| Here's the biggest news you missed this weekend |
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| Poll: Americans support tougher gun laws, don't expect Congress to act |
| Americans overwhelmingly support tougher gun laws, a new USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll finds, but they also overwhelmingly agree on this: Congress isn't likely to act anytime soon. By almost 2-1, 61% to 33% of those surveyed say tightening gun-control laws and background checks would prevent more mass shootings in the United States. And as President Trump sends mixed signals about gun legislation, his approval rating has fallen to its lowest level in the USA TODAY survey since he was inaugurated last year. Just 38% now approve of the job he's doing as president; 60% disapprove. |
| Congress releases Dem rebuttal of controversial GOP memo, Trump calls it 'a nothing' |
| In a rebuttal to a controversial GOP memo, Democrats argue the Justice Department and the FBI did not abuse their powers when they spied on former Trump campaign aide Carter Page. The GOP memo, released earlier this month and assembled by the staff of House Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes, alleged the FBI and Justice Department officials relied on an unsubstantiated dossier compiled by former British spy Christopher Steele to get a warrant to conduct surveillance of Page. But the Democrats countered on Saturday in a 10-page, partially redacted memo, saying Page had already been assessed to be an "agent of the Russian government" before the FBI received the dossier. President Trump, meanwhile, told Fox News the Democrats' memo "was a nothing." Read the full Democratic memo here. Explore key takeaways here. |
| Flood fears rise as wicked storm system tears across southern, central U.S. |
| A violent storm system with relentless rains and fierce winds that pounded the southern and central U.S. over the weekend could lead to treacherous flooding in the days ahead. The system that stretched from Texas to the Canadian maritime provinces left a path of destruction as it cut eastward Sunday: Homes were leveled, trees uprooted, cars demolished. Three people were killed, two in suspected tornadoes. Flooding will continue to be a threat this week, Accuweather said, as more rain falls and runoffs continue. |
| Mexican president's visit to White House is on ice, reportedly because of a testy phone call |
| A tentative plan for President Trump to host his Mexican counterpart in Washington was put on hold, the White House confirmed Saturday. Trump and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto agreed that now is not the right time for Pena Nieto to make his first visit since Trump took office more than a year ago, according to a White House official who insisted on anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. The Washington Post cited U.S. and Mexican officials in reporting late Saturday that the plan was shelved last week after a testy telephone call between the leaders ended in an impasse over the wall Trump has pledged to build on the U.S.-Mexico border. |
| South Korean presidential office: North Korea willing to hold talks with U.S. |
| North Korea is willing to hold talks with the United States on a range of Korean Peninsula issues including Pyongyang's nuclear development program, a ranking North Korean official told South Korean President Moon Jae-in. Kim Yong Chol, a senior official of the North's ruling Worker's Party in charge of inter-Korean relations, made the remarks at a meeting Sunday with Moon in PyeongChang, the host city for the 2018 Winter Olympic Games. Moon's presidential office announced the overture in a statement picked up by South Korea's Yonhap. |
| Buffett's letter says Berkshire gained $29 billion from new tax code |
| Warren Buffett, in a letter to shareholders Saturday, said his company Berkshire Hathaway enjoyed a $29 billion gain from the recent change to the tax code , bemoaned the lack of good deals for acquisitions and reminded investors that owning a low-cost basket of stocks through index funds is the best way to build wealth over time. In 2017, Berkshire's net worth grew $65.3 billion, boosting its per share book value by 23%, according to the letter. Buffett noted, however, that only $36 billion came from Berkshire's operations. The investor's yearly check-in with Berkshire shareholders is a closely watched event on Wall Street. |
| More companies shed NRA ties |
| Two major airlines — United and Delta — joined other major corporation Saturday when they said they were shedding business ties with the National Rifle Association. The two airlines said they were notifying the NRA that they would no longer offer discounted rates for its members. The moves, in the wake of a mass shooting that killed 17 people at a high school in Parkland, Fla., follow decisions this week by rental car companies Hertz, Enterprise and Avis Budget to end their NRA discounts. The NRA defended itself Saturday in a statement while condemning firms that have decided to cut off their relationship, calling it "a shameful display of political and civic cowardice." |
| Samsung Galaxy S9 promises better camera, super slow-mo and an answer for animojis |
| Looks like Samsung left the radical changes to Apple: The Galaxy S9 and S9+ smartphones that Samsung introduced at a crowded press gathering in Barcelona don't look a whole lot different than last year's S8 and S8+ handsets. Most of the improvements appear to be incremental, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. Apple's iPhone X represented a major departure compared to earlier iPhone models, most notably with Apple doing away with the Home button and fingerprint sensor. Having to learn new gestures, and coupled with a price tag that cracked $1,000, meant the iPhone X clearly wasn't for everybody. Samsung's latest flagships aren't cheap either, though at around $720 on up for the S9 and $840 on up for the S9 with various trade-in options and deals to be found, they won't quite gobble up as much of your disposable income. |
| 'Notting Hill' actress Emma Chambers dead at 53 |
| British actress Emma Chambers, best known for her role as Alice Tinker in BBC's The Vicar of Dibley , has died, agent John Grant confirmed in a statement to USA TODAY Saturday. Chambers, who was 53, died Wednesday from natural causes, according to the statement. "Emma created a wealth of characters and an immense body of work. She brought laughter and joy to many," Grant said in the statement. Chambers also starred in the 1999 film Notting Hill with Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant. |
| Fireworks at the Winter Olympics |
| The 2018 Winter Olympics are in the books, and there were plenty of final-weekend fireworks in Pyeongchang. Team USA's curling team surprised everyone to win gold over Sweden on Saturday. The Olympic Athletes from Russia won gold in men's hockey, then sang their banned national anthem at the medal ceremony. It all ended with a stunning scene at the closing ceremony, one that was both both efficient and unifying. Take a look back at the moments we won't forget from these Games. |
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