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ELECTION 2020-THE LATEST
The Latest: Buttigieg: Black voters who know me support me
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Democratic presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg says he will keep up his effort to appeal to black voters, whose support will be vital to winning his party's nomination. The former mayor said during Tuesday night's debate in Des Moines, Iowa, that "the black voters who know me best are supporting me," referencing local leaders in his hometown of South Bend, Indiana. Buttigieg has built up support in some of the early states but has struggled in South Carolina, where black voters comprise the majority of the Democratic primary electorate.
TRUMP-IMPEACHMENT-DOCUMENTS
Democrats release new documents on eve of impeachment trial
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Democrats have released a trove of documents they obtained from a close associate of President Donald Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, including a handwritten note that mentions asking Ukraine's president to investigate “the Biden case.” The documents were obtained as part of the impeachment investigation, and show Lev Parnas communicating with Giuliani and another attorney about the removal of the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch. Parnas received messages from a man who appeared to be describing detailed surveillance of Yovanovitch while she was in Ukraine. The documents released Tuesday add new context to Democrats’ charges that Trump pressured Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden and other Democrats as Trump withheld military aid.
ELECTION 2020-TRUMP
Trump uses rally to defend Iran policy as Democrats decry it
MILWAUKEE (AP) — President Donald Trump rallied supporters Tuesday night by defending his decision to kill a top Iranian general. At the same time, the Democrats vying to replace him used their final debate before primary voting begins to argue that doing so made the country less safe. Trump fired up thousands in the battleground state of Wisconsin while the Democratic candidates squared off in Iowa ahead of that state's Feb. 3 caucuses. One of the hopefuls, Bernie Sanders of Vermont, said he feared that Trump's actions in Iran could lead the United States into a foreign policy quagmire of the highest level.
AP-US-TRUMP-RUSSIA-PROBE-FLYNN
Ex-Trump aide Michael Flynn seeks to withdraw guilty plea
WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Trump administration national security adviser Michael Flynn has filed court papers to withdraw his guilty plea. He says federal prosecutors acted in “bad faith" and breached their deal with him. The request comes one week after the Justice Department changed its position on Flynn's punishment by recommending he serve up to six months in prison for lying to the FBI during its investigation into ties between the Trump campaign and Russia. Prosecutors had earlier said Flynn was entitled to avoid prison time because of his extensive cooperation.
AP-AS-AUSTRALIA-WILDFIRES-HEALTH
Australian wildfire smoke stokes health fears in cities
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Fire alarms have been sounding in high-rise buildings across downtown Sydney and Melbourne as dense smoke from distant wildfires confuse electronic sensors. Modern government office blocks in the Australian capital Canberra have been closed because the air inside is too dangerous to breathe. It’s an unprecedented dilemma for Australians that has raised fears for the long-term health consequences if prolonged exposure to choking smoke becomes the new summer norm. Similar concerns over smoke are emerging in other regions of the globe being impacted by more fires tied to climate change, including the Western U.S. Experts predict increases in heart and lung diseases as well as some cancers if climate change makes prolonged exposure to wildfire smoke an annual phenomenon.
SCHOOL SHOOTING-TEXAS
Student fatally shot at Texas high school; suspect arrested
BELLAIRE, Texas (AP) — School officials say a 16-year-old student has been shot to death at a Texas high school, and a suspect and another person police said was connected to the case were arrested hours later. Grenita Lathan, interim superintendent of the Houston Independent School District, confirmed the victim of the Tuesday afternoon shooting at Bellaire High School had died. The district later issued a statement that Wednesday classes at the school were canceled.
TRUMP-WAR POWERS-CONGRESS
Dem senator says he has 51 votes to restrain Trump on Iran
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Democratic senator says he has at least 51 votes to support a bipartisan resolution asserting that President Donald Trump must seek approval from Congress before engaging in further military action against Iran. Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia says the Senate could vote as soon as next week on the measure, which is co-sponsored by two Republican senators and has support from at least two more Republicans. GOP Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and Rand Paul of Kentucky have co-sponsored the measure, and Republicans Todd Young of Indiana and Susan Collins of Maine said Tuesday they will support it.
AP-US-AIRCRAFT-FUEL-DUMP
Jet dumps fuel that lands on schoolkids near Los Angeles
CUDAHY, Calif. (AP) — A mist of jet fuel dumped by an airliner making an emergency return to Los Angeles International Airport has fallen on several schools. The Los Angeles County Fire Department says 56 children and adults had minor skin and lung irritation Tuesday but nobody was hospitalized. The pilot of the Delta Air Lines flight to Shanghai reported a stalled engine compressor shortly after takeoff. The plane dumped fuel to reduce weight for a safe landing. The Federal Aviation Administration says dumps should be over unpopulated areas. However, aerospace expert Doug Moss says pilots can deviate from the rules for safety reasons.
RED SOX-CORA FIRED
Red Sox manager Alex Cora fired in sign-stealing scandal
BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Red Sox have fired manager Alex Cora. The move came one day after baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred named him as a ringleader with Houston in the sport's sign-stealing scandal. Cora was the bench coach for the Astros when they won the 2017 World Series and led Boston to the title the following year in his first season as manager. Astros manager AJ Hinch and GM Jeff Luhnow were fired on Monday, an hour after Manfred suspended them for the 2020 season for their roles in the cheating scheme.
AP-US-MICROSOFT-NSA-SECURITY-FLAW
NSA finds major security flaw in Windows 10, free fix issued
Computer security experts are urging individuals and organizations to fix a major Windows 10 security flaw that the National Security Agency has discovered. The flaw could let hackers intercept seemingly secure communications. Rather than exploit the flaw for its own needs, the intelligence agency tipped off Microsoft so that it can fix the system for everyone. Security experts say that is unusual and represents the “constructive role” the NSA can play in improving global information security. Microsoft says it hasn't seen any evidence that hackers have used the technique. A free fix was issued Tuesday.
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