TRUMP TO DELAY MILITARY EXERCISE
President Donald Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in have agreed to postpone the sprawling joint military exercise their nations hold each year until after the Winter Olympics in what appears to be an effort to de-escalate tensions with North Korea before an event that will draw people from around the world.
New ban at White House: mobile phones.
WASHINGTON» The White House is banning its employees from using personal mobile phones while at work, despite concerns among some staffers they’ll be cut off from children and relatives, White House officials said. Starting Friday, Trump aides will not be allowed to use their personal cellphones on the White House campus, one aide said. Chief of Staff John Kelly imposed the ban, citing security concerns.
“Fire and Fury” book goes on sale early.
The book “Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House,” by Michael Wolff, has been causing such a fury itself that its publication date was moved up to Friday. Portions of the book, which had been scheduled for release next Tuesday, began appearing online Wednesday. Trump’s legal team sent a letter to the publisher, Henry Holt, demanding that it “immediately cease and desist from any further publication.”
Woman who accused Roy Moore of sexual misconduct sues for defamation.
An Alabama woman on Thursday sued failed U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore and his campaign for defamation, citing harsh personal attacks she faced after coming forward with allegations he touched her sexually when she was 14 years old. Leigh Corfman is not seeking financial compensation beyond legal costs. She is asking for a declaratory judgment of defamation, a public apology from Moore and a courtenforced ban on him or his campaign publicly attacking her again.
18 killed, about 260 injured in South Africa train crash.
A passenger train carrying people home after the holidays slammed into a truck in rural South Africa on Thursday, killing at least 18 people and injuring about 260 others, authorities said. Officials said the truck driver tried to cross the tracks just ahead of the oncoming train.
“The truck driver was taking chances,” Transport Minister Joe Maswanganyi said.
Trump had lawyer urge AG against Russia recusal, source says.
WASHINGTON» President Donald Trump directed his White House counsel to urge Attorney General Jeff Sessions to not recuse himself from the Justice Department’s investigation into potential ties between Russia and the Trump campaign, according to three sources. Sessions ultimately rejected the suggestion and announced March 2 that he’d step aside from the inquiry into Russian meddling in the election.
Powerball jumps to $550 million after no winning ticket sold.
DES MOINES,
IOWA» No winning tickets were sold for the $460 million Powerball drawing. The jackpot jumps to an estimated $550 million for Saturday’s drawing. That would make it the nation’s eighth-largest lottery prize ever.
More than 9 million felt 4.4 earthquake in Bay Area.
An estimated 9.8 million people felt a magnitude 4.4 earthquake that rumbled across the San Francisco area early Thursday, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. People more than 150 miles away reported to the agency that they felt the shaking for perhaps five to 10 seconds, according to officials.
Aid group projects 48,000 births in crowded Rohingya camps.
An international aid agency projects that 48,000 babies will be born this year in crowded refugee camps for the Rohingya Muslims who have fled to Bangladesh from neighboring Myanmar.