Today's Headlines

00:00:00 10 10 Annotation 00:00 / 00:00 10 10 00:00 Report playback issue Copy video URL Copy video URL at current time Copy embed html NDTV Player Version : 2.10.78 © Copyright NDTV Convergence Ltd. 2019 Tap to unmute New Delhi: After years of speculation, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the sister of Congress president Rahul Gandhi, has finally taken the plunge into politics, just months ahead of the national election due by May. "We are fired up and ready to go," the Congress gushed in a tweet, one of the countless put out by the party's various units. 47-year-old Priyanka Vadra Gandhi, who reminds many of her grandmother and former prime minister Indira Gandhi both for her charisma and the stunning likeness, has confined herself to the constituencies of her brother Rahul and mother Sonia Gandhi - Amethi and Raebareli - till now. The giant announcement came as Rahul Gandhi began a two-day visit to Amethi. Many congratulations to Shri K C Venugopal, Smt. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Shri @JM_Scindia on their new appointments. It is also a challenge to the BJP. In national and state elections since 2004, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has campaigned in the family seats where the Gandhis enjoy almost royal status. Congressmen say Priyanka Gandhi was always active in decision-making and played a key role in the alliance with Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party in the 2017 Uttar Pradesh election. The BJP shrugged off the Congress announcement.

They were high school boys who had traveled from Northern Kentucky for the annual March for Life in Washington. He was a Native American man in town for a march to support indigenous people. On Friday, in front of the Lincoln Memorial, their worlds collided and generated an explosive political moment that has generated one cycle of outrage after another. The first images to ricochet across social media showed a young man, Nick Sandmann, wearing a red “Make America Great Again” hat and appearing to be in a standoff with Nathan Phillips, the Native American man. More videos have shown that the encounter was preceded by taunting from a small group of dark-skinned men who shouted scripture from red books and identified as Hebrew Israelites. The group directed insults at the Native Americans and the Covington Catholic High School students, who were mostly white. Students said that after the confrontation with the Hebrew Israelites, they began doing school spirit chants. But those participating in the Indigenous Peoples March — noting the high school group’s large size, loud chanting and Make America Great Again apparel — said they interpreted the behavior as aggressive and disruptive to their demonstration. By Sunday, after Covington Catholic High School and the Diocese of Covington apologized in a joint statement, some families of the school’s students said they were receiving death threats. On Tuesday, the high school was closed because of “threats of violence and the possibility of large crowds.” A close look at the videos that have emerged paints a more complete picture of what happened on that Friday afternoon — and how an unlikely convergence of Americans became such a firestorm.

Get short URL As France experiences its worst turmoil in decades, a new craze is sweeping French schoolyards. Alongside football, tag, and hopscotch, perceptive kids are taking sides in a new game at recess: Yellow Vests against the police. “The Yellow Vests are the bad guys, they break the shop windows, so we fight between the bad guys and the policemen,” explained 6-year-old Adam, a schoolboy in Paris’ 8th District, to France’s BFM TV. Admitting he preferred to play as a Yellow Vest because less running was involved, Adam said that he chooses not to shout anti-government slogans alongside his friends because he ‘doesn’t agree’ with them. "Gilets jaunes contre CRS", le nouveau jeu des écoliers dans les cours de récré pic.twitter.com/U8d9Ju5lwB — BFMTV (@BFMTV) January 22, 2019 Since November 17, the Yellow Vest movement has been staging weekly protests, initially against proposed fuel hikes. However, it has since morphed to include wider discontent against the “reform” agenda of President Emmanuel Macron, which critics say favor the country’s elites. “One hears 'Macron resignation' all day long in the yard, and even in class,” one teacher, known as Emma, told the station. She added that the school was eventually forced to ban the song, explaining to the pupils that they should not say such things as they are too young to vote. Yellow Vests ‘the consequence of the corporate world taking over’ – Kusturica to RT The slogan has become a regular war cry at the weekly Yellow Vest demonstrations and forms the chorus of a popular song written about the movement by rapper Kopp Johnson, which has received almost 18 million views on YouTube. Instead, she advises teachers to have frank discussions with children about the topic and explain to them the difference between genuine protesters and “saboteurs,” the name given to those who only want to cause trouble with the police.

When gunmakers and dealers gather this week in Las Vegas for the industry's largest annual conference, they will be grappling with slumping sales and a shift in politics that many didn't envision two years ago when gun-friendly Donald Trump and a GOP-controlled Congress took office. Instead, fueled by the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history, the federal government banned bump stocks and newly in-charge U.S. House Democrats introduced legislation that would require background checks for virtually every firearm sale, regardless of whether it's from a gun dealer or a private sale. Even without Democrats' gains in November's midterm elections, the industry was facing a so-called "Trump slump," a plummet in sales that happens amid gun rights-friendly administrations. Background checks were at an all-time high in 2016, President Barack Obama's last full year in office, numbering more than 27.5 million; since then, background checks have been at about 25 million each year. You didn't have President Obama to put up in PowerPoint and say 'He's the best gun salesman, look what he's doing to our country,'" he said. Robert J. Spitzer, chairman of political science at the State University of New York at Cortland and a longtime watcher of gun issues, said that not only have shifting politics made it difficult for the gun industry to gain ground but high-profile mass shootings — like the Las Vegas shooting that happened just miles from where the SHOT Show will be held and the Parkland, Florida, high school shooting — also cast a pall. This year's show will again allow reporters from mainstream media to attend. Joe Bartozzi, the new president of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, said the industry isn't disturbed by the drop in gun sales or the shift in federal politics. But other industry priorities, such as reciprocity between states for carrying certain concealed firearms and a measure that would ease restrictions on purchasing suppressors that help muffle the sound when a gun is fired, failed to gain traction. The hope is that increasing the number of public ranges will encourage more people to become hunters.

The consolidation of the “handshake” politics between the ruling Jubilee Party and the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) assumed a new dimension when the former used its numerical strength to see ODM deputy party leader Wycliffe Oparanya take Council of Governors (CoG) chair. The closing of ranks between the former bitter rivals essentially made Mr Oparanya and the CoG the face of the anticipated referendum, which has had no organisational structure. It creates the first institutional pro-referendum front, given the ambivalence and prevarication of the top Jubilee leadership in the National Assembly and the Senate on the matter. The Jubilee party won 25 gubernatorial seats in the 2017 General Election, with an additional two Jubilee-affiliated — Laikipia and Isiolo — independent candidates getting elected. This gives the party a numerical strength of 29, against ODM’s 18 at the powerful CoG lobby, without whose support Oparanya would not have won. By backing Mr Oparanya over Kwale’s Salim Mvurya (former Jubilee favourite), the ruling party sent the strongest message that its new-found relations with fierce rival-turned-bosom-friend, ODM, was headed for bigger things. The recent statement by Jubilee Secretary-General Raphael Tuju that the party will not field candidates in the forthcoming Embakasi and Ugenya by-elections “in the spirit of furthering constructive engagement and keeping an eye on the bigger picture” was the icing on the cake. The two moves are the most explicit political moves signalling that President Kenyatta and Mr Odinga's hitherto rival political formations may be turning into a seamless working outfit. The latest twin moves came ahead of a planned tour of the Mt Kenya region by the President and Mr Odinga, scheduled for the first week of February. The latest subtle signals by Jubilee, whose secretary-general Tuju accompanied the President’s younger brother, Mr Muhoho Kenyatta, to Bondo for the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Memorial Service last Sunday, have set tongues wagging about the future of the party, or whether a new formation is in the offing.

That’s why I am formally announcing my campaign for reelection,” Edwards said in his online message. Political observers said there was never any doubt about Edwards’ intentions, and according to FOX 8 political analyst Mike Sherman, there were few surprises in the governors' announcement. “No surprises that Gov. Edwards is running for reelection. No surprises in his messaging,” Sherman said. Jindal, a name we haven’t heard [lately] in Louisiana political circles, to try to engender those feelings of a fiscal crisis and stagnation from a few years ago. He has raised a lot of money for his war chest. His polling numbers right now look fairly good for an incumbent Democratic governor in a Republican state, so I think he’s in a very strong position,” Collins said. Both Sherman and Collins said it is very likely that more Republicans will enter the race. And for Republicans, can they recapture Louisiana’s top post.” "It would look very bad for the national Republican Party to not be able to knock off a Democratic governor in a very red state,” Collins said.

PHOENIX (FOX 10) -- Monday marks 31st day of the partial government shutdown, and some politicians are weighing in, as some government employees are running so short of money that they are seeking help from St. Mary's Food Bank. The Phoenix food bank is seeing 25% more business than usual for this time of the year, and believe that's because of the government shutdown. "When people hear that there are 800,000 government employees that are impacted by this government shutdown, that's a huge number," said Rep. Greg Stanton (D). GOP's Martha McSally, appointed by Gov. Doug Ducey as Senator, insisted on a border wall during her ultimately unsuccessful campaign against Sen. Kyrsten Sinema. On Monday, McSally allied herself, in a way, with President Trump today, pushing for, if not a wall exactly, more of a barrier. "I'm not for shutdowns. We've gotta open the government back up," said Sen. McSally. "I'll be working with our senators on both sides of the aisle to see if we can get some movement forward, and get something on the President's desk that opens up the government, secures the border." As for McSally, who, during her campaign against Sen. Sinema, said Sinema "suggested it is OK to commit treason", ducked questions as to whether she still believes the statement.

When gunmakers and dealers gather this week in Las Vegas for the industry's largest annual conference, they will be grappling with slumping sales and a shift in politics that many didn't envision two years ago when gun-friendly Donald Trump and a GOP-controlled Congress took office. Instead, fueled by the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history, the federal government banned bump stocks and newly in-charge U.S. House Democrats introduced legislation that would require background checks for virtually every firearm sale, regardless of whether it's from a gun dealer or a private sale. Even without Democrats' gains in November's midterm elections, the industry was facing a so-called "Trump slump," a plummet in sales that happens amid gun rights-friendly administrations. Background checks were at an all-time high in 2016, President Barack Obama's last full year in office, numbering more than 27.5 million; since then, background checks have been at about 25 million each year. You didn't have President Obama to put up in PowerPoint and say 'He's the best gun salesman, look what he's doing to our country,'" he said. Robert J. Spitzer, chairman of political science at the State University of New York at Cortland and a longtime watcher of gun issues, said that not only have shifting politics made it difficult for the gun industry to gain ground but high-profile mass shootings — like the Las Vegas shooting that happened just miles from where the SHOT Show will be held and the Parkland, Florida, high school shooting — also cast a pall. This year's show will again allow reporters from mainstream media to attend. Joe Bartozzi, the new president of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, said the industry isn't disturbed by the drop in gun sales or the shift in federal politics. But other industry priorities, such as reciprocity between states for carrying certain concealed firearms and a measure that would ease restrictions on purchasing suppressors that help muffle the sound when a gun is fired, failed to gain traction. The hope is that increasing the number of public ranges will encourage more people to become hunters.

Massachusetts conservatives say the feverish piling-on that the MAGA hat-wearing teenagers in Washington, D.C. experienced is what they routinely face whenever they dare to show President Trump garb or bumper stickers in public — their right to political free speech is shouted down with taunts, foul language and even threats here in the Bay State. The hostility is really unrelenting — and it is going to get worse as the presidential race starts up,” said Tom Mountain of Newton, a Republican Party committee member who weighs whether to wear his Trump jacket and opts not to sport a bumper sticker. “It’s too risky. The costs outweigh the benefits of making a political statement — it’s really a very sad state of affairs.” On Friday, a video of a confrontation between teenagers wearing Make America Great Again hats and a Native American protester lit up social media, with many in the media, as well as commentators and pols on both sides jumping to conclusions and quickly excoriating the teens. “We’re so used to it,” said Mountain, who said he wouldn’t give one of his elderly relatives a MAGA hat because he’d worry about angry liberals getting in the older man’s face. “Now they celebrate diversity of everything except thought.” Dwyer added, “We’re happy warriors, we’re behind enemy lines — it’s all good.” It is a free speech problem, said Harvey Silverglate, a Boston civil rights attorney. “I find the combination of intolerance and jumping to conclusions to be very disturbing,” said Silverglate, a liberal who is no fan of the president. He doesn’t support Trump either, but said efforts to bully Trump supporters are very troubling. “Anybody in America is entitled to wear any hat they want — you should feel safe to share you political views,” Dershowitz said. But threatening you or shouting you down — that’s not in the tradition of the First Amendment.” A spokeswoman for Attorney General Maura Healey — a Democrat who has been a vocal critic of Trump — said, “Harassment of any kind is unacceptable.

Everyone who is interviewed about the shutdown on Fox, CNN, NBC and elsewhere says the same predictable things over and over. If a Democrat is asked, they blame President Donald Trump and Republicans. You already know by now nearly everything you’re going to see or hear in the future about the shutdown. It was the same bad TV movie starring politicians we’ve all seen in Washington, D.C. many times before. You knew every politician would go by the script, play to the cameras and pander to their party’s base — and they did. You know you can’t do a thing about ending the government shutdown or brokering a compromise deal between the Democrats and the president. Turn off the TV and talk radio for a few days. Don’t listen to the news. When you’re in the car, tune into to Y2 Country, the Highway or the Bridge on Sirius XM. The sad truth is, in the age of Trump, jokes and humor of any kind are getting harder to find — or tell.