More than a dozen parents involved in college admissions scam to appear in court

The parents are expected to plead not guilty.

Does the media owe Trump an apology?

Even the country’s best newspapers and websites present almost everything the administration does in dramatic tones beyond all proportion, as if the mere act of Trump trying to govern constituted an existential threat.

Theresa May in quotes: from 'Brexit means Brexit' to I quit

LONDON (AP) — Theresa May is the "Brexit Means Brexit" prime minister. For almost three years since Britain voted to leave the European Union, May repeated the mantra that she would deliver the departure.

Joe Biden leads Bernie Sanders, Beto O'Rourke, Kamala Harris in latest Quinnipiac poll

Joe Biden held a lead over Bernie Sanders, Beto O'Rourke and Kamala Harris in latest Quinnipiac poll. Survey found 23 percent of voters viewed AOC unfavorably.

Investigators believe anti-stall system activated in Ethiopia crash: WSJ

Investigators probing the fatal crash of a Boeing 737 Max in Ethiopia have reached a preliminary conclusion that a suspect anti-stall system activated shortly before it nose-dived to the ground, the WSJ reported Friday citing people familiar with the matter. The findings were based on flight recorder data and represented the strongest indication yet that the system, known as MCAS, malfunctioned in both the Ethiopian Airlines crash on March 10 and the Lion Air crash in Indonesia last year, the Wall Street Journal said. US government experts have been analyzing details gathered by their Ethiopian counterparts for the past few days, the newspaper added, and the emerging consensus was relayed at a high-level briefing of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Thursday.

Italy’s Deal With China Signals a Shift as U.S. Influence Recedes

By JASON HOROWITZ from NYT World https://ift.tt/2JSSBTi

Netanyahu says prepared for 'comprehensive' Gaza operation

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday Israel is prepared for a widespread military campaign in Gaza as tensions simmered following the latest flare-up -- but only after all other options were exhausted. Netanyahu has been seeking to head off political pressure over Gaza ahead of April 9 elections, in which he faces a strong challenge from former military chief Benny Gantz. "In recent days I gave instructions to fortify forces, to add vehicles, to be prepared for a comprehensive campaign," he said during the inauguration of a new road in northern Israel.

Russia Urges U.S. to Publish Mueller Report on Meddling in Full

(Bloomberg) -- Russia called on the U.S. to publish in full Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report, saying this is the best way to clear up allegations of Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential elections.

Ex-Yale coach pleads guilty for soliciting almost $1 million in bribes in college admissions scandal

The former women’s soccer coach at Yale University is expected to plead guilty Thursday to taking bribes in exchange for pretending applicants were recruits to boost their chances of getting into the school.

Fifth grader dies after classroom fight

School officials say a fifth grader who was injured when a fight broke out in her classroom at a South Carolina school has died. Linda So reports.

Pakistan says it found no links to Kashmir suicide blast

Pakistan Thursday said it had found no links between militants swept up in a recent dragnet and a suicide attack in Indian-administered Kashmir last month that brought the nuclear-armed rivals to the brink of war. The announcement by Pakistan's foreign office comes after India provided Pakistani officials with a list of 90 suspected militants and 22 locations of alleged training camps. "While 54 detained individuals are being investigated, no details linking them to Pulwama have been found so far," the foreign office said, referring to the area where the attack occurred in Kashmir in February.

'Mother of all migrant caravans' forming in Honduras as Trump threatens again to shut US-Mexico border

Mexico’s interior minister has warned that “the mother of all migrant caravans” is gathering in Honduras, as President Donald Trump again threatened to seal the US-Mexican border. Olga Sanchez-Cordero said the caravan, forming in the Central American nation, was 20,000-strong. Another caravan of roughly 2,500 migrants is currently heading north. Mexican officials announced that the government is was seeking to set up a "containment" belt of federal forces across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, which is the narrowest part of the country's south and the easiest to control. The governments of Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and the United States on Thursday announced they had agreed to a series of measures, including joint police work, improved border security, and efforts to deter international crime and curb "irregular migration." Mr Trump, however, insisted on Thursday that more should be done. "May close the Southern Border!" the president tweeted. Mexico is doing NOTHING to help stop the flow of illegal immigrants to our Country. They are all talk and no action. Likewise, Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador have taken our money for years, and do Nothing. The Dems don’t care, such BAD laws. May close the Southern Border!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 28, 2019 "Mexico is doing NOTHING to help stop the flow of illegal immigrants to our Country. They are all talk and no action. "Likewise, Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador have taken our money for years, and do Nothing. The Dems don't care, such BAD laws." The new threat to shut one of the world's busiest borders, separating two countries with massive economic and cultural links, shows Mr Trump is doubling down on his bid to make immigration a keystone of the gathering 2020 re-election campaign. Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Mr Trump’s Mexican counterpart, rejected the criticism, saying on Thursday: "We are doing something on this issue." He added: "We are going to help in every way we can. We don't in any way want a confrontation with the United States." Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, president of Mexico But Mr Lopez Obrador, who during his electoral campaign last year trod a fine line between standing up for Mexico and avoiding antagonising Mr Trump, said a solution would depend on "fundamentally addressing the causes of migration." Kevin McAleenan, border protection agency commissioner, said on Wednesday that the southwestern frontier faces "an unprecedented humanitarian and border security crisis." The border agency took in more than 12,000 migrants this week, it said, while just half that number would be considered already reaching "crisis level." The agency is on track to detain more than 100,000 people in March - the highest monthly total in a decade. Attempts to get across the border into the United States illegally are down substantially from a decade or more ago, but the last year has seen a surge. Furthermore, the trend of arrivals has changed from single men to families and often small children - greatly complicating the task of authorities in providing basic services to detained migrants, while their cases are decided.

Pope issues new child abuse legislation for Vatican City

Pope Francis issued stringent child abuse legislation for Vatican City employees on Friday, as part of the Church's bid to address a wave of sex abuse allegations against priests. The legislation requires officials and employees in the Vatican City State as well the Roman Curia, the central administration of the Catholic Church, to immediately report any abuse against minors and vulnerable people or face fines or a prison sentence. Francis said in a letter released with his "motu proprio" decree that it was the duty of everyone "to generously welcome children and vulnerable persons, and to create a safe environment for them".

Migrants being held in Texas enclosure as surge overwhelms El Paso

The enclosure holds migrants crossing the border illegally in metropolitan El Paso as they wait to be processed at a nearby Border Patrol station, U.S. Border Patrol Agent Ramiro Cordero said by phone. How long they remain in the enclosure, set up late last month below the city's Paso del Norte International Bridge to Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, depends on how many migrants cross the border, he said. Migrants at the enclosure are given thermal blankets and can get shelter, food, water and a medical evaluation, officials said.

What we learned from Barr's summary of the Mueller report

What’s in the attorney general’s summary of the Trump-Russia investigation? And will the report be made public? Full four-page letter of Barr’s summaryFollow the latest US politics news William Barr sent his summary of the Muller report to Congress on Sunday Photograph: Alex Wroblewski/Getty Images Barr is still reviewing Muller’s report William Barr: Although my review is ongoing, I believe that it is in the public interest to describe the report and to summarize the principal conclusions reached by the Special Counsel and the results of his investigation. Barr immediately makes clear that his letter will only be a summary of the top-line conclusions from Robert Mueller’s 22-month investigation. At just four pages long, the letter makes no claim to outline the full substance of the special counsel’s findings, nor does it detail the evidence Mueller has amassed or the legal reasoning behind his decision making. Instead, we have the bare bones. Mueller had handed the full report to the attorney general less than 48 hours earlier, and Barr makes clear he is still reviewing its contents. On the size of the investigation In the report, the Special Counsel noted that, in completing his investigation, he employed 19 lawyers who were assisted by a team of approximately 40 FBI agents, intelligence analysts, forensic accountants, and other professional staff. The Special Counsel issued more than 2,800 subpoenas, executed nearly 500 search warrants, obtained more than 230 orders for communication records, issued almost 50 orders authorizing use of pen registers, made 13 requests to foreign governments for evidence, and interviewed approximately 500 witnesses. Here, the sheer size of the Mueller investigation is laid bare for the first time. Although the cost of the Russia investigation has been public for some time, along with the 37 public indictments issued by Mueller, the scale of the evidence he has amassed has not been known. Barr is clearly alluding to how comprehensive the special counsel’s investigation has been. While the length of Mueller’s final report is not known, it is likely to be based on hundreds of thousands of pages of evidence. Democrats have made clear they want access to as much of the report and its underlying evidence as possible. No new indictments The report does not recommend any further indictments, nor did the Special Counsel obtain any sealed indictments yet to be made public. This is the first of Barr’s major announcements: Mueller will issue no fresh charges as the investigation wraps up. This is clearly good news for members of Donald Trump’s inner circle, including his son Donald Trump Jr, his son-in-law Jared Kushner and, indeed, for Trump himself. There had been speculation that a number of sealed indictments in the same district court handling the Mueller prosecution could relate to further indictments from the special counsel. This is now clearly not the case. However, other criminal investigations involving the president and members of his inner circle are ongoing, most notably in the southern district of New York. Barr makes no comment on the status of these proceedings. On collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia The Special Counsel’s investigation did not find that the Trump campaign or anyone associated with it conspired or coordinated with Russia in its efforts to influence the 2016 U.S. presidential election. As the report states: “[T]he investigation did not establish that members of the Trump Campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities.” This is undoubtedly a pivotal conclusion of the investigation. Following almost two years of investigation Barr says that Mueller has found no evidence to prove that any member of the Trump campaign colluded with Russia during the 2016 election. He quotes only a partial sentence from the report to substantiate this. Also of note here is Barr’s supplying a short definition of how Mueller defined collusion. Quoting directly from Mueller’s report in a short footnote, Barr says the special counsel counted collusion as an “agreement – tacit or express – between the Trump campaign and the Russian government on election interference”. This means that for any member of the campaign to be accused of colluding with Russia they would have had to have done so knowingly. Barr says that Mueller found two ways in which Russians interfered during 2016: a coordinated internet disinformation campaign and direct computer hacking. He provides no further details on the crimes themselves but further information on at least some of these actions has already been made public by Mueller through criminal indictments. On obstruction of justice The Special Counsel therefore did not draw a conclusion – one way or the other – as to whether the examined conduct constituted obstruction. Instead, for each of the relevant actions investigated, the report sets out evidence on both sides of the question and leaves unresolved what the Special Counsel views as “difficult issues” of law and fact concerning whether the President’s actions and intent could be viewed as obstruction. The Special Counsel states that “while this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him.” Barr briskly moves on to the last major revelation from Mueller: the special counsel was unable to decide whether Donald Trump obstructed justice during the investigation. Barr once again hangs a partial sentence quoted from the report making clear that Mueller did not completely clear Trump of obstruction. But the scant details make it impossible to understand the legal reasoning behind Mueller’s decision nor all the evidence taken into account to make it. Conclusion on obstruction of justice After reviewing the Special Counsel’s final report on these issues; consulting with Department officials, including the Office of Legal Counsel; and applying the principles of federal prosecution that guide our charging decisions, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and I have concluded that the evidence developed during the Special Counsel’s investigation is not sufficient to establish that the President committed an obstruction-of-justice offense. This revelation is likely to be the most controversial, at least until more of Mueller’s report is released. It was Barr and his deputy Rod Rosenstein, both appointed to their positions by Trump himself, that decided the president should face no prosecution over obstruction of justice. Although Barr displays those he consulted with to make that decision and cites justice department guidelines governing the process, there is no escaping that the decision not to prosecute the president was made by one of his own cabinet members who has already privately described Mueller’s investigation of obstruction of justice as “fatally misconceived”. Barr explains his decision not to charge Trump with obstruction Generally speaking, to obtain and sustain an obstruction conviction, the government would need to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a person, acting with corrupt intent, engaged in obstructive conduct with a a sufficient nexus to a pending or contemplated proceeding. In cataloguing the President’s actions, many of which took place in public view, the report identifies no actions that, in our judgement, constitute obstructive conduct, had a nexus to a pending or contemplated proceeding, and were done with corrupt intent, each of which, under the Department’s principles of federal prosecution guiding charging decisions, would need to be proven beyond a reasonable doubt to establish an obstruction-of-justice offense. Barr provides a little elaboration on his decision not to charge Trump with obstruction. Critically, Barr makes the point that at least part of the reason Trump is not being charged is due to the lack of an underlying crime. That while there may be sound arguments for Trump obstructing justice, it was not itself a criminal act because there had been no crime in the first place. There is also a suggestion from Barr here that while many of these potentially obstructive actions took place in public – it seems likely he is partially referring to Trump’s public comments on his decision to fire FBI director James Comey – there are others the public may not yet know about. Will the public see the Mueller report? As I have previously stated, however, I am mindful of the public interest in this matter. For that reason, my goal and intent is to release as much of the Special Counsel’s report as I can consistent with applicable law, regulations, and Departmental policies. The attorney general concludes by making a commitment to making parts of Mueller’s report available to the public. In a letter to lawmakers on 29 March, Barr said a redacted version of the report would be delivered to Congress by mid-April, possibly before. Senior Democrats have indicated they will issue a subpoena for the full report if they are not satisfied with what Barr provides.

Boeing anti-stall system was activated in Ethiopia crash: source

Boeing's MCAS anti-stall system, which was implicated in the October crash of a 737 MAX 8 airliner in Indonesia, was also activated shortly before a recent accident in Ethiopia, a source with knowledge of the investigation said Friday. The information is among the preliminary findings from the analysis of the "black boxes" retrieved from Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, which crashed southeast of Addis Ababa on March 10, killing 157 people, the source told AFP on condition of anonymity. The information retrieved from the plane's voice and data recorders was presented Thursday to US authorities, including the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the source said.

U.K. Edges Closer to Election After May's Brexit Deal Rejected

Speaking after the result of the vote was announced Friday afternoon, the prime minister gave a veiled warning that an election could be necessary to end the stalemate in the House of Commons, which has failed to back a Brexit plan after months of trying. May said the defeat of her strategy had “grave” implications for the country, while the European Commission said an economically damaging no-deal split is now “a likely scenario.” EU leaders will meet for an emergency summit on April 10 to seek a way forward.

The Latest: Israel military beefs up presence on Gaza border

JERUSALEM (AP) — The Latest on the Israel-Palestinian conflict (all times local):

Major protests to test Israel-Gaza calm ahead of elections

Thousands of Palestinians are expected to gather along the Israel-Gaza border Saturday for protests that could severely test a fragile calm between the Jewish state and the Strip's Islamist rulers Hamas. Right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing a stiff challenge from a centrist former military chief and wants to avoid accusations of being soft on Hamas. Late Friday, Hamas officials said a deal had been reached that would see the protestors remain calm and refrain from approaching the fence, in exchange for Israeli concessions.

Betsy DeVos wants to cut Special Olympics funds and people are outraged: What we know now

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos' proposal to eliminate federal funding for Special Olympics has drawn strong reaction on Capitol Hill and beyond.

Gaza, Israel brace for mass border demos

Palestinians in Gaza are expected to gather in huge numbers along the fence separating them from Israel on Saturday, testing a fragile ceasefire only days after a major flareup. The demonstrations mark the first anniversary of deadly protests on the border with Israel. Days of negotiations have raised hopes that the kind of bloodshed seen in previous mass protests, particularly last May against the transfer of the US embassy to Jerusalem, can be avoided.

Investigators believe anti-stall system activated in Ethiopia crash: WSJ

Investigators probing the fatal crash of a Boeing 737 Max in Ethiopia have reached a preliminary conclusion that a suspect anti-stall system activated shortly before it nose-dived to the ground, the WSJ reported Friday citing people familiar with the matter. The findings were based on flight recorder data and represented the strongest indication yet that the system, known as MCAS, malfunctioned in both the Ethiopian Airlines crash on March 10 and the Lion Air crash in Indonesia last year, the Wall Street Journal said. US government experts have been analyzing details gathered by their Ethiopian counterparts for the past few days, the newspaper added, and the emerging consensus was relayed at a high-level briefing of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Thursday.

UPDATE 1-Netanyahu says Israel ready for Gaza campaign if needed; Palestinians plan huge march

GAZA-ISRAEL BORDER, March 28 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that Israel is prepared to wage a broad military campaign in Gaza if needed, after a two-day flareup of cross-border fighting that has thrust his security policies to the fore two weeks before an election. In Gaza, organizers announced plans for a massive protest on Saturday along the border to mark the anniversary of weekly demonstrations at which Israeli forces have, according to Gaza medical officials, already killed nearly 200 Palestinians. Israel launched air strikes and moved troops and armor reinforcements to the Gaza border this week after a rocket attack from the Hamas Islamist-run enclave wounded seven Israelis in a village north of Tel Aviv on Monday.

Trump says FBI will review Jussie Smollett case: 'It is an embarrassment to our Nation!'

President Trump announced on Twitter that the FBI and Justice Department will look into the Jussie Smollett case after prosecutors dropped all criminal charges against the “Empire” actor, who had been accused of faking a hate-crime attack.

AP sources: Mueller report is more than 300 pages long

WASHINGTON (AP) — Special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation report is more than 300 pages long, a Justice Department official and another person familiar with the document said Thursday.

Ingraham: When losers act like winners

Loser mentality grips the left; Stacey Abrams and Beto O'Rourke lost their individual elections but act like they can control the Democratic agenda.

Trump-Mueller report contains damaging information on president, says Fox News' Judge Napolitano: 'There is something there'

A Fox News legal analyst has warned viewers Robert Mueller’s report “undoubtedly” contains evidence of collusion with Russia and an attempt by Donald Trump to obstruct justice. Andrew Napolitano, a former New Jersey superior court judge whose views have previously been parroted by Mr Trump, also said the document ran to 700 pages, a detail previously unknown and yet to be confirmed by the Department of Justice. A four-page summary of the report written over the weekend by attorney general William Barr cleared the Trump campaign of conspiracy and concluded there was insufficient evidence to prosecute the president with obstruction.

Theresa May’s Brexit Deal Still Looks Doomed. Here’s the Calculation

In parallel to debating May’s deal, members of Parliament are trying to find an alternative way through the impasse with a series of non-binding “indicative votes.” The results this week showed just how hard it will be to find a consensus that a Conservative prime minister could deliver.

Grounded Boeing 737 Max also grounds FAA reputation

Ethiopian Airlines and Lion Air crashes are only the latest tragedies from Federal Aviation Administration's coziness with airline industry: Our view

Ex-Yale coach pleads guilty for soliciting almost $1 million in bribes in college admissions scandal

The former women’s soccer coach at Yale University is expected to plead guilty Thursday to taking bribes in exchange for pretending applicants were recruits to boost their chances of getting into the school.

Trump calls for Schiff to resign from Congress

President Trump is joining the chorus of Republicans calling for Rep. Adam Schiff’s resignation as the House Intelligence Committee chairman refuses to drop his investigation of the Trump campaign’s contacts with Russia.

‘We’re in the Last Hour’: Democracy Itself Is on Trial in Brexit, Britons Say

By ELLEN BARRY and BENJAMIN MUELLER from NYT World https://ift.tt/2FFSoNQ

‘In Afghanistan, We Laugh Differently’

By DANNA HARMAN and ANDREA DICENZO from NYT World https://ift.tt/2HZ2wnP

On Politics: The Biggest Stories of the Week

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N.C.A.A. Women’s Tournament: UConn Overcomes Fourth-Quarter Deficit

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS from NYT Sports https://ift.tt/2ux98C3

Patients ‘Hit the Call Bell and Nobody Comes.’ Hospital Nurses Demand ‘Safe Staffing’ Levels.

By PATRICK McGEEHAN from NYT New York https://ift.tt/2FJWKVt

In Lisbon, a Carpet of Stone Beneath Their Feet

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Isn’t Goa Style a Bikini? Not According to a New Museum

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Adorning the Stars of La Scala

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From Cattle Fodder to High-End Watches

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The Week in Arts: Martha Graham, ‘Ink’ and Let’s Eat Grandma

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What’s on TV Saturday: ‘S.N.L.’ and ‘Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again’

By SARA ARIDI from NYT Arts https://ift.tt/2uBjGQo

The Dangerous Flaws in Boeing’s Automated System

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Esto es Estados Unidos: ¿Usted es ciudadano de este país?

By Por THE NEW YORK TIMES from NYT Universal https://ift.tt/2V4uQc5

White House Blames Fed for Slowing Economic Growth

By KATIE ROGERS from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2Uh3ceV

David Boren, Former University of Oklahoma President, Faces Sexual Misconduct Allegations

By CHRISTOPHER MELE from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2WxdkgU

Rangers Rally to Deal Blues Setback in Playoff Race

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS from NYT Sports https://ift.tt/2Wxtmaz

North Carolina Is Ousted by Fifth-Seeded Auburn; Kentucky Survives Against Houston

By JOE DRAPE from NYT Sports https://ift.tt/2U3Ok4n

Duke Is Pushed to the Limit by Virginia Tech

By MARC TRACY and KEVIN ARMSTRONG from NYT Sports https://ift.tt/2TIMBMz

What to Do When You’re Bored With Your Routines

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Workplace Kudos

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Netanyahu says Israel ready for Gaza campaign if needed; Palestinians plan huge march

In Gaza, organizers announced plans for a massive protest on Saturday along the border to mark the anniversary of weekly demonstrations at which Israeli forces have, according to Gaza medical officials, already killed nearly 200 Palestinians. Israel launched air strikes and moved troops and armor reinforcements to the Gaza border this week after a rocket attack from the Hamas Islamist-run enclave wounded seven Israelis in a village north of Tel Aviv on Monday. "All Israelis should know that if a comprehensive campaign is required, we will enter it strong and safe, and after we have exhausted all of the other possibilities," Netanyahu said after visiting the Gaza frontier and meeting with Israeli commanders.