TGIF! Nobody gets much done on Fridays anyway, so wake up slowly with these news headlines.
1. No Trump
Ted Cruz litigated his way through the Trump-less Republican debate last night, arguing with moderator Chris Wallace about getting a chance to respond to questions that referenced him. Wallace asked Chris Christie if Cruz’s vote for NSA surveillance made the country less safe, Christie responded in the affirmative, and Cruz complained that Wallace was egging on his opponents to attack him. Wallace responded that it was, after all, a debate. Cruz said that if Wallace asked one more “mean” question, he’d leave. That would make Cruz the second Republican contender to stomp off in a huff. — Politico
2. Buy stock in OFF
Like pregnant women don’t have enough to be scared of: The WHO has said that the Zika virus is spreading “explosively” in the Americas and that this year could see 4 million infected people. The virus, which burst into the news a couple of weeks ago, can cause birth defects if pregnant women are infected. The number of cases of microcephaly, in which infants are born with abnormally small heads and brain damage, have spiked in Brazil. The CDC hastened to reassure American women that the risk of a large outbreak is still pretty low. — The New York Times
3. Judge for yourself
In a rather amazing display of transparency, the FBI has released the surveillance video that shows the death of LaVoy Finicum, the Oregon wildlife refuge occupier who was killed by police during a traffic stop earlier this week. The video shows Finicum trying to run through police barricades and then reaching for a gun in his pocket. Four holdouts remain at the Malheur Wildlife Refuge. — The New York Times
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4. Bottles up
Last January, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality reassured Flint residents that their drinking water was safe. That same month, state employees began drinking from coolers of purified water. Emails show that the facility announced — to its employees — that the drinking water had high levels of trihalomethanes, which is linked to cancer and other health problems. This is the latest in a series of revelations that officials in Michigan have long known about Flint’s poisoned water and declined to take action. Er, except to protect themselves. — The Washington Post
5. I’ll take the bullet
Donald Trump, not content to alienate everyone in the U.S. and the U.K., is taking potshots at the Saudi royal family. Yesterday Trump tweeted a badly photoshopped pic of Prince Alwaleed, his sister, and Megyn Kelly, stating that Alwaleed is a co-owner of Fox. The prince responded with a taunting reminder of the times he bailed out Trump when the presidential front-runner was in dire financial straits. The squabble has played out on Twitter, which the prince does, in fact, own a stake in. Who’s the good guy in the fight again? — Slate
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6. Wealthy warriors
In what is turning out to be a very Trumpy news day, reports show that the Wounded Warriors nonprofit, a charity that Trump demanded Fox News donate a portion of its debate revenue to, is kind of a crummy charity. It is an organization that spends an abnormally high portion of money on luxuries and perks for itself rather than funneling money to actual veterans who need it. Employees report that the nonprofit spends a disproportionate amount on conferences, hotels, dinners and travel — which makes working for Wounded Warriors kind of a cushy job. Being a wounded warrior, not so much. — Slate
7. Blinded by love
Ugh, a female teacher has been arrested in connection with the California jailbreak last week. Nooshafarin Ravaghi, an ESL teacher, is suspected of having helped the three inmates — who were in jail for some pretty horrific crimes — break out of the Orange County facility last week. The three escapees are still on the loose. — CNN
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