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The Latest: Warren supports elimination of electoral college

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The Latest on Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren (all times local):

Turkey's Erdogan calls on New Zealand to restore death penalty over shooting

President Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday called on New Zealand to restore the death penalty for the gunman who killed 50 people at two Christchurch mosques, warning that Turkey would make the attacker pay for his act if New Zealand did not. Australian Brenton Tarrant, 28, a suspected white supremacist, was charged with murder on Saturday after a lone gunman opened fire at the two mosques during Muslim Friday prayers. If New Zealand doesn't make you, we know how to make you pay one way or another," Erdogan told an election rally of thousands in northern Turkey.

Supreme Court will decide if convicted sniper in 2002 District of Columbia-area killings can get new sentence

The Supreme Court agreed to decide whether life-without-parole sentences for the primary gunman in a series of D.C.-area murders in 2002 must be reconsidered.

Parts of US Midwest deluged in historic deadly floods

The US Midwest struggled Monday with historic flooding that claimed at least three lives, displaced residents and damaged hundreds of homes and businesses. Swollen waters hit much of Nebraska, as well as parts of Iowa, Wisconsin, and South Dakota, after a major storm last week dumped snow and rain, even as melting snow was already raising the levels of area waterways. Neighboring states could also be affected as floodwaters drain, officials said.

Former white supremacist explains what leads people to the extreme right

A former neo-Nazi skinhead has attempted to pinpoint exactly how white supremacists are radicalised to commit violent attacks against minorities similar to the mosque shootings in Christchurch, New Zealand that killed at least 51 people last week. The co-founder of Life After Hate, a nonprofit organisation aimed at helping people leave white supremacist groups, was asked on CNN if stationing armed guards at houses of worships could effectively prevent white supremacists from committing a heinous attack like Christchurch. While Mr Picciolini agreed ‘vulnerable places need to be protected,’ he said more priority should be placed on the forums and sources where men and women are often radicalised by white supremacist ideology.

I got into 39 colleges without cheating: What applying to schools looks like in 2019

Jordan Nixon got into 39 colleges without any celebrity parents or $500,000 bribes. But that doesn't mean it wasn't "stressful to say the least."

Utrecht gunman left letter in getaway car signalling possible terrorism motive

Dutch authorities said Tuesday they were "seriously" investigating a possible terrorist motive for the Utrecht tram attack because of evidence including a letter found in the gunman's getaway car. Police were questioning Turkish-born main suspect Gokmen Tanis, 37, and two other men over Monday's rampage in which three people were killed and seven injured, three seriously. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte had earlier said they "cannot exclude" other motives including a family dispute, but police and prosecutors said on Tuesday that the probe was leaning towards terrorism. "So far, a terrorist motive is seriously being taken into account. This is based on a letter found in the getaway car among other things and the nature of the facts," police and prosecutors said in a joint statement. "Our investigation has established no link between the main suspect and the victims." Flowers have been set up in tribute to victims at the site of the shooting in a tram Credit: JOHN THYS/ AFP The three people who died in the shooting were a 19-year-old woman from Vianen, south of Utrecht, and two men aged 28 and 49 from Utrecht itself, the statement said. Armed police captured Tanis after an eight-hour manhunt that virtually shut down the Netherlands' fourth largest city and triggered a nationwide increase in security at airports and key sites. Police said they had found a red Renault Clio used as a getaway car after the attack. They had also found a firearm after his arrest, they added. Tanis and two other men aged 23 and 27 are still being interrogated, police said. A stream of mourners laid flowers on Tuesday at the site of the attack near the 24 Oktoberplein square. "One of the victims was my friend's girlfriend. So coming here today was the least I could do," Marco van Rooijen, 43, told AFP. "I am here to pay homage to the victims and to support their families," added local resident Yvette Koetjeloozekoot, 29. Flags were flying half-mast on many buildings around the Netherlands. Public transport was running again after forensic police finished their investigations at the scene and removed the tram on which the shooting erupted. Rutte was chairing a cabinet meeting on the attack, which has raised security fears a day before provincial elections in the Netherlands. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country's intelligence agency was "looking into" the attack. "Some say it is a family matter, some say it is a terror attack ... Our intelligence agency is looking into the matter", Erdogan told Ulke TV late Monday. Dutch media have reported that the suspect had a long rap sheet and was only released from jail two weeks ago on a number of charges. Broadcaster NOS reported that some people close to him had links to fundamentalist Islamic groups, but also that he had divorced his wife two years ago. Police and witnesses said gunfire broke out on the tram on Monday morning, sending people fleeing and triggering a huge police response. Mosques and schools were closed across Utrecht following the bloodshed, before heavily armed officers surrounded a building and arrested Tanis. Support for the Netherlands poured in from around the world including the United States, the EU and Russia. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said: "America stands with you. We will continue to do all we can to help you in this terrible time of tragedy."

Last prosecutor on Michael Flynn case departs Mueller's office

Her departure comes on the heels of reports that another Mueller prosecutor would leave the office in coming days and is sure to be seen as a new indication that the special counsel’s investigation is winding down.

US, Russia to hold talks on Venezuela in Rome

ROME (AP) — U.S. and Russian officials are meeting in Rome this week to discuss the crisis in Venezuela.

Vandals target WWII memorial in Boston

The South Boston community is outraged after an oily substance is left on the World War II monument.

'You Are a Good Egg.' Fundraiser for Australian Teen Who Egged Senator Raises Over $30,000

The teen 'egged' a controversial senator following his Islamophobic comments

Navy vs. Nukes: U.S. Navy Plans to Test Missile Defenses Against ICBM

The Pentagon plans a “first-of-its-kind” test of an unprecedented weapons capability to intercept and destroy an enemy Intercontinental Ballistic Missile "ICBM" -- from a Navy ship at sea using a Standard Missile-3 Block IIA.

California poppies: City declares public safety crisis after 'super bloom apocalypse'

Officials in the California city of Lake Elisnore have previously had large crowds come and see the wildflowers that burst into a vibrant blaze of gorgeous colour as spring gets underway. “The city has expended all available resources to address the #SuperBloom,” they wrote on the the city’s Instagram page. Residents have complained about traffic jams, as visitors have arrived as early as 5.30am to visit the wildflowers, whose burst of growth was triggered by recent record-breaking rainfall.

Thousands flee record Midwest flooding triggered by 'bomb cyclone' – and more rain is coming

Heavy rain combined with spring snowmelt pushed some Midwest rivers to record levels Sunday and forced evacuations.

Black boxes show 'clear similarities' with Indonesia crash, Ethiopia says

Black box data recovered from an Ethiopian Airlines plane that crashed last week show "clear similarities" with a recent crash in Indonesia of the same type of aircraft, Ethiopia's transport minister said on Sunday. The announcement came a week after Ethiopian Airlines flight 302 plummeted into a field southeast of Addis Ababa minutes into its flight to Nairobi, killing all 157 people onboard. The disaster caused the worldwide grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft involved after aviation regulators noticed similarities with the October crash of an Indonesian Lion Air 737 MAX 8 that killed all 189 passengers and crew.

Records show FBI was probing Michael Cohen long before raid

NEW YORK (AP) — Hundreds of pages of court records made public Tuesday revealed that special counsel Robert Mueller quickly zeroed in on Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former personal attorney and fixer, in the early stages of his Russia probe.

Warren tests 2020 message with black voters in U.S. South

Affordable housing is a chief concern for the senator from Massachusetts, who recently reintroduced a $500 billion housing plan she says will create millions of housing units and reduce rental costs by 10 percent. During meetings with housing advocates in Memphis, Tennessee, and walking tours of small Mississippi towns, Warren, who is white, tested and tailored her central message of combating income inequality to black voters, a critical Democratic voting bloc. "I'm running to be president of all the people, and it's important to go around the country and have a chance to talk with people face to face," Warren told reporters after a town hall that drew about 500 people to a high school in Memphis.

New Zealand shooting is warning for US: Get serious about white supremacist terror threat

Why is there controversy over whether right-wing, racially motivated violent extremism is a growing danger? It is and we need to treat it that way.

Brotherly love at Reliance? India's Mukesh Ambani provides 'support' to brother Anil as debt paid off

India's richest man Mukesh Ambani, who controls oil-to-telecoms powerhouse Reliance Industries that is now worth many times the troubled business group run by his younger brother Anil, appears to have offered some kind of support to ensure Anil paid off a 5.5 billion rupees ($80 million) debt. If Anil didn't pay the debt, then he had been threatened by India's Supreme Court with a prison term. The nature of the backing and how it was delivered is unclear, but in a statement Anil Ambani thanked his billionaire brother "for standing by me during these trying times, and demonstrating the importance of staying true to our strong family values by extending this timely support".

Leak teases OnePlus 7 with a new all-screen design that ditches the notch

If it sticks to tradition, OnePlus will likely launch two standard smartphones this year: The OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7T. But the Chinese smartphone maker will also sell a standalone 5G phone in some markets as soon as next quarter. That device was on display in heavy camouflage at MWC 2018 a few weeks ago, but it’s unclear whether it’ll be a part of the OnePlus 7 series. Meanwhile, several leaks have claimed that OnePlus will deliver a brand new design with the OnePlus 7, and we have one more image that seems to confirm those reports. OnePlus has yet to announce the OnePlus 7, but the company did confirm the phone won’t have a 3.5mm headphone jack or wireless charging. Rumors then said the handset will feature an all-screen, notch-less design. Instead of the teardrop notch that we saw on the OnePlus 6T, the 7 would sport a slide-out selfie camera. On the back, meanwhile, the phone is expected to rock a triple-lens camera module, like most 2019 flagships. Well-known Samsung leaker Ice Universe posted an image on Twitter that shows an alleged OnePlus 7 case featuring design elements that seem to confirm the previous rumors: https://twitter.com/UniverseIce/status/1107554985594609664 As you can see in the image above, the phone that would fit inside this case would have a triple-lens camera on the back, considering the size of that camera cutout. Moreover, we have a cutout on the top side that will probably contain the slide-out selfie camera. Also worth noting is that there’s no opening on the top or bottom of the case that would accommodate the headphone jack. The leaker didn’t share additional information about the case or the OnePlus 7. We can only speculate that the phone will hit stores by June. OnePlus has not announced any media events for either the OnePlus 5G phone or the OnePlus 7, but it would make sense to see both devices unveiled at a press conference next quarter.

Biggest obstacle to passage of Green New Deal? Democratic lawmakers

Democrats agree that climate change needs to be addressed. Pronto. But they're divided on if Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez' Green New Deal is the answer.

Bay Area woman accused in college admissions scandal appears in court, USC could expel students involved

A Bay Area woman accused of taking part in the college admissions scandal made her first court appearance in Boston. USC says it is reviewing students who could be involved.

New British Airways business class seat features door and lie-flat beds

British Airways has pulled back the curtain on its new business class seat which features a sliding door for privacy, flat-bed seats, vanity and increased storage space. 

'Clear similarities' between Boeing crashes in Ethiopia, Indonesia

Flight recorder data recovered from the wreckage of Boeing 737 MAX planes that crashed in Ethiopia and Indonesia shows "clear similarities," Addis Ababa said Sunday as the US maker announced it was finalizing a software update for its under fire anti-stall system. Pressure was mounting meanwhile on the US Federal Aviation Administration, which insisted it had followed standard procedures in certifying the plane model, even as it was reported to have come under investigation by the Department of Transport. "The 737 MAX certification program followed the FAA's standard certification process," the agency said in an email to AFP.

Saudi crown prince approved 'intervention' against dissidents: report

More than a year before the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Saudi Arabia's powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved a secret campaign to silence dissenters, The New York Times reported on Sunday. American officials referred to it as the Saudi Rapid Intervention Group, the Times said. At least some of the clandestine missions were carried out by members of the team that killed and dismembered Khashoggi in October at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, suggesting his murder was part of a wider campaign against dissidents, the report said, citing the US officials and associates of some Saudi victims.

The Latest: Booker says he would reverse transgender ban

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — The Latest on the Democratic race for president (all times local):

US weather: Thousands flee midwest as three die amid flooding triggered by 'bomb cyclone'

Thousands of people are being forced to leave their homes after a so-called bomb cyclone brought flooding to huge swathes of the American midwest. From Nebraska to Kansas, and Missouri to Illinois, residents have been evacuated amid flooding that has killed at least three people. The governors of Nebraska, Iowa and Wisconsin have declared states of emergency.

Israeli rabbi, wounded in Palestinian attack, dies: hospital

An Israeli rabbi died on Monday of wounds from a Palestinian attack a day earlier in the occupied West Bank in which a soldier was killed - an incident that played into Israeli politics three weeks before a national election. The rabbi, Achiad Ettinger, 47, was a father of 12 and a resident of a Jewish settlement in the West Bank. A spokeswoman at Beilinson hospital near Tel Aviv announced Ettinger's death.

College admissions scandal is news, but not new in sports

Take Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman out of it, and the college admissions scandal doesn't seem that unique.

Here's the biggest news you missed this weekend

From Boeing crashes to the New Zealand shooter, here's what to know.

Meet the Smith & Wesson Model 39/59: The Navy SEALs Old Gun

The Smith & Wesson Model 39 semi-automatic handgun served U.S. Navy SEALs during the Vietnam War and then went on to become one of the American nine-millimeter high capacity pistols, the Model 59.

New Zealand shooting: Jacinda Ardern to announce gun law reforms within 10 days

Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand's prime minister, said on Monday gun law reforms would be announced in 10 days, after meeting her cabinet for the first time since the massacre in Christchurch. The shock of the attacks, in which 50  people were killed and dozens wounded at two mosques, has led to calls for an immediate tightening of laws to restrict access to some firearms, particularly semi-automatic weapons. Ms Ardern said on Monday that her cabinet had made in principle decisions around the reform of gun laws following the mass shooting in Christchurch "I intend to give further details of these decisions to the media and the public before cabinet meets again next Monday," she said at a press conference. "This ultimately means that within 10 days of this horrific act of terrorism we will have announced reforms which will, I believe, make our community safer." Terror in New Zealand | Read more She said an inquiry would look at the lead up to attack and what might have been done differently. The owner of a New Zealand gun store said on Monday the man charged with murder in Christchurch's mass shooting had bought firearms and ammunition online from the store, but it did not sell him the high-powered weapon used in the mosque shootings. Australian Brenton Tarrant, 28, a suspected white supremacist, was charged with murder on Saturday. Tarrant was remanded without a plea and is due back in court on April 5 where police said he was likely to face more charges. Gun City owner David Tipple said the alleged gunman bought four weapons and ammunition between December 2017 and March 2018. "The MSSA, military-style automatic, reportedly used by the alleged gunman was not purchased from Gun City. Gun City did not sell him an MSSA, only A-category firearms," Mr Tipple told a news conference in Christchurch. Gun City owner David Tipple gestures during a press conference in Christchurch Credit: AP Under New Zealand gun laws, A-category weapons can be semi-automatic but limited to seven shots. Video of a gunman in one mosque showed a semi-automatic with a large magazine round. Mr Tipple said the online purchases followed a police-verified online mail-order process and A-category firearms were bought in three or four purchases. "We detected nothing extraordinary about the licence holder. He was a brand new purchaser, with a brand new licence," he said. Tightening New Zealand's gun laws was at the top of Ms Ardern's agenda for the Cabinet meeting on Monday. "What the public rightly are asking right now is why is it and how is it that you are currently able to buy military style semi-automatic weapons in New Zealand, and that's the right question to ask," Ms Ardern told TVNZ earlier on Monday. "There are ways we can bring in effective regulation of firearms that actually target those we need to target and that is our focus." Mr Tipple said he supported Ardern's call for gun law reforms as the Christchurch shootings had raised legitimate concerns. New Zealand, a country of only 5 million people, has an estimated 1.5 million firearms. The minimum age for a gun license is 16, and 18 to own a semi-automatic weapon. A Radio New Zealand report, based on police data secured through an Official Information Act request, said more than 99 percent of people who applied for a firearms licence in 2017 were successful. A New Zealand standard A-category firearm licence is issued after a police and background check. No licence is required to buy a large round magazine, which can be illegally modified for use in such a weapon. Only firearm owners are licensed, not weapons, so there is no monitoring of how many weapons a person may possess. The plans for gun control measures came as Tarrant's court-appointed lawyer said the suspect intended to represent himself.  Duty lawyer Richard Peters, who represented Tarrant during the preliminary court hearing, told AFP the 28-year-old "indicated he does not want a lawyer". "He wants to be self-represented in this case," said Mr Peters, who played down suggestions that Tarrant may not be fit for trial. "The way he presented was rational and someone who was not suffering any mental disability. That's how he appeared. He seemed to understand what was going on," Mr Peters said. New Zealand mosque massacre - In pictures Ms Ardern was the first signatory of a national condolence book for the country's worst mass killing that she opened in the capital Wellington on Monday. "On behalf of all New Zealanders, we grieve together. We are one. They are us," she wrote in the book. Frustration was building among the families of victims as under Islam it is custom to conduct burials within 24 hours, but bodies will not be released until post mortems are carried out. Deputy Police Commissioner Wally Haumaha said the first body was approved for release on Sunday night, but the family was yet to take the body because another relative was also killed and they wanted to collect them together. He said there would be no burials on Monday. "We’ve been working fairly hard through the night to ensure the process of returning the deceased to their loved ones is taking place expediently," he said. The burial process, which usually involves washing with three kinds of water, salving wounds and scrubbing skin, would be complicated, volunteers in Christchurch said. Muslims embrace after overseeing the excavating of graves at a Muslim cemetery in Christchurch, New Zealand Credit: AP Mo, a volunteer who had flown in from Brisbane to wash the bodies, said the people who died in the mosques were classified as martyrs. That meant there were different views as to whether they would be washed or not because he said Islamic jurisprudence said martyrs are not to be washed as their blood was witness to their martyrdom. "But some people have said because it was not a battlefield it is okay to wash the body. But it is at the discretion of the family," said Mo. He asked to be identified by just one name. The two mosques involved in the shootings have been closed since the massacre, but are expected to reopen by Friday prayers after cleansing blessings were carried out, said Haumaha. "This morning we conducted two important blessings at the Deans Avenue mosques and the Linwood mosque," he said. "This blessing this morning gave them (the Muslim community) huge confidence...We hope to have those premises in place by the end of the week to allow our Muslim community to go back and undertake prayer." Sign up for your essential, twice-daily briefing from The Telegraph with our free Front Page newsletter.

2020 hopeful Beto O'Rourke rakes in record $6.1 mn on Day 1

Democrat Beto O'Rourke pulled in a record $6.1 million in the 24 hours after announcing his US presidential run, outraising the crowded field of challengers to Donald Trump in 2020. The former congressman from Texas, who rose to national prominence last year with an inspirational but ultimately unsuccessful effort to unseat Senator Ted Cruz, jumped into the presidential race last Thursday in a closely-watched kick-off. The 46-year-old Texan impressively eclipsed the $5.9 million opening-day haul of Senator Bernie Sanders, the liberal icon who maintains a vast database of supporters and donors from his 2016 presidential race.

Massive fire at Houston petrochemical storage terminal may last two more days

A massive fire at a fuels storage company along the Houston Ship Channel may burn for two more days, an official said on Monday as the blaze spread a plume of black smoke across the city, shutting schools in two nearby communities. The fire began Sunday morning in a giant storage tank containing naphtha, a volatile substance used to create octane-boosting components of gasoline. No injuries were reported from the fire but nearby residents were encouraged to remain indoors.

Born into al-Qaida: Hamza bin Laden's rise to prominence

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The boy is only 12 years old and looks even younger and smaller kneeling next to the wreckage of a helicopter, flanked by masked jihadis carrying Kalashnikov assault rifles with bandoliers strapped across their chests.

Southwest Airlines launches Hawaii service from Oakland to Honolulu with new snacks, in-flight hula dancing

Southwest's first Hawaii flight was Flight 6808 from Oakland to Honolulu. The airline initially is offering daily service from Oakland and San Jose, California.

China Considers Excluding Boeing 737 Max From Trade Deal

Boeing jets were featured on a draft list of American products China would buy to reduce its trade surplus with the U.S., the people said, asking not to be identified discussing private deliberations. Now, safety concerns are pushing China to examine whether to cut the 737 Max from the list altogether or replace it with other Boeing models after the crash of a plane operated by Ethiopian Airlines led to the aircraft being grounded worldwide, they said.

This $20 iPhone XR battery case has more capacity than Apple’s $129 case

The Apple Smart Battery Case for iPhone XR is pretty sleek, and the iOS integration is definitely nifty. It has less than 1400 mAh of capacity though, which is pretty disappointing. It also costs a whopping $129, which is even more disappointing. If you want a little more bang for your buck you should definitely check out the Elebase iPhone XR Battery Case. It packs 5000 mAh of juice and it only costs $19.99 thanks to a discount on Amazon. There are also versions available for the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max, and they're both on sale for $19.99 right now, too.Here are the bullet points from the product page: * EXTEND BATTERY LIFE \--- The 5000mAh rechargeable battery case provides up to 120% extra battery capacity whenever you need it, giving you the power to do more. With a series of four LEDs on the rear side, you can easily keep tabs on battery power of the case. Never worry about power again! * USER-FRIENDLY DESIGN \--- The product is easy to attach with a slide-and-lock design and you don't even need to remove the case to plug in your Lightning headphones or sync up your phone with a computer. Furthermore, you can also use this case with any magnetic mount as built-in magnets will hold your phone in place. * ULTIMATE PROTECTION \--- By utilizing a more rugged design than other battery cases on the market, this battery case features a rigid plastic shell and raised bezel, to provide your iPhone with added protection against drops and hard falls. * CHARGE WITH CONFIDENCE \--- Built-in fail-safe circuitry and temperature protection prevents over-charging and overheating. Besides, The first-class lithium-ion polymer cells also guarantee the most efficient charge for your device. * WARRANTY \--- We back this iPhone battery case with one year warranty and friendly after-sale customer service. Please don't hesitated to reach out if there is any problem for your order :)

Venezuela opposition takes control of diplomatic properties in U.S.

The envoy, Carlos Vecchio, said the opposition had gained control of two buildings belonging to Venezuela's defense ministry in Washington and one consular building in New York. "We are taking these steps in order to preserve the assets of the Venezuelans here in this country," Vecchio said from one of the buildings, the office of Venezuela's military attache to Washington, after removing a portrait of Maduro from the wall and replacing it with one of Guaido.

Social media scrambles to remove videos of New Zealand Christchurch mosque shooting

A gunman who opened fire inside a New Zealand mosque on Friday live-streamed his attack in a 17-minute video.

Congress to probe Trump administration’s response to rising threat of white nationalism

The Democratic-controlled House Judiciary Committee has revealed plans to hold hearings on the rising threat of white nationalism. Mr Trump then said during a televised appearance in the Oval Office that he did not believe white nationalism was an increasing threat in the US. The hearings — which will reportedly arrive in early April — will focus in part on how Mr Trump’s administration has responded to the growing threat of white nationalism documented in rising figures on hate crime and hate-based violence.

Infamous serial killer 'Jack the Ripper' identified through DNA testing, study claims

The internet is abuzz with reports that Jack the Ripper's identity has been revealed through genetic testing, but is the science reliable?

NZ premier Ardern vows mosque gunman will face 'full force of law'

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern promised on Tuesday that the man responsible for last week's deadly mosque massacres would face "the full force of the law", as she vowed never to utter his name. "He sought many things from his act of terror, but one was notoriety -- that is why you will never hear me mention his name," Ardern said in an emotional address to a special meeting of parliament, which she opened with the Arabic greeting "as salaam aleikum" -- 'peace be upon you'. Australian Brenton Tarrant, 28, was captured by police and has been charged with one count of murder, but Ardern assured parliament other charges would follow.

SEC says Musk's contempt defense 'borders on the ridiculous'

DETROIT (AP) — U.S. securities regulators countered Tesla CEO Elon Musk's contempt-of-court defense Monday night, writing in court papers that he brazenly disregarded a federal judge's order and that one of his arguments "borders on the ridiculous."