Trump commutes sentence of ex-Illinois Gov. Blagojevich in rash of clemency orders

President Trump on Tuesday granted clemency to almost a dozen individuals, including former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) and ex-New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik, sparking criticism from both Democrats and Republicans.

"I did commute [Blagojevich's] sentence. So he’ll be able to go back home with his family after serving eight years in jail," Trump told reporters in reference to the disgraced Illinois governor who had served roughly half of a 14-year sentence on federal corruption charges. "That was a tremendously powerful, ridiculous sentence in my opinion, and in the opinion of many others."

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Boy Scouts of America files for bankruptcy. Hundreds of sexual abuse lawsuits are now on hold

The Boy Scouts of America has filed for bankruptcy, according to a court document filed in Delaware bankruptcy court early Tuesday.

The youth organization, which celebrated its 110th anniversary February 8, listed liabilities of between $100 million and $500 million and estimated assets of $1 billion to $10 billion.

The bankruptcy filing comes at a time when the organization faces hundreds of sexual abuse lawsuits, thousands of alleged abuse victims and dwindling membership numbers. As a result of the filing, all civil litigation against the organization is suspended.

CNN continues the story HERE: Additional information HERE at NPR:

Plymouth Rock, iconic landmark that marks where the Pilgrims first landed, was vandalized

CNN) — Preparations to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the Pilgrims arriving in the New World were in full swing in Plymouth, Massachusetts. But then residents woke up to find that the beloved landmarks that make their city special had been vandalized.

Plymouth Rock was one of them.

The iconic landmark, which is inscribed with the year 1620 to mark the year William Bradford and other Pilgrims first set foot on American land, was found on Monday to be covered with red graffiti.

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Ice balls appear on Lake Michigan beach, a rare phenomenon amid freezing temps

A rare phenomenon on a Lake Michigan beach caught the eye of a Michigan state park supervisor Friday morning, who snapped cellphone photos and posted them to the Holland State Park's Facebook page.

"We went down to the beach to check on things and we saw these large ice balls," said Sean Mulligan, a Department of Natural Resources supervisor at the park, which is about 5 miles from downtown Holland. "I had heard of them before, but I hadn't ever seen them."

Thousands of the balls, he estimated, rolled up onto the lakeshore.

Some were the size of baseballs and softballs; others were the size of bowling balls and dodge balls, and the biggest ones, just a few, looked to be the size of yoga balls, the kind some people useto work out with and do Pilates.

Ice balls, a rare phenomenon on Lake Michigan, rolled up on the beaches Friday at Holland State Park. (Photo: Sean Mulligan, Michigan DNR)

Comments on the Facebook post marveled at the ice balls and gave shout-outs to the park, "I love Holland State Park!!!" Another commenter noted, "This made my day!" and one wondered just how the icy spheres were formed.

Alabama legislator offers bill requiring men get vasectomies at 50 in response to anti-abortion laws

An Alabama state lawmaker introduced legislation that would require men to get vasectomies within one month of turning 50 years old or once their third biological child is born in response to legislation banning abortion in the state.

“Under existing law, there are no restrictions on the reproductive rights of men,” the bill’s synopsis reads. "This bill would require a man to undergo a vasectomy within one month of his 50th birthday or the birth of his third biological child, whichever comes first."

State Rep. Rolanda Hollis (D) introduced the legislation Thursday in response to an abortion bill passed by the state legislature last year that resulted in a near-total ban on abortion.

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Christian Website Says Buttgieg is Deserving of Death' for Being Gay

Mayor Pete and spouse Chasten

A leading Christian website has published a column in which a preacher and author describes 2020 Democratic presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg as bringing the "death rattle of a nation" with his homosexuality.

Writing for Charisma News, a website associated with the popular Christian magazine Charisma, Bert Farias decried how people are celebrating that a presidential candidate is publicly introducing, and even "kisses without shame," his husband in the name of progressivism.

"The constant compromising of preachers to avoid controversy is creating much damage—not only to the world, which is looking for a clear sound from preachers, but also to believers who have little discernment or are growing tired of ambiguity," Farias wrote.

The story continues HERE in Newsweek:

"For example, one very influential and popular minister who has millions of followers was asked if homosexuality was wrong, and his general response was that his views were evolving. Evolving? That's like saying the Bible is evolving. How pathetic of an answerFinish the Newsweek story HERE:

She pretends to have a baby for adoption - can she get help to stop?

Gabby has a nasty habit. She offers babies to couples who want to adopt… but it's a hoax, and the couples' hopes are suddenly dashed. Now people are putting pressure on her to stop and she is hoping, perhaps in vain, to get medical help.

In the US it's increasingly common for couples who want to adopt a baby to advertise themselves on social media, in the hope of connecting with a pregnant woman preparing to place a child for adoption.

Unfortunately, images on woman's Instagram accounts were stolen and behind each avatar lay Gabby, now 24, who was promising a child that didn't exist. Each of the accounts contained a followers' list full of distressed families.

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Coronavirus update: Outlook darkens as cases spike in China, U.S. confirms 15th case

The new coronavirus epidemic in mainland China is almost certain to become more deadly than SARS 

An overnight spike of nearly 15,000 in China’s reported coronavirus cases upended world markets on Thursday, stoking new fears that the outbreak was moving into a potentially more deadly phase.

The death toll climbed to nearly 1,400 deaths while those infected topped 60,000— the majority located within or near China.

Meanwhile, the U.S. reported its 15th case, this time in Texas, and the Centers for Disease Control expect there could be more cases as 600 evacuees from Wuhan continue to remain in quarantine. The CDC is going to increase its screenings in major cities by using the flu detection system to scan for coronavirus.

Medical staff work in the isolated intensive care unit in a hospital in Wuhan, China on Feb. 6.    © AP

The U.S. response remains in the hands of individual departments, as the National Security Council lacks a global health security expert. Senators, lead by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, sent a letter to Advisor Robert O'Brien requesting an expert be named to the post amid the outbreak.

The story continues in Yahoo Finance HERE:

As of today. . ..

Scandinavian airline ad pulled after online criticism

A Scandinavian airline has pulled an advert after it was criticised by anti-immigration parties for belittling the region's history and culture.

The advert begins .. "What is truly Scandinavian? Absolutely nothing. Everything is copied,"

The iconic Swedish meatball, Danish pastry, and Scandinavian parental leave are then attributed to Turkey, Austria and Switzerland.

SAS said they believe they were the target of a co-ordinated online attack.

The advert pointed out that liquorice came from China, windmills were invented in Iran, and that the progressive politics the Nordics are known for originated in Greece and the US.

Politicians with Danish and Swedish anti-immigration populist parties criticised the message.

"What nonsense and self-hatred. Always tried to fly with SAS, but never again. That's a promise," secretary of the populist Sweden Democrats Richard Jomshof wrote on Facebook,

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National security adviser now says fired Vindman brothers weren't fired

National Security Council aide Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman (left) is seen with twin brother, Army Lt. Col. Yevgeny Vindman in November. Both felt the wrath of President Trump. (Julio Cortez/AP)

National security adviser Robert O'Brien says there was "absolutely" no retaliation against Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman and his twin brother, who were removed from their White House jobs last week in fallout from President Donald Trump's impeachment acquittal.

National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien

"Number one," O'Brien said, speaking to the Atlantic Council on Tuesday night, "they weren't fired."

The comments come just days after Trump did, in fact, fire Vindman and US ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland -- both key impeachment witnesses -- along with Vindman's twin, Lt. Col. Yevgeny Vindman, a National Security Council attorney.

An adviser to Trump had said the firings of the major impeachment witnesses was meant to send a message that siding against the President will not be tolerated. "Flushing out the pipes," the adviser told CNN. "It was necessary." Check CNN Here for the rest of the story:

O'Brien said he was the one who made the decision to "transfer" the Vindmans-- not Trump.  O’Brien said of the Vindmans, ”It was just time for them to go back, their service was no longer needed.”He noted they were not fired, but rotated out of the White House ahead of schedule. He confirmed they would be replaced.  Check AXIOS for complete story.

Mysterious radio signal from space is repeating every 16 days

(CNN)Mysterious radio signals from space have been known to repeat, but for the first time, researchers have noticed a pattern in a series of bursts coming from a single source half a billion light-years from Earth.

Fast radio bursts, or FRBs, are millisecond-long bursts of radio waves in space. Individual radio bursts emit once and don't repeat. But repeating fast radio bursts are known to send out short, energetic radio waves multiple times. And usually when they repeat, it's sporadic or in a cluster, according to previous observations.

Between September 16, 2018 and October 30, 2019, researchers with the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment/Fast Radio Burst Project collaboration detected a pattern in bursts occurring every 16.35 days. Over the course of four days, the signal would release a burst or two each hour. Then, it would go silent for another 12 days.

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Vulnerable Democrats fret over surging Sanders

The House Democrats who know a thing or two about winning in the most competitive parts of the country are sounding the alarm about Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) potentially becoming the party’s presidential nominee.

Vulnerable House Democrats are not only pessimistic about the Vermont senator’s chances against President Trump, they worry he could also cost Democrats the House majority in November.

Freshman Rep. Anthony Brindisi (D-N.Y.), co-chair of the centrist Blue Dogs, said he won’t back Sanders or Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) for president, telling The Post-Standard editorial board in Syracuse that their policies “don’t necessarily align with my beliefs” and it would be “exceedingly difficult” for either candidate to win on Election Day. 

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BA flight breaks transatlantic record - thanks to Storm Ciara

A British Airways plane is thought to have made the fastest ever flight by a conventional airliner from New York to London.

As Ciara's high winds blew into Britain on Sunday morning, the pilot managed to shave an improbable 102 minutes off its scheduled flight time.

The Boeing 747-436 was due to land at London's Heathrow Airport at 6.25am but arrived at 4.43am, having completed the 3,500-mile transatlantic journey in just four hours and 56 minutes.

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