Here are links to big stories from select sources today.
Political scientists rank Trump last, Lincoln first in greatness survey
The 2018 Presidents and Executive Politics Presidential Greatness Survey, released Monday, was based on 170 usable responses from current and former members of the American Political Science Association’s presidents and executive politics section. The survey asked the presidential experts to use a 0-100 scale “for overall greatness,” with zero being failure, 50 being average and 100 being great.
9 totally unpresidential things Donald Trump tweeted over Presidents Day weekend
From the campaign he ran to get to the White House to how he he acted since arriving there 395 days ago, Trump seems to take pride in dashing expectations of how a president should act, speak or tweet. He views his election as a middle finger from the Average Joe or Jane to the “elites” — political, media, etc.
Third Olympic athlete fails drug test at PyeongChang Games
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) said Jeglic had accepted the anti-doping violation and the results of an investigation into his conduct will be released when the Games are over. The press attache for the Slovenian Olympic Team, Brane Dmitrovic, told CNN on Tuesday there would be no further comment until the results of tests on Jeglic’s B sample were returned.
Chinese anger after terracotta warrior’s thumb stolen in US
The ancient statue is valued at $4.5 million and considered a “priceless part of China’s cultural heritage.” It was on display at Philadelphia’s Franklin Institute when the vandalism took place. “We call on the United States to severely punish those who have done [this],” Shaanxi Provincial Cultural Relic Exchange Center’s director told the Beijing Youth Daily, a state-run Chinese newspaper.
Two aid workers killed, one kidnapped in Congo
The three humanitarian workers were from the French nongovernmental organization Hydraulique Sans Frontières. “The humanitarian country team condemns, with firmness, the latest attack that led to the tragic loss of colleagues engaged in emergency humanitarian assistance and calls for immediate and unconditional release of the person held hostage,” said the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, which is known as OCHA.
KFC is running out of chicken across the U.K.
The fast food chain has been forced to close hundreds of restaurants in the United Kingdom after a logistics snafu stopped chicken deliveries. About 800 of the company’s roughly 900 locations in Britain were closed as of midday on Monday. Some had opened for business by the afternoon, according to the company’s website.
Fergie apologises for national anthem
It’s fair to say Fergie’s jazzy, slowed-down version of the Star-Spangled Banner at Sunday’s NBA All-Star game wasn’t a hit with everyone . And now the US singer has apologised for her performance. The singer told TMZ: “I’ve always been honoured and proud to perform the national anthem and last night I wanted to try something special for the NBA.
Soaring rates of measles in Europe
Europe has seen a massive surge in measles cases in 2017, which the World Health Organization says is a tragedy after a record low of 5,273 cases in 2016. Cases increased by 400%, with more than 20,000 people affected and 35 deaths. Fifteen European region countries, including the UK, had large outbreaks.
‘Baby factory’ dad wins paternity rights
A Bangkok court has awarded paternity rights to a Japanese man over 13 babies he fathered through Thai surrogate mothers. The ruling allows Mitsutoki Shigeta, 28, to pursue custody of the children. The son of a wealthy entrepreneur, he caused controversy in 2014 when he was revealed to have fathered 16 babies via surrogates in Thailand.
The playboy who got away with $242m
One day in August 1995 a man called Foutanga Babani Sissoko walked into the head office of the Dubai Islamic Bank and asked for a loan to buy a car. The manager agreed, and Sissoko invited him home for dinner. It was the prelude, writes the BBC’s Brigitte Scheffer, to one of the most audacious confidence tricks of all time.
The trials of Jacob Zuma
After nine years leading South Africa, Jacob Zuma’s presidency has come to an end. His rule was overshadowed by a series of extraordinary scandals. “Ehe… ehehehehehe… eh-he-he-hee… ahahahahayeee.” The warm, rich, indulgent chuckle of South Africa’s President Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma ripples through a solemn conference chamber in Pretoria.
Michelle Obama raves about ‘Black Panther’ on Twitter
Michelle Obama is constantly reminding us how lucky we were when she was first lady. Recently, she helped unveil a stunning, groundbreaking portrait, then she won Valentine’s Day. Now she’s showing love to our latest obsession, Black Panther. Yep, like the many Americans who contributed to Black Panther’s epic $201.8 million opening weekend, Michelle Obama was enthralled by Ryan Coogler’s film.
Donald Trump asks Mar-a-Lago guests what he should do about guns
In the wake of the most recent mass shooting, President Donald Trump sought advice on gun control from a trusted source: rich people staying at his Mar-a-Lago Club in Florida.
‘Black Panther’ has the best Marvel supervillain ever. Yes, even better than Loki.
Excited for Black Panther ? So are we. Which is why we’re rolling out obsessive coverage with Black Panther Week . Black Panther just pulled off a Marvel Cinematic Universe first: A supervillain worth rooting for. Sure, other MCU baddies have been charming (hello, Hela) or surprising (hi, Mandarin) or sympathetic (we see you, Loki).
Chadwick Boseman’s Rolling Stone front cover is sending Twitter into a thirst frenzy
Chadwick Boseman has unveiled his new ‘Rolling Stone’ cover on Twitter.
