TGIF! Nobody gets much done on Fridays anyway, so wake up slowly with these news headlines.
1. Sorry, not sorry, uh, sorry
Wow, Lands’ End has pulled off the rare “double-fail” in its marketing campaign, managing to infuriate both liberals and conservatives in a single day. The company featured an interview with feminist icon Gloria Steinem on its website and in its catalog, a move that prompted hundreds of anti-choice customers to declare they would never buy Lands’ End again. The company apologized and canceled the option to donate to the ERA coalition’s Fund for Women’s Equality on its web site. (Just an aside: The interview with Steinem did not discuss abortion.) After the company made its announcement, Facebook went berserk with feminists and feminist sympathizers declaring they would never buy Lands’ End again. Shame, I liked their skirtinis. — Jezebel
2. Another guy with a gun does a lot of damage
Another day, another mass shooting, this time in Kansas. The suspected shooter was an employee at a lawn-care equipment manufacturing plant, and drove through several neighboring towns shooting out windows before arriving at the plant. He reportedly killed at least three people and wounded 14 before he was shot and killed by police. This is the second mass shooting in a week — an Uber driver went on a shooting spree in Kalamazoo on Saturday. — CNN
3. That seems like a great idea
Iowa’s Republican-controlled House has approved a measure that would allow children to use handguns under adult supervision. The current law does not allow children under 14 to use handguns, but does permit them to use long guns with adult supervision. During a floor debate, state representative said “I think this is one of the best bills we’ve done for Second Amendment rights.” — CNN
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4. Final countdown
Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz finally shook off their gloves in last night’s Republican debate, aggressively attacking Donald Trump, interrupting him and generally, for the first time, managing to rattle him. Super Tuesday, which likely will thin the field, is only a few days away, and the tone of the debate “reflected the panicked state” of a Republican establishment that’s thus far been unable to stop Donald Trump. There was a lot of shouting and name-calling and general belligerence among these guys, one of whom, anyway, is going to be the nominee. — The New York Times
5. Next steps in a desperate situation
A ceasefire is due to go into effect in Syria this weekend, but U.S. officials are already discussing a Plan B in the event that the ceasefire fails. The various options include more Special Forces on the ground, more training and help for local forces, a safe zone for refugees and requesting help from other countries. The Pentagon feels the measures may be too expensive. Here’s hoping the ceasefire works. — The New York Times
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6. Oh yeah, them
ISIS has dominated headlines as the most visible and aggressive terror network, but officials say that al Qaeda may be making a comeback. The organization’s master bomb-maker, Ibrahim al Asiri, has suddenly re-emerged in a kind of al Qaeda PR campaign, which worries intelligence officials. The director of national intelligence told the House Intelligence Committee the network is “positioned to make gains” in the coming year. Great, a terror war on two fronts. — NBC News
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