7 Important Things You Have to Know Now

January 3, 2019 by Douglas A. McIntyre

The war of words between President Trump and Democrats in Congress escalated as Nancy Pelosi, who will be elected Speaker of the House this week, said she would give “nothing for the wall.” The comment referred to the $5 billion Trump insists he needs to get to build a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico. Trump has stated he will not sign legislation to end a partial government shutdown unless the border wall is paid for.

Apple announced that its revenue figures for the period that ended December 29 will be well below its previous forecast. CEO Tim Cook blamed a large portion of the problem on iPhone sales in China in a letter he sent to shareholders. He wrote, “China’s economy began to slow in the second half of 2018.” Apple’s shares dropped almost 10% after the announcement, and its market cap has fallen by over $300 billion since early October.

President Trump attacked former Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, saying “What’s he done for me?” Mattis announced he would leave February 28, but the president pushed him out last week in favor of Patrick Shanahan, the new acting Secretary of Defense. Trump was troubled by the Mattis resignation letter, which the president took as reflecting poorly on his handling or relationships with American allies in addition to China and Russia.

One of the leading figures in American retail, Blake Nordstrom, co-president of Nordstrom, a position he held with his two brothers, has died. The company was founded by his great-grandfather, John Nordstrom. Nordstrom announced early last month that he had lymphoma, but no cause of death was provided. He was 58.

Daryl Dragon, the “Captain” of the pop duo “The Captain and Tennille” died at 76. Among their hits were “Love Will Keep Us Together” (1975) and “Do That to Me One More Time” (1980). The other member of the duo, Toni Tennille, was his wife from 1975 until 2014. They also had a variety show on ABC during the 1976–1977 season.

The fatal shooting of a Marine at the Marine Barracks in Washington may have been an accident. Lance Cpl. Riley S. Kuznia, 20, could have been killed by accidental discharge, officials told CNN. The report added that the wound was not self-inflicted.

The mayor of the central Mexican city of Tlaxiaco in the state of Oaxaca was shot to death a little more than an hour after taking office. Alejandro Aparicio Santiago was one of over 150 public officials killed during the past two years, according to information gathered by The Daily Mail.

More stories from around the world:

With less than two months to go, the Oscars don’t have a host.

Mike Tomlin, the coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, explained why he benched one of his top stars during the final game of the season.

New research shows that warming up your car in the cold can hurt the engine.

The workout videos of a woman who used to weigh 600 pounds have become an inspiration for other people working to reduce their weight. One of the videos posted on YouTube has received 52 million views.

The number of cases of Ebola has topped 600 in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The disease has a mortality rate as high as 60%.

A Dutch astronaut accidentally dialed 911.

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