“Moderates on both sides had come to an agreement, but hardliners on immigration like Stephen Miller blew it up,” one Democrat said, referring to the White House aide known for his restrictionist immigration views. “Now we wait until February to go through this all over again.” (On that point, Americans as a whole are similarly pessimistic: 60 percent think it’s at least somewhat likely that, within the next month, the government will shut down again.)
The world marks Holocaust Remembrance Day on Saturday, the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz Nazi death camp in 1945.
The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington hosted officials from around the world to remember the genocide.
European Union Ambassador David O’Sullivan said that museums remembering the Holocaust are essential for future generations to learn about the past atrocities.
WATCH: EU Ambassador: New Generation Needs to Keep Memory Alive
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“The new generation also needs people, stories and places to keep the memory alive. To make sure we keep the promise made at the end of the Holocaust — Never Again,” O’Sullivan said.
Museum officials also read a letter from Dr. Muhammad Al-Issa, secretary-general of the Muslim World League based in Saudi Arabia, who wrote, “Who in their right mind would accept, sympathize or even diminish the extent of this brutal crime?”
WATCH: Letter From Secretary General of Muslim World League
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First lady Melania Trump was among those who toured the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum Friday and tweeted that she experienced a “powerful and moving tour.” She posted a photograph of her lighting a candle at the Prayer Wall.
The U.N. Security Council announced Friday that it will visit the U.S. Holocaust Museum on Monday as part of a trip to Washington, where members will have lunch with President Donald Trump.
The White House on Friday recognized International Holocaust Remembrance Day with a message that said, “We acknowledge this dark stain on human history and vow to never let it happen again.”
The statement specifically mentioned the 6 million Jews killed by the Nazis, following criticism last year that it made no mention of Jews in its statement.
“Tomorrow (Saturday) marks the 73rd anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the Nazi death and concentration camp in Poland,” the statement said.
“We take this opportunity to recall the Nazis’ systematic persecution and brutal murder of 6 million Jewish people. In their death camps and under their inhuman rule, the Nazis also enslaved and killed millions of Slavs, Roma, gays, people with disabilities, priests and religious leaders, and others who courageously opposed their brutal regime,” the statement said.
WATCH: Saved by Ukrainian Family, Jewish Boy Lived to Become Nobel Laureate
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Last year, the White House defended its omission of Jews from the statement with Hope Hicks, now the White House communications director, saying that “despite what the media reports, we are an incredibly inclusive group, and we took into account all of those who suffered.”
At the United Nations, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement Friday that “decades since the Second World War, we see the persistence of anti-Semitism and an increase in other forms of prejudice.”
He said the world remembers the 6 million Jews who died in the Holocaust and said, “All of us have a responsibility to quickly, clearly and decisively resist racism and violence.”
The bill would apply to all schools, he said, but rural school districts might find it especially useful. Kentucky has 264 police officers who serve as school resource officers at schools in half of the state’s counties, “but for some of our rural counties, which are small, they can’t afford it,” Alvarado said.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz of Hawaii said on Thursday that state and local governments should be prohibited from sending missile alerts like the errant warning that stirred hysteria across his state earlier this month.
Also at a Senate Commerce Committee hearing about the blunder, a federal regulator disclosed that the state civil defense employee who mistakenly activated the alert during a drill has refused to speak with investigators.
Schatz, a top Democrat on the committee, told the hearing he was introducing legislation to make clear only the federal government is authorized to send nuclear alerts to the public.
A spokesman for the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency (HEMA), which transmitted the false alarm, said state officials were open to exploring Schatz’ proposal.
Under the current system, the state is only supposed to transmit a nuclear attack warning to the public if notified by the U.S. military’s Pacific Command of an inbound missile, according to the spokesman, Richard Rapoza.
He said similar federal-to-state “handoff” arrangements exist for electronic warnings to the public of impending natural disasters, such as tsunamis and hurricanes.
“If Sen. Schatz wants to revisit that, then we’d be happy to discuss it with him,” Rapoza told Reuters by telephone.
The false alarm, which went uncorrected for 38 minutes after being transmitted to mobile phones and broadcast stations, caused widespread panic across the Pacific island state. The Jan. 13 scare came amid heightened tensions over North Korea’s ballistic nuclear weapons program.
State authorities have acknowledged human error and a lack of adequate fail-safe measures were to blame and vowed to correct deficiencies.
The erroneous message was sent when a HEMA employee made the wrong selection from a “drop-down” software menu, choosing to activate a live missile alert instead of an internal test alarm, state officials have said.
One protocol change is requiring two individuals to sign off on transmitting tests or live alerts. Another makes false-alarm notices easier to issue.
The Federal Communications Commission bureau chief overseeing public safety, Lisa Fowlkes, praised state cooperation with the FCC probe but said she was “disappointed” that the employee found at fault had refused an interview. “We hope that person will reconsider,” she said.
The employee remains reassigned from his previous post as a warning systems officer, but no other staff changes or disciplinary actions have been made, Rapoza said.
“We encouraged all of our employees to cooperate with all the investigations, but what an individual does comes down to their own personal choice,” Rapoza said. “We’re disappointed that this person is not cooperating.”
Further electronic alert drills remain suspended, but monthly tests of Hawaii’s newly reinstated air raid siren warnings for a missile attack will continue as scheduled, with the next one set for Feb. 1, Rapoza said.
Reporting by David Shepardson in Washington; Additional reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and James Dalgleish
Joe Kennedy rose in national prominence last year after delivering a series of speeches blasting Republican efforts to repeal Obamacare and criticizing Trump’s response to a deadly white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va. | Pete Marovich/Getty Images
Rep. Joe Kennedy, a rising star in the Democratic Party, will deliver the Democratic response to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union on Tuesday, sources told POLITICO.
Kennedy (D-Mass.) is a closely watched member of the House Democratic Caucus, not only because of his famous last name, but for his future ambitions. Many Democrats expect Kennedy to follow in the footsteps of his elders and run for Senate when a seat opens in Massachusetts.
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“While President Trump has consistently broken his promises to the middle class, Congressman Kennedy profoundly understands the challenges facing hardworking men and women across the country,” House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said in a statement.
Kennedy, 37, rose in national prominence last year after delivering a series of speeches blasting Republican efforts to repeal Obamacare and criticizing Trump’s response to a deadly white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.
One video of Kennedy criticizing Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) during the GOP push to dismantle the health care law garnered more than 10 million views on Facebook. A separate video post-Charlottesville was watched some 15 million times.
Tapping Kennedy is also notable because he represents a younger wave of Democrats in a party that is sometimes criticized for its cadre of older leaders and potential 2020 presidential contenders, all in their 70s.
Virginia Delegate Elizabeth Guzman will deliver the Spanish-language response for Democrats. Guzman, a Peruvian immigrant, was one of two Latinas elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in November, a first for the state.
“In their responses to the President’s address, Congressman Kennedy and Virginia Delegate Guzman will both do an excellent job in making clear that Democrats are laser-focused on enacting policies to benefit middle class Americans, not special interests or the wealthiest,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said in a statement.
The opposition party’s response to the State of the Union often gets a lot of attention upfront but has had mixed results — sometimes resulting in long-running parodies — in the past.
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) is still remembered for taking a big gulp of water in the middle of his rebuttal to President Barack Obama in 2013. And then-Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal’s 2009 response is still widely panned as one of the worst in history.
Kennedy is the grandson of the late Sen. Robert Kennedy and great nephew of the late President John F. Kennedy and Sen. Edward Kennedy. His office did not respond to a request for comment.
Rep. Patrick Meehan, R-Pa., in March 2013. News broke Jan. 20 of his taxpayer-funded sexual harassment settlement with a staff member. Now he has decided not to seek re-election in November.
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Rep. Patrick Meehan, R-Pa., in March 2013. News broke Jan. 20 of his taxpayer-funded sexual harassment settlement with a staff member. Now he has decided not to seek re-election in November.
Jacquelyn Martin/AP
Another congressman is declining to run for re-election after facing sexual harassment accusations.
Pennsylvania Republican Patrick Meehan, who up until this week had been one of the House Ethics Committee members investigating sexual harassment charges, was revealed Jan. 20 to have paid a taxpayer-funded settlement to an accuser last year.
The New York Times reported Meehan had settled with a younger staff member after telling her he was attracted to her. House Speaker Paul Ryan removed Meehan from the Ethics Committee post after the story was published.
Meehan has decided to leave the House, sources in Congress and the Pennsylvania Republican Party confirmed Thursday night, saying he won’t defend his seat in November’s election.
“Unfortunately, recent events concerning my office and the settlement of certain harassment allegations have become a major distraction,” he wrote. “I need to own it because it is my own conduct that fueled the matter.”
Meehan hasn’t denied the facts of the settlement, and even told reporters he viewed the woman as a soul mate — but insisted the conversation and a letter he wrote her wasn’t harassment. He told member station WHYY: “[I clarified] that I was a happily-married man. I was not looking for any kind of a relationship.”
His decision not to run again opens up a Democratic-leaning House seat in suburban Philadelphia that already had been high on Democrats’ lists of 2018 targets.
Dr. Nassar, 54, was accused of molesting girls for years under the guise of giving them examinations or medical treatment. Some were as young as 6. Many of them were Olympic gymnasts. In November, he pleaded guilty to sexually abusing seven girls. He had already been sentenced to 60 years in federal prison for child pornography convictions.
The case and its ramifications are far from over. It has ignited outrage in the sports world and beyond, leading to the resignation this week of the chairman and several board members of the governing body for gymnastics in the United States, U.S.A. Gymnastics. Last week, the organization cut ties with the private training center at a remote Texas ranch where some of the abuse occurred.
And at Michigan State, where Dr. Nassar spent years on the faculty and treated many of its athletes, an outpouring of political pressure led to the resignation of the university’s president, Lou Anna K. Simon, late Wednesday.
Ms. Simon’s resignation may have just been the beginning at Michigan State, as the N.C.A.A. on Tuesday formally opened an investigation into the university’s conduct.
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Judge Rosemarie Aquilina read a portion of a letter written by Dr. Nassar. Credit
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The United States Olympic Committee, which some of the young women condemned for not doing enough to protect them when they joined the team and had to continue to see Dr. Nassar, said on Wednesday it was now taking action.
Moments after the judge delivered her sentence, the Olympic committee issued a statement calling on the entire U.S.A. Gymnastics board to resign and promising additional steps to investigate Dr. Nassar’s conduct and ensure athletes are not harmed in the future. The Olympic committee’s chief executive, Scott Blackmun, also apologized for not attending the hearing, after gymnasts pointedly condemned the U.S.O.C. for lack of support.
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A number of civil lawsuits have also been filed.
The sentencing hearing itself, streamed live on the internet, captured national attention for extending several days to allow for victim impact statements from girls and women who said they were molested by Dr. Nassar over the years. Many of the victims had not previously identified themselves. Initial plans to conclude after four days were altered as more women came forward.
Among those who have accused him are the Olympic gold medalists Aly Raisman, McKayla Maroney, Gabby Douglas, Jordyn Wieber and Simone Biles.
The final three victims spoke on Wednesday. Rachael Denhollander, who was one of the first women to come forward with public accusations against Dr. Nassar, was the last to speak at his sentencing hearing. “Larry is the most dangerous type of abuser,” she said. “One who is capable of manipulating his victims through coldly calculated grooming methodologies, presenting the most wholesome and caring external persona as a deliberate means to ensure a steady stream of young children to assault.”
Judge Aquilina praised Ms. Denhollander for opening the floodgates. “You are the bravest person I have ever had in my courtroom,” she said.
The sentence carries a minimum 40 years imprisonment, adhering to the terms of the plea agreement, but the judge advised that should Dr. Nassar improbably live longer than any human has, and come up for parole after serving the federal and state sentences, his time in state prison should extend to 175 years.
Nassar also pleaded guilty in November on three sexual abuse counts in a neighboring county. That sentencing is later this month.
The statements by the young women in the past week were forceful and at times anguished.
“Imagine feeling like you have no power and no voice,” Ms. Raisman said in court last Friday. “Well, you know what, Larry? I have both power and voice, and I am only just beginning to use them. All these brave women have power, and we will use our voices to make sure you get what you deserve: a life of suffering spent replaying the words delivered by this powerful army of survivors.”
As part of a lawsuit settlement, Ms. Maroney had signed a nondisclosure agreement with U.S.A. Gymnastics that would have caused her to be fined more than $100,000 for speaking about the abuse. After several celebrities offered to pay the fine, the organization said it would not fine her.
“Dr. Nassar was not a doctor,” she said. “He in fact is, was, and forever shall be a child molester, and a monster of a human being.”
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In the end, though, Judge Aquilina had the final words.
“Your decision to assault was precise, calculated, manipulative, devious, despicable,” she told Dr. Nassar in part. “I don’t have to add words because your survivors have said all of that and I don’t want to repeat it. You can’t give them back their innocence, their youth.”
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The couple were barred by the judge from contacting their 13 children
A judge in California has issued a protective order banning the parents of 13 siblings allegedly held captive in a suburban home from contacting them.
David and Louise Turpin, appearing shackled in court, must stay 100 yards away from their children and have no electronic contact for three years.
The Turpins have been charged with multiple counts of torture, false imprisonment and other charges.
The couple has pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.
A former classmate of the couple’s eldest daughter has said she was relentlessly bullied in school.
Taha Muntajibuddin described her in a Facebook post as “a frail girl” who wore the same purple outfit every day.
Mr Muntajibuddin, who attended nursery with her in Fort Worth, Texas, wrote that he felt “an overwhelming sense of guilt and shame” when learning about the conditions his former classmate experienced at home.
How can parents torture their children?
He wrote: “You can’t help but feel rotten when the classmate your peers made fun of for ‘smelling like poop’ quite literally had to sit in her own waste because she was chained to her bed.”
Mr Muntajibuddin, who realised he went to Meadowcreek Elementary School with the eldest daughter when reading the news of the Turpin case, described her clothes as looking as though they had been dragged through mud.
“It is nothing but sobering to know that the person who sat across from you at the lunch table went home to squalor and filth while you went home to a warm meal and a bedtime story,” Mr Muntajibuddin wrote.
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Louise Turpin, 49, appears in court at her arraignment with husband David on 18 January 2018
He said the eldest Turpin child was often called the “cootie kid” – a reference to an imaginary childhood disease – and teased continually by her classmates.
“I distinctly remember my entire third grade class scoffing at her one day because our teacher had asked her to discard a scrunchy she had used to tie her hair out of a discarded tin foil wrapper from an old Hershey’s bar,” he said.
The eldest son of Turpins reportedly attended classes at a community college in San Jacinto, California, where a classmate has described him as withdrawn and visibly hungry, according to a local media.
Angie Parra, a classmate at the Riverside County college, told NBC Los Angeles the young man was “sweet but odd” and always wore the same clothes.
According to ABC News, the unnamed Turpin son had achieved a 3.93 grade point average, equivalent to an A grade.
The 13 siblings were allegedly kept in squalid conditions in their home, often chained to beds and unable to use the toilet, until the couple’s 17-year-old daughter escaped on 14 January and alerted the authorities.
It has been reported in local media that the Turpins were due to move within days of the daughter’s escape.
Mr Turpin, 57, was said to have received a job transfer to Oklahoma with a defence contractor, Northrop Grumann.
About 20 people from across the country, including nurses and psychologists, have offered to care for the seven adult siblings and six children.
The Riverside University Health System Foundation, which is collecting donations for the children, has received 1,500 contributions that total $120,000 (£84,400), according to spokeswoman Kim Trone.
Prosecutors detailed some of the horrific allegations against the parents in a news conference, including frequent beatings of their children, only allowing one shower a year, and keeping them chained to their beds.
Media captionShackled siblings: What we know about their lives
The siblings, age two to 29, were found in an emaciated state by authorities in their home in Perris, according to police.
Officers had at first thought all the children were minors until they realised some were frail and malnourished adults.
Mr Muntajibuddin said that despite being bullied, the Turpin girl “was still one of the most pleasant people I have had the opportunity to meet”.
“She had this whimsical optimism to her that couldn’t be dampened, couldn’t be doused no matter what anybody threw at her,” he added.
Can anyone open a school at home in California?
If found guilty of the dozens of charges against them, the Turpin couple could receive 94 years to life in prison.
ADAMS COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) – Adams County Sheriff’s Office says a deputy was shot and killed near 88th Avenue and Dawson Street, near Washington Avenue.
They say deputies responded to an assault on Dawson Street before 7 p.m.
Scene of ‘officer down’ in Adams County (credit: CBS)
When they arrived, a suspect ran away and deputies began looking for him.
They later contacted a man who matched a suspect’s descriptions. Authorities say that man ran from them and lead them behind a home. When deputies caught up to him, the suspect pulled out a handgun and shot at deputies.
(credit: CBS)
One bullet hit a deputy in the chest which ultimately killed him. The suspect again ran away.
Authorities say two suspects are still at large and considered dangerous. They are described as light-skin or Hispanic males wearing all black. One other suspect is in custody.
Officer down, please avoid the area of 88th and Dawson Street. Large perimeter with suspect still at large. Those of you in that area, please seek shelter away from the doors and windows.
Deputies are asking the public to stay away from the area and away from doors and windows.
Authorities are asking for the public’s help to call 720-322-1313 for any information about this incident.
Gov. John Hickenlooper issued a statement on Wednesday night’s deadly shooting:
“Tonight we watched as a community was on edge and a sheriff’s deputy was shot while responding to a call in Adams County. We are deeply saddened to learn that the deputy has died from injuries sustained in the shooting. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Adams County Sheriff’s Office and the family and friends of the deputy killed. The investigation is ongoing and authorities continue to work to restore calm to the area.”
Among those to earn a nomination over Franco on Tuesday was “Roman J. Israel, Esq.” star Denzel Washington, whose performance received positive reviews in a movie that bombed at the box office and was generally not beloved by critics. Tom Hanks, who played Washington Post Editor in Chief Ben Bradlee in “The Post,” did not receive a nomination, but newcomer Daniel Kaluuya, who stars in “Get Out,” did earn recognition from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
