Stranded by Trump's US, refugees build new life in Austria

When Mahbud, 26, arrived in Vienna from Iran two years ago, he hadn't planned to stay here very long: he dreamt of moving to the United States and becoming an engineer. But along with more than 100 other Iranian refugees, he says his hopes have been dashed and he has been left stranded in Austria by US restrictions on refugees and immigrants.

from US News Headlines, Latest USA News, America Breaking News - Times of India http://bit.ly/2HIzGJO

A 14-year-old tried to warn Apple it had a problem

from US News Headlines, Latest USA News, America Breaking News - Times of India http://bit.ly/2GbSb74

1.9 million watch Kamala Harris town hall, a record for channel

from US News Headlines, Latest USA News, America Breaking News - Times of India http://bit.ly/2G2vR0u

‘Donald Trump privately met Vladimir Putin during G20’

from US News Headlines, Latest USA News, America Breaking News - Times of India http://bit.ly/2GahRkA

They should go back to school: Donald Trump calls intelligence chiefs ‘naive’

from US News Headlines, Latest USA News, America Breaking News - Times of India http://bit.ly/2MHSRT0

FB paid teens $20 to access their data’

from US News Headlines, Latest USA News, America Breaking News - Times of India http://bit.ly/2RphBjv

Reversal in H-1B lottery order, first priority to US degree holders

from US News Headlines, Latest USA News, America Breaking News - Times of India http://bit.ly/2S24VEJ

Trump says 'wall' must be part of lawmakers' border deal

from US News Headlines, Latest USA News, America Breaking News - Times of India http://bit.ly/2S8vpDJ

Trump pushes back against US spy chiefs on N Korea, Islamic State

from US News Headlines, Latest USA News, America Breaking News - Times of India http://bit.ly/2CTfUFV

Fed Signals End of Interest Rate Increases

The Federal Reserve said it expected continued growth but, in a sharp reversal, indicated it stood ready either to increase or to reduce rates, depending on economic conditions.

from NYT > Home Page https://nyti.ms/2MDIijX

The Hot Topic in Markets Right Now: ‘Quantitative Tightening’

It’s not China. It’s not the shutdown’s aftermath. The latest obsession occupying the minds of investors is the Fed’s plan to reduce the stockpile of bonds it bought during and after the Great Recession.

from NYT > Home Page https://nyti.ms/2Upl1Vi

Foxconn Reconsidering Plans for a Wisconsin Factory Heralded by Trump

The Taiwanese company’s intent to build a $10 billion plant with 13,000 jobs was hailed by President Trump. It now sees a shift toward research.

from NYT > Home Page https://nyti.ms/2MH5YDX

A Merciless Cold Lingers in the Midwest

A deep, brutal cold set in across the Midwest on Wednesday, sending temperatures plummeting to stunning depths. With the wind chill, it felt like minus 53 in Minneapolis.

from NYT > Home Page https://nyti.ms/2B5vsX5

New York Today: N.Y. Today: A Snow Squall, Now Bitter Cold

We brought you a special evening edition of New York Today, our morning newsletter, as brutal temperatures arrived in the city.

from NYT > Home Page https://nyti.ms/2GdFFnB

How to Avoid Frostbite and Hypothermia in Extreme Cold Weather

During extreme cold, the blood rushes to the center of the body to protect vital organs, and the body temperature can fall to dangerous lows. The best advice is to stay inside, experts say.

from NYT > Home Page https://nyti.ms/2RZCszh

Washington Memo: An Angry Trump Pushes Back Against His Own ‘Naive’ Intelligence Officials

The president treated the Worldwide Threat Assessment presented the day before as a scorecard on his foreign policy and something close to an affront.

from NYT > Home Page https://nyti.ms/2RsqdpC

To Slow U.S. Exit, Afghan Leader Offers Trump a Cost Reduction

A letter from President Ashraf Ghani of Afghanistan to President Trump is among the strongest signs yet that Mr. Ghani is worried about an American withdrawal.

from NYT > Home Page https://nyti.ms/2BdpdjR

Trump Says He’ll Leave Decision of Whether to Release Special Counsel’s Report to Justice Dept.

“I’ve chosen to stay out of it,” the president said in an interview with the website The Daily Caller.

from NYT > Home Page https://nyti.ms/2t5lpgp

The Shift: Maybe Only Tim Cook Can Fix Facebook’s Privacy Problem

The cold war between Facebook and Apple over data use and privacy is heating up. How far should Mr. Cook take it?

from NYT > Home Page https://nyti.ms/2DKXdWw

This Is Your Brain Off Facebook

Planning on quitting the social platform? A major new study offers a glimpse of what unplugging might do for your life. (Spoiler: It’s not so bad.)

from NYT > Home Page https://nyti.ms/2RmK0qB

Amazon’s New York Charm Offensive Includes a Veiled Threat

Amazon and opponents of its new offices appeared to raise the specter that the deal that would bring 25,000 jobs to Queens is not yet finalized.

from NYT > Home Page https://nyti.ms/2CRAfeJ

Maduro Turns to Special Police Force to Crush Dissent

Facing the biggest challenge yet to his rule, President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela has called on a special police force to serve as enforcers where he once relied on the military.

from NYT > Home Page https://nyti.ms/2G3nQIT

Maduro Sounds Conciliatory but Warns: U.S. Intervention Would Be Worse Than Vietnam

The Venezuelan leader said he was ready for talks with the opposition. He also said a U.S. invasion would give America a Vietnam nightmare.

from NYT > Home Page https://nyti.ms/2MHvhpg

For the Kremlin, Venezuela Is Not the Next Syria

It is too far away and intervention would be too costly. Moscow will probably content itself with hurling insults at the U.S. from the sidelines.

from NYT > Home Page https://nyti.ms/2SeKp2D

The Messier Brexit Gets, the Better Europe Looks

The British meltdown has muted talk in other countries about quitting the E.U. But that does not mean the populist threat to Europe’s cohesion is gone.

from NYT > Home Page https://nyti.ms/2UrahG1

When Brexit Happens, Will Hunger Pangs Follow?

Food retailers warn that supermarkets and food outlets would be the first to feel the impact of Britain crashing out of the European Union with no deal.

from NYT > Home Page https://nyti.ms/2BdBDZg

What Is the Irish Backstop, and Why Is It Holding Up Brexit?

The measure aims to guarantee that no physical barrier will spring up between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. It sounds simple, but it’s not.

from NYT > Home Page https://nyti.ms/2HDmVjK

Polar Vortex, Federal Reserve, Facebook: Your Wednesday Evening Briefing

Here’s what you need to know at the end of the day.

from NYT > Home Page https://nyti.ms/2GbA0hV

China, Venezuela, Climate Change: Your Thursday Briefing

Let us help you start your day.

from NYT > Home Page https://nyti.ms/2BaWagM

Juan Guaidó: Venezuelans, Strength Is in Unity

To end the Maduro regime with the minimum of bloodshed, we need the support of pro-democratic governments, institutions and individuals the world over.

from NYT > Home Page https://nyti.ms/2BaHj60

Trump Versus the Experts

Intelligence chiefs testified this week before Congress about national security. President Trump is here to correct them with his alternative facts.

from NYT > Home Page https://nyti.ms/2HG2PFI

The BuzzFeed Layoffs as Democratic Emergency

Digital media has always been a turbulent business, but last week’s layoffs suggest a reason for panic.

from NYT > Home Page https://nyti.ms/2sUkxuV

Help Pick the Worst of Trump

So many awful people to choose from.

from NYT > Home Page https://nyti.ms/2MFfBmJ

Justices Put Gun Limits in the Cross Hairs

An obscure New York City gun case could tempt the justices to make broad pronouncements about a right they haven’t addressed in a decade.

from NYT > Home Page https://nyti.ms/2sV4MUe

Tough Times Along the Colorado River

In the face of a prolonged drought, the federal government could step in and reduce water use in the Southwest.

from NYT > Home Page https://nyti.ms/2MGVapr

House of Pain for President Trump

The new Democratic majority in Congress maps out its investigations of the Trump administration.

from NYT > Home Page https://nyti.ms/2Wv4a5x

Why Couldn’t My Treatment Center Save This Baby?

While promising vaccines and experimental treatments for Ebola are rapidly being added to our arsenal, they’re not much use if people are too afraid to seek care.

from NYT > Home Page https://nyti.ms/2WwynRt

The ‘Ethics’ of Trump’s Border Wall

A wall would cause harm to immigrants and refugees, all of whom are equal to us in the eyes of God.

from NYT > Home Page https://nyti.ms/2RqwpP9

The ‘Rotten Equilibrium’ of Republican Politics

Charlatans rise. Government falls.

from NYT > Home Page https://nyti.ms/2RpPJMr

Ex-Maine governor says taking resources from citizens for asylum seekers is a big mistake

Portland, Maine's largest city, has long been welcoming to immigrants, but a local official said their local resources are unable to keep up with the influx of asylum seekers.

from FOX News https://fxn.ws/2sViPcz

Trump needs intervention on intelligence, Schumer writes in letter to Coats

Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called on Dan Coats-- the director of National Intelligence-- to stage an intervention with President Trump after the president took the unusual move Wednesday to criticize his intelligence chiefs on Twitter as being "naive" when it comes to the dangers of Iran. 

from FOX News https://fxn.ws/2TiXg1b

NFL will discuss broader use of instant replay after Rams-Saints no-call, Goodell says

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on Wednesday said the no-call pass interference that enabled the Rams’ victory over the New Orleans Saints in the NFC championship “should have been called,” but appeared apprehensive about making substantial rule changes.

from FOX News https://fxn.ws/2RsXcdB

University of Iowa student dies during polar vortex; 7 other deaths linked to wintry blast

A University of Iowa student has died after being found unresponsive on campus grounds early Wednesday as a polar vortex  gripped the Midwest in arctic temperatures that have been linked to at least seven other deaths.

from FOX News https://fxn.ws/2G8VXhH

Cornyn warns Texas Republicans against complacency ahead of 2020

Texas Republicans have their work cut out for them if they hope to maintain the party’s dominance there, according to the state’s senior U.S. senator.

from FOX News https://fxn.ws/2Tq0kZq

Judge Andrew Napolitano: An American nightmare

the current, unreal world -- where politics deeply infuse law enforcement -- prosecutors use brute force to send a message of terror to innocent defendants. Like all defendants at the time of arrest, Roger Stone is innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

from FOX News https://fxn.ws/2sUZxUR

ICE officials force-feed 6 immigrants on hunger strike at Texas detention center

Six immigrants at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement center in El Paso, Texas, are being force-fed through plastic nasal tubes after taking part in a hunger strike that spanned for a month, leaving some detainees so weak that they are unable to speak or stand, a report on Wednesday said.

from FOX News https://fxn.ws/2sYLI7U

Tucker Carlson and pro-choice advocate have heated debate on Virginia abortion bill

Tucker Carlson and pro-choice advocate Monica Klein got into a heated debate Wednesday during a discussion on “Tucker Carlson Tonight” about a proposed Virginia abortion bill that would allow late-term abortions.

from FOX News https://fxn.ws/2TnyNYL

Manson ‘family’ member Leslie Van Houten recommended for parole again

Charles Manson follower Leslie Van Houten was recommended again for parole on Wednesday after serving more than four decades of a life sentence for her role in the cult’s grisly murders in 1969, marking newly inaugurated California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s first chance to decide her fate.

from FOX News https://fxn.ws/2Bfvpbb

'Jersey Shore' cast member Jenni 'JWoww' Farley accuses estranged husband of domestic abuse in lengthy open letter

"Jersey Shore" star Jenni "JWoww" Farley blasted her estranged husband Roger Mathews on Wednesday, claiming he abused and threatened her, while detailing the allegations in a lengthy open letter to him on her website and on social media. 

from FOX News https://fxn.ws/2G8Rbkh

Cost-conscious Chinese tourists staying closer to home for Lunar New Year

Trade tensions with the United States and a slowing economy are keeping Chinese tourists to budget-friendly destinations closer to home for the Lunar New Year holiday, with more likely opting for Bangkok than Sydney or San Francisco.

from Reuters: World News https://reut.rs/2WydHIP

China's military-run space station in Argentina is a 'black box'

LAS LAJAS, Argentina - When China built a military-run space station in Argentina's Patagonian region it promised to include a visitors' center to explain the purpose of its powerful 16-story antenna.

from Reuters: World News https://reut.rs/2FZcWn8

Russia, U.S. last-ditch talks to break nuclear pact deadlock fail: agencies

Russia and the United States failed to bridge their differences over a landmark Cold War-era arms treaty at last-ditch talks in Beijing, Russia's deputy foreign minister was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies on Thursday.

from Reuters: World News https://reut.rs/2HICNBH

Watchdog shows Afghan defense forces declining as peace talks edge forward

The strength of the embattled Afghan defense forces has declined to its lowest level in four years, a U.S. watchdog said on Thursday, as talks between Washington and the Taliban continue over the possible withdrawal of foreign troops.

from Reuters: World News https://reut.rs/2Tn7PjV

African churches boom in London's backstreets

On a cold, grey Sunday morning, in a street lined with shuttered builders' yards and storage units, songs of prayer in the West African language of Yoruba ring out from a former warehouse that is now a church.

from Reuters: World News https://reut.rs/2Ghioky

Soft power: Australia uses hard game to tackle China in Pacific

Australia will direct more foreign aid to develop the sport of rugby league in the Pacific, officials say, bolstering a soft power offensive against China's growing influence in the region.

from Reuters: World News https://reut.rs/2CZMGp4

Myanmar court rejects appeal by jailed Reuters reporters

A Myanmar court on Friday rejected the appeal of two Reuters reporters sentenced to seven years in jail on charges of breaking the Official Secrets Act, saying the defense had not provided sufficient evidence to show they were innocent.

from Reuters: World News https://reut.rs/2H6IGIw

Don't deal in Venezuelan gold, White House says, in anti-Maduro push

The White House warned traders on Wednesday not to deal in Venezuelan gold or oil following its imposition of stiff sanctions aimed at forcing socialist President Nicolas Maduro from power.

from Reuters: World News https://reut.rs/2Sfmksz

Saudi Arabia winds down 15-month anti-corruption campaign

Saudi Arabia has ended a sweeping crackdown on corruption ordered by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that it said had recovered more than $106 billion through settlements with scores of senior princes, ministers and top businessmen.

from Reuters: World News https://reut.rs/2HGUaCX

Tug-of-war: U.S. refiner Citgo caught in Venezuela political upheaval

Citgo Petroleum Corp, the eighth largest U.S. refiner and Venezuela's top foreign asset, is in the middle of a tug-of-war as the Trump administration tries to use the company as leverage to topple Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

from Reuters: World News https://reut.rs/2MGllfJ

Citgo expatriate workers in U.S. ordered to return to Venezuela: sources

Venezuela has told dozens of expatriate staff working for Citgo Petroleum Corp in the United States that they must return to Caracas by the end of February, people familiar with the matter said, following U.S. sanctions aimed at forcing socialist President Nicolas Maduro from power.

from Reuters: World News https://reut.rs/2GifBrJ