47 people in the town of Lac Megantic in Quebec and released 1.6 million gallons of crude oil.

Explainer: Trump risks legal fight with emergency threat on wall

President Donald Trump will almost certainly face legal challenges over his decision to declare a national emergency to get additional funding for a U.S.-Mexico border wall, circumventing the power of Congress to set spending policy. Legal scholars say it is unclear how such a step would play out, but they agree a court test would likely focus on whether an emergency actually exists on the southern border and on the limits of presidential power over taxpayer funds. Trump is unhappy with a bipartisan border security bill that is going through Congress to avert another government shutdown, because it contains only a fraction of the funds he demanded for his promised border wall.

Monster mudslides, water rescues as storm punishes California

In Sausalito, just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco, a mudslide carried away two homes and engulfed five cars, sending one woman to the hospital, Southern Marin Fire Department tweeted. In Cabazon, about 84 miles (135 km) east of Los Angeles, two motorists swam from their vehicle and were rescued by helicopter after their car was engulfed by churning brown floodwaters, a California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokesman said. "We've had multiple water rescues throughout the day, I think today our helicopter is up to about a dozen," said CalFire spokesman Richard Cordova.

'Forever haunted' Parkland mourns a year after shooting

School buses brought only a handful of students to a shortened class day at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where a former student with an assault gun killed 17 people on Feb. 14, 2018. Leaders of March for Our Lives, a national student movement formed in the aftermath of the Parkland tragedy to fight gun violence, were not in the spotlight, having noted they would "go dark" or cease most communications during the anniversary. "Every day it feels like the shooting is happening again, or happened yesterday, or will happen tomorrow," said Gonzalez, who rose to prominence by urging her fellow students to "call B.S." on supporters of the gun lobby.

U.S.-owned utility to close two coal plants, in blow to Trump

The Tennessee Valley Authority voted on Thursday to close two aging coal-fired power plants, including one supplied by a company led by a major supporter of President Donald Trump, who had urged the U.S.-owned utility to keep it open. This decision is about economics," said President and Chief Executive Bill Johnson, who is retiring from the TVA. The 870-megawatt Bull Run coal plant in Tennessee will close by December 2023 and the 971-MW Paradise 3 plant in Kentucky will be shut by December 2020.

Feeling unwelcome, Amazon ditches plans for New York hub

Opponents of the project feared congestion and higher rents in the Long Island City neighborhood of Queens, and objected to handing billions in incentives to a company run by Jeff Bezos, the world's richest man. State Senator Michael Gianaris, who represents Queens and was a vocal critic of the deal, told a news conference on Thursday that the Amazon subsidies were unnecessary. Amazon's sudden pullout from New York City prompted finger pointing by Mayor Bill de Blasio and New York state Governor Andrew Cuomo, the politicians who crafted the deal.