Daily News Roundup

Daily News Roundup: Apple News+ Insecurity, Verizon’s Misleading 5G Commercials, and More

CAMERON SUMMERSON 

Things have been pretty quiet in terms of “big” stories over the last 24 hours, but there are still some interesting points to take a closer look at. Apple’s half-baked News+ service is a good one, as is Google’s feature gap on ChromeOS.

Bad News for Saudi

2 New Reports Are Bad News for Saudi Crown Prince

'NYT' details abuses of special team, while 'Guardian' says he may have lost some power

By John Johnson

Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in a file photo.   (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan, FILE)

Two new reports suggest more trouble for Saudi's crown prince. The New York Times is out with a front-page story alleging a brutal campaign authorized by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to abduct and torture dissidents that began more than a year before the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

New National Monuments

Here Are Your 5 New National Monuments

They tell of disaster, division, dinos

By Arden Dier

The home of civil rights leaders Medgar and Myrlie Evers, in Jackson, Miss., is seen on May 24, 2018.   (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)

President Trump signed a bipartisan public lands bill Tuesday that will protect 1.3 million acres from California to Kentucky and establish five national monuments.

Walmart to Nix Greeters

Walmart's Push to Nix Greeters Poses 'Unique Situation'

Disabled workers say they will be hurt most by new job requirements for 'customer hosts'

By Jenn Gidman

In this Dec. 14, 2018, photo, Adam Catlin gets out of a car before starting his shift at a Walmart in Selinsgrove, Pa.   (Holly Catlin via AP)

"It's just a systematic way of getting rid of all the disabled people." That's how the dad of a former Walmart worker feels about the retailer's recent decision to get rid of its greeters at 1,000 of its stores by the end of April.

Robot Reporter

The Rise of the Robot Reporter

Cam Cottrill

By Jaclyn Peiser

As reporters and editors find themselves the victims of layoffs at digital publishers and traditional newspaper chains alike, journalism generated by machine is on the rise.

Roughly a third of the content published by Bloomberg News uses some form of automated technology. The system used by the company, Cyborg, is able to assist reporters in churning out thousands of articles on company earnings reports each quarter.

Abortion Law

Kavanaugh Dissents as Supreme Court Blocks Abortion Law

Temporary stay granted in Louisiana case

By Rob Quinn

In this Friday, Jan. 18, 2019 photo, anti-abortion activists protest outside of the US Supreme Court, during the March for Life in Washington.   (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

The Supreme Court has blocked a restrictive abortion law in Louisiana—but only temporarily.

Taking Shortcut

University of Vermont Student Died While Taking Shortcut

The temperature was as low as -4 degrees

By Kate Seamons

The 19-year-old was a student at the University of Vermont.   (Getty Images)

The cold is being blamed on the death of a University of Vermont student whose body was found in the snow on Saturday morning.

Largest Fentanyl Bust

Feds make largest fentanyl bust in U.S. history

Customs and Border Protection officers said Thursday they discovered 254 pounds of the drug hidden in a floor compartment of a truck trailer loaded with cucumbers.

Feds make largest fentanyl bust in U.S. history

By Pete Williams

The sensitive nose of a drug-sniffing dog has led to what federal officials say is the largest seizure in U.S. history of fentanyl, the synthetic opioid blamed for the majority of overdose deaths.

Man Stopped w/ 5K Leeches

Man Stopped at Airport With 5K Leeches Had Weird Claim

He allegedly said his orchids needed them

By Kate Seamons

A medicinal leech is shown in this stock photo.   (Getty Images)

The beagle sat down next to the Canadian man at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Oct. 17, 2018, and the jig was up.

Stamps Increasing

Forever stamps to jump to 55 cents, biggest increase in USPS history

Priority mail prices are also increasing. A small flat rate box will now cost nearly $8, instead of $7.20.

By Minyvonne Burke

The price of Forever stamps is increasing by 10 percent, and will go from 50 cents to 55 cents, according to a United States Postal Service press release.

Saudi Sisters Mystery Solved

Coroner: Saudi Sisters Bound Themselves Together

Deaths ruled suicide by drowning

By Rob Quinn

These undated photos provided by the NYPD show sisters Rotana, left, and Tala Farea, whose fully clothed bodies, bound together with tape and facing each other, were discovered on on the banks of New...   (NYPD via AP, File)

A tragedy, but no longer a mystery: Two Saudi Arabian sisters found dead on the banks of the Hudson River bound themselves together before descending to their deaths, New York City's chief medical examiner says.

Teachers Strike

What to know as LAUSD teachers prepare to strike Monday

By SONALI KOHLI


Thousands of protesters joined the teachers union for a march in downtown L.A. in December. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Third Street Elementary School will be open Monday, but it will hardly be business as usual at the Hancock Park campus: Teachers are expected to picket outside. Students will be herded by unfamiliar adults into big groups both outdoors and indoors.

3 New Species

3 New Species Named After Game of Thrones

Professor has been naming beetles for 50 years

By Newser Editors and Wire Services

This photo provided by entomologist Brett Ratcliffe in December 2018 shows him in Chanchamayo, Peru.   (Mary Liz Jameson via AP)

A Nebraska entomologist has named three of his eight newest beetle discoveries after the dragons from the HBO series Game of Thrones and the George RR Martin book series, A Song of Ice and Fire, the AP reports.

16 Yr Old Grad

They Were Told He Was Gifted. He'll Be Proving It This May

16-year-old Braxton Moral will be first to graduate from high school and Harvard at same time

By Jenn Gidman

Congrats in advance to Braxton.   (Getty Images/nirat)

Like many kids, Braxton Moral dreams of one day being president. Unlike many kids, the 16-year-old forged an unusual path in his quest to get there.

Gov to Legalize Pot

New York Gov. Cuomo Calls for Fast Timeline to Cannabis Legalization

By Amanda Weston and Kate Gill

Not only has New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo reversed his stance on marijuana, he's expediting his timeline for legalization.

According to Joseph Spector, the Albany bureau chief for USA Today, Governor Cuomo committed to an accelerated schedule on Monday when he charted the agenda for the first 100 days of his new term in office.

Jimmy Buffett’s New Margaritaville

Jimmy Buffett’s New Margaritaville Orlando Resort Will Open in January 

By ANDREA ROMANO

Searching for your lost shaker of salt? You might find it again in Orlando this winter.

According to Coastal Living, Jimmy Buffett fans will have a brand new destination to go to on vacation in January 2019. Margaritaville Resort Orlando, a 300-acre resort that’s like an all-inclusive, one-stop destination to “waste away” in.

Diplomats Were Harmed

Study: Proof Diplomats Were Physically Harmed in Cuba

Doctors who initially examined them found inner-ear damage

By Kate Seamons

In this Aug. 14, 2015, file photo, a US flag flies at the US embassy in Havana, Cuba.   (AP Photo/Desmond Boylan, File)

The cause remains a mystery, but the physical proof is there. So says a paper published by doctors who initially examined 25 of the 26 afflicted US embassy workers in Cuba who were struck by mystery ailments in late 2016, reports the AP.

Nuns Stole $500k

Nuns Stole $500k And Spent It On Gambling And Vacations

Brendan Cole  
© Thomas Lohnes/Getty Images FILE- Nuns walk together

Two nuns in California allegedly stole more than $500,000 from the school they had been at for years, which they spent in casinos and on vacations.

Payless, Paymore

Payless sold discount shoes at luxury prices — and it worked

Payless Shoesource pranked VIP shoppers into paying markups of up to 1,800 percent for the bargain retailer's shoes as part of a viral advertising campaign designed to shift consumers' perceptions of the brand. Creating a fake luxury brand — Palessi — Payless built a temporary store and filled it with fashionistas.

Shot, Stabbed Sea Lions

Shot, Stabbed Sea Lions Wash Up on West Coast

Authorities suspect fishermen were involved

By Rob Quinn

A sea lion eats a salmon in the Columbia River near Bonneville Dam in North Bonneville, Wash.   (AP Photo/Don Ryan, File)

The bodies of sea lions that met violent deaths have been washing up in Washington state—and since some of the bodies have gunshot wounds, sharks are not suspected.