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• US extends troop deployment at Mexico border

  The Pentagon said Monday it would extend until September 30 the deployment of active-duty soldiers and Coast Guard members at the US-Mexico border, while expanding the mission to include surveillance and detection. "DoD will continue to provide aviation support," the statement added, referring to the Department of Defense.

  
  

• Latest: California governor urges end to LA teacher strike

  LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Latest on a strike by Los Angeles teachers (all times local):

  
  

• Robert Mueller’s spokesman is a man of mystery

  Peter Carr, spokesman for special counsel Robert Mueller, has made a virtue of saying nothing at all.

  
  

• As shutdown lingers, Pelosi urges Trump to reschedule State of the Union

  With Trump's address scheduled for Jan. 29, Pelosi wrote him a letter citing security concerns because the Secret Service, which is required to provide security for the address, has not received funding during the impasse. The standoff was triggered by Trump's demand for a round of funding for his promised wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. Senate Democrats planned to gather on the steps of the Capitol at noon EST on Wednesday to highlight the havoc the shutdown is wreaking, as 800,000 federal workers are furloughed or work without pay, and contractors do not receive payments.

  
  

• California college student found dead, fraternity suspended

  IRVINE, Calif. (AP) — A Southern California college student has been found dead in a home near campus and his fraternity has been suspended, authorities said Monday.

  
  

• Kenya Hunts Gunmen in Fatal Hotel Attack Claimed by Al-Qaeda

  The attack on 14 Riverside Drive in Nairobi began with an explosion targeting three vehicles in the parking lot and then a suicide-bombing in the foyer of a Dusit Hotels & Resorts Co. outlet, police Inspector-General Joseph Boinnet said Tuesday in a televised briefing. Al-Shabaab, an affiliate of al-Qaeda based in neighboring Somalia, said it killed 47 people in the attack, according to Radio Andalus, a broadcaster that supports its insurgency. The group didn’t say how it obtained the figure, but if its involvement was confirmed it would be the Islamists’ first significant assault in Kenya since a raid on a university campus in Garissa county in April 2015 that killed at least 147 people.

  
  

• Snowstorms to be followed by Arctic outbreak in eastern half of nation

  Following a pair of snowstorms set to deliver a one-two punch to the midwestern and northeastern United States into this weekend, the coldest air so far this winter season has its sights set on the eastern half of the nation.

  
  

• Government shutdown: Passenger takes gun through airport security check onto international flight

  A passenger managed to board plane with a gun in their hand luggage after being screened by security at an American airport. Having accidentally packed their firearm, the unnamed traveller managed get on to the Delta Air Lines plane to Tokyo at the Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on 3 January, the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has admitted. After realising their mistake after the aircraft had taken off, the passenger immediately alerted staff on board, who in turn told the TSA.

  
  

• Navajo Code Talker Alfred K. Newman, among the last of the World War II heroes, has died

  Alfred K. Newman was among 400 Navajos who helped defeat the Japanese during World War II by developing an unbreakable code using the Dine language.

  
  

• Close shave: Gillette ad sparks online controversy

  A commercial for the Gillette razor brand that supported the #MeToo movement and called on men to change their behavior has triggered a heated controversy online. The broadcast of the spot, which was released Sunday and lasts just under two minutes, has earned the brand praise from those who see it as an example of brave communication, with the Icelandic Ministry of Foreign Affairs even paying tribute in a tweet on Tuesday. "So nice to see @Gillette jumping on the 'men are horrible' campaign permeating mainstream media and Hollywood entertainment.

  
  

• Los Angeles teachers strike for second day as mayor seeks to restart talks

  Some 30,000 Los Angeles teachers on strike for higher pay, smaller classes and more staff walked picket lines in the rain for a second day on Tuesday as Mayor Eric Garcetti embraced their cause while trying to nudge the two sides back to the bargaining table. The walkout, with teachers garbed mostly in red braving two days of rainy weather to stage mass rallies downtown, has shattered 30 years of labor peace by Los Angeles teachers but has not completely idled schools.

  
  

• Frontier Airlines has introduced a tipping system for its flight attendants

  Should you tip flight attendants?

  
  

• Barr Tells Senators He Might Not Release Mueller Report

  In a Senate confirmation hearing Tuesday, Attorney General nominee William Barr declined to promise that he would release Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s long-awaited report to Congress and the public. “My goal and intent is to get as much information out as I can,” Barr told the Senate Judiciary Committee, before adding that he was “not going to make a pledge to anyone on this committee” about how he would handle his responsibilities as attorney general. “As the rules stand now, the rules I think say the special counsel will prepare a summary report on any prosecutive or declination decisions, and that shall be confidential and be treated as any other declination or prosecutive material within the department,” Barr said.

  
  

• The 7 Hottest Cars from the 2019 Detroit Auto Show

  
  

• The Latest: Grandfather: Suspect 'backed off from crowds'

  BARRON, Wis. (AP) — The Latest on the kidnapping of 13-year-old Jayme Closs (all times local):

  
  

• F-22 vs. F-35: Which Stealth Fighter Wins in a Shootout?

  The U.S. Air Force’s original plan was for the F-22 to be its high-end air superiority fighter while the F-35 was designed to be primarily an air-to-ground strike aircraft, but one which could defend itself.

  
  

• Steve King: Republican congressman who defended white supremacy stripped of committee assignments

  A senior Republican congressman has been blocked by his own party from sitting on committees after his universally condemned remarks about white supremacy. Steve King, in his ninth term representing Iowa in Washington, will not be given committee assignments for the next two years, House minority leader Kevin McCarthy said. Mr King had served on the agriculture, small business and judiciary committees in the last Congress, also chairing the judiciary's subcommittee on the constitution and civil justice.

  
  

• Say it ain't snow: 2 winter storms, then an Arctic blast from the 'fractured' polar vortex

  Any hopes we had for a mild end to January appear over. A pair of winter storms will dump snow and ice across the central and eastern U.S. over the next several days.

  
  

• American citizen killed in Nairobi attack: official

  A US citizen was killed Tuesday in an attack by Islamist militants on an upmarket hotel and office complex in Nairobi, a US official said. An AFP photographer in Nairobi saw the bodies of five victims and a police source said he had seen as many as 14 dead. Al-Shabaab, the Al-Qaeda-linked Somali group that assaulted a Nairobi shopping mall in 2013, claimed responsibility for Tuesday's attack on the DusitD2 compound, which includes a 101-room hotel, spa, restaurant, and offices for local and international companies.

  
  

• UK's Labour calls on May to try a Brexit compromise to get deal passed

  May's Brexit deal suffered a crushing defeat in parliament on Tuesday, triggering political chaos that could lead to a disorderly exit from the EU, a reversal of the 2016 decision to leave or a compromise deal of some sort. The Labour Party's finance policy chief, John McDonnell, said Labour would support May if she agreed to stay in a permanent customs union with the EU, a close relationship with its single market and greater protections for workers and consumers. "We will support a deal that brings the country back together, protects jobs and supports the economy," McDonnell said.

  
  

• California governor, lawmakers confront utility bankruptcy

  SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The announcement by the nation's largest utility that it is filing for bankruptcy puts Pacific Gas & Electric Co.'s problems squarely in the hands of Gov. Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers, who now must try to keep ratepayer costs down, ensure wildfire victims get the money they're owed and rethink California's energy picture in the face of climate change. 

  
  

• Two Republicans Push ‘Border Bonds’ to Let Americans Finance a Wall

  Representatives Steven Palazzo of Mississippi and Andy Harris of Maryland, both members of the House Appropriations Committee, introduced the Border Bonds for America Act of 2019 -- a law that would allow Americans to buy such securities from the U.S. The money would be put in a trust fund and used just to build a wall along the nearly 2,000 mile (3,200 kilometer) border. The tactic echoes the Liberty Bond program, which appealed to Americans’ sense of patriotism to raise funds during World War I.

  
  

• A Look at the 2020 BMW 7-series

  
  

• Kidnap suspect picked out US teen target at bus stop: charges

  An American 21-year-old arrested for holding a teenaged girl captive after murdering her parents chose his victim after seeing her get on a school bus, according to a charge sheet filed on Monday. Jake Patterson confessed to killing James and Denise Closs and to abducting their 13-year-old daughter Jayme, according to the document filed in court in Barron County, Wisconsin. Referred to in the document by her initials, JLC, Jayme Closs was the subject of a nationwide search following her disappearance three months ago -- until last week when she made a seemingly miraculous escape.

  
  

• 2020 Ford Explorer Gets Evolutionary, High-Tech Redesign

  Ford has completely redesigned the Explorer for 2020, but you might not realize it from the photos. The exterior styling is so familiar that it would be easy to overlook the extensive re-engineer...
  

  
  

• Will May Survive Her Brexit Defeat?

  The only meaningful unity that the United Kingdom has seen in the past two years has been opposition to the Brexit deal Prime Minister Theresa May negotiated with the European Union. The defeat, as predicted, has prompted Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn to propose a vote, expected to be held on Wednesday, of no confidence in the government. When future historians consider Brexit, they will surely marvel at May’s obstinate capacity for survival in the face of unending political humiliation.

  
  

• Sears Chairman Eddie Lampert revises his bid to save the company, report says

  Amid an auction of its assets, Sears chairman Eddie Lampert has tweaked his bid for the beleaguered retailer according to Bloomberg

  
  

• Saudi urges 'fair' energy transition, defends oil

  Top oil exporter Saudi Arabia called Tuesday for a "fair" and gradual global energy transition as it unveiled an ambitious domestic renewable energy programme. Experts say energy output from renewables, especially solar and wind, is growing faster than anticipated, threatening to displace oil, gas and coal as the world's main sources of power. "Balancing greenhouse gas emissions will take decades," he said at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week.

  
  

• Trump: 'I never worked for Russia'

  Trump also disputed a Washington Post report that he had concealed details about his meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and confiscated his interpreter's notes. Congressional Democrats raised the possibility of subpoenaing the translator. The New York Times reported on Friday that the FBI opened the investigation after Trump's firing of FBI Director James Comey raised concerns that the president posed a threat to national security.

  
  

• Democrats boycott shutdown meeting at the White House, say they will not meet until government is reopened

  Ohio Congressman Brad Wenstrup, who attended the meeting, reacts to the democrats actions on 'Your World.'

  
  

• Amid shutdown, Texas governor sidesteps border wall debate

  AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Republican Greg Abbott began a second term as Texas governor Tuesday by promising lower taxes and a school funding overhaul but without mentioning a national policy dispute that weighs heavily on his state: President Donald Trump's demand for a border wall.

  
  

• Netflix just announced the biggest price increase in the history of its streaming service

  Netflix increased the prices of all three of its US plans on Tuesday, some by as much as 18%, which makes this the most substantial price jump since the streaming service debuted in 2007. As reported by CNBC on Tuesday morning, the standard plan -- which offers HD video and allows users to watch from up to two devices at once -- will be subjected to the largest price hike, percentage-wise, as it climbs from $10.99 a month to $12.99 a month. As CNBC points out, that's still cheaper than HBO NOW, which costs $14.99 a month, but upping the price of its most popular plan will certainly have plenty of subscribers up in arms. As for the basic plan -- which doesn't include HD video and can only stream on one screen at a time -- the price has been increased from $7.99 to $8.99, while the premium plan -- Ultra HD and four screens -- increased from $13.99 to $15.99. The price hikes affect all new subscribers immediately, as you can see on the Netflix signup page, but current subscribers will begin to see the new prices reflected in their bills over the next three months. This marks the fourth price increase that Netflix has rolled out in the US. The last time Netflix changed its prices was in late 2017, but this is the first time a price hike has ever hit every subscriber at once. In the past, changes like these have convinced some subscribers to cancel their service altogether, and as there is no way to avoid paying more by changing to another plan, it seems likely that there will be a similar backlash this time as well. "We change pricing from time to time as we continue investing in great entertainment and improving the overall Netflix experience," the company said in a statement.

  
  

• Two women rescued after being taken hostage at UPS warehouse in New Jersey

  Two women have been rescued after being taken hostage at a UPS facility in New Jersey, a local prosecutor has said. The women, both UPS employees, were not seriously injured during the hours-long standoff, Gloucester County Prosecutor Charles Fiore said at a news conference. The suspect has been apprehended after the incident at the UPS processing facility in Logan Township.

  
  

• The New Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Uses the Same Supercharger as the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1

  Put down your fists; it's not as bad as it sounds.

  
  

• New York's Gillibrand Takes First Step Toward Presidential Race

  Gillibrand plans to make stops this weekend in Iowa, where caucuses a little more than a year from now will mark the start of the nominating race. Gillibrand has positioned herself as a leader of the #MeToo movement. “I’ll fight for other people’s kids as hard as I would fight for my own, which is why I believe health care should be a right and not a privilege,” Gillibrand said, listing her reasons for running.

  
  

• At least 14 confirmed dead in Kenya attack

  Gunmen blasted their way into a hotel and office complex in the Kenyan capital on Tuesday, killing at least 14 people and sending workers diving under desks to escape an attack claimed by Somalia-based Islamist group al Shabaab. Michelle Hennessy reports.

  
  

• Jamie Dimon says shutdown could reduce economic growth to zero this quarter if it continues

  Jamie Dimon, CEO of J.P. Morgan Chase CEO, said that the partial government shutdown could sap all growth from the U.S. economy.

  
  

• Worst is over for winter storm that clobbered U.S. Midwest, D.C. and New England

  All Washington D.C. federal offices would be closed on Monday, but train and bus service in the metro D.C. area would resume after being shut down on Sunday, officials said. "There's some digging out to do," Jim Hayes, a forecaster with the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland, said early Monday. "In Virginia, D.C. and Maryland, 6-to-12 inches of snow fell with some places getting 13 inches," he said.

  
  

• In-Depth Photos of the 2019 Subaru STI S209

  
  

• West Virginia: Proposal to give $10M for Trump's border wall

  CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Some lawmakers in drug-ravaged West Virginia want to pitch in millions of dollars for President Donald Trump's wall-building effort along the U.S.-Mexico border.

  
  

• Brexit deal vote: UK parliament's feuding factions

  London (AFP) - The British parliament is split into cross-party factions over the EU divorce deal.

  
  

• Three children dead after being 'trapped in freezer' in Florida

  The bodies of three children – aged 1, 4 and 6 —have been discovered in a chest freezer left outside a home in Suwanee County, Florida. Deputies from the Suwannee Country Sheriff's Office said they responded to a 911 call at a residence where three children were found not breathing. Adults were reportedly performing CPR on the children when the deputies arrived at the scene.

  
  

• VW, Ford announce alliance to build commercial vans, pickups

  Volkswagen and Ford announced a new alliance on Tuesday to jointly develop commercial vans and pickups starting in 2022, in a bid to reduce costs in the increasingly competitive auto market. The announcement came after more than six months of talks between the automakers which also included discussions about cooperation on autonomous and electrification technologies for cars of the future. The American and German giants will join forces to develop commercial vans and medium-sized pickups as early as 2022.

  
  

• Considerations Before Maxing Out Your 401(k)

  You probably already know that contributing to your 401(k) plan will improve your retirement finances. There are some circumstances when it makes sense to pay down debt and build up some savings outside of your 401(k) before boosting your 401(k) withholding. Here's what you should think about before increasing your 401(k) contributions.

  
  

• Boeing's F-15X Could Be a Killer in the Sky (But It Won't Have Stealth)

  Is that a problem?

  
  

• What happens to the 62,500 students with special needs during Los Angeles teachers' strike?

  The disruption triggered by the strike that began Monday in the nation's second-largest school district could set back thousands of other children with developmental disabilities who need special education and consistency, parents told USA TODAY.

  
  

• 'El Chapo' paid former Mexican president $100 million bribe: trial witness

  Alex Cifuentes, who has described himself as Guzman's onetime right-hand man, discussed the alleged bribe under cross-examination by one of Guzman's lawyers in Brooklyn federal court. Asked if he told authorities in 2016 that Guzman arranged the bribe, he answered, "That's right." Cifuentes testified that he had told U.S. prosecutors Pena Nieto reached out to Guzman first, asking for $250 million. Cifuentes told the prosecutors that the bribe was paid in October 2012, when Pena Nieto was president-elect, he testified.

  
  

• AP sources: Gillibrand moving toward 2020 bid in coming days

  WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is expected to move toward launching a 2020 presidential campaign within days by forming an exploratory committee, according to several people familiar with her plans.

  
  

• Barr draws a line for Trump: ‘I will not be bullied’

  President Trump's nominee for attorney general promises that he will abide by his sense of what is right and will not be susceptible to pressure from the president or from whatever quarter.

  
  

• Parliament Rejects May’s Brexit Deal

  The Brexit deal painstakingly negotiated by British prime minister Theresa May over the past two years was rejected overwhelmingly by Parliament on Tuesday. The deal, which fell in a 432–202 vote in the House of Commons, represented the only established path forward to prevent a so-called “no-deal” British exit from the European Union, which is set to take place in March and would likely result in massive political and economic upheaval. In response to the historic defeat, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn tabled a vote of no confidence, which, if passed, would oust May and give Corbyn a chance to form a new government.