.com | ‘Battle of the toilets’ to get its day in Supreme Court

The US Supreme Court on Friday said it will consider which bathrooms transgender people are allowed to use at a hearing next month, amid raging debate on the politically charged issue. The case, set to be heard March 28, involves 17-year-old Gavin Grimm, who was born a female but identifies as a male.

What the Fluff? An American lunchbox icon is turning 100

A Chicago woman imprisoned in Indonesia for the 2014 killing of her mother says in videos posted on YouTube that she acted alone and her boyfriend at the time only helped her cover it up because she threatened him A Chicago woman imprisoned in Indonesia for the 2014 killing of her mother says in videos posted on YouTube that she acted alone and her boyfriend at the time only helped her cover it up because she threatened him The travel ban on refugees and citizens of seven countries has rattled many immigrant families, but its effects are perhaps most widespread among the Iranian-American community The travel ban on refugees and citizens of seven countries has rattled many immigrant families, but its effects are perhaps most widespread among the Iranian-American community Visa holders from seven majority-Muslim countries affected by President Donald Trump's travel ban are hurrying to ... (more)

Trump orders sanctions to retaliate for Iran missile test

The Trump administration ordered sanctions against more than two dozen people and companies from the Persian Gulf to China Friday in retaliation for Iran's recent ballistic missile test, increasing pressure on Tehran without directly undercutting a landmark nuclear deal with the country. Those targeted by the Treasury Department include Iranian, Lebanese, Emirati and Chinese individuals and firms involved in procuring ballistic missile technology for Iran.

Israeli settler group shrugs off White House criticism

Israeli settlers on Friday shrugged off White House criticism of settlement construction, convinced they have the sympathies of US President Donald Trump. The Palestinians, still wary of Trump, warned that the settlers' hard-line stance could spell the end to a two-state solution to the conflict.

a Obamacarea sign-ups show slippage in Trump era

Facing higher premiums, less choice and a last-minute advertising pullback, fewer people signed up for coverage this year through HealthCare.gov, according to data from a preliminary government report Friday. About 9.2 million people signed up through HealthCare.gov, the insurance marketplace serving most states, said the Health and Human Services department.

Trump on jobs report: ‘It’s going to continue, big league’

President Donald Trump greeted news of a robust January jobs report Friday with his signature blend of gusto, self-promotion and promises of good times yet to come. Flanked by leading CEOs who met with him at the White House, Trump suggested that his November election victory had lifted America's morale - and emboldened many employers to step up hiring.

Canada’s oilpatch fears U.S. rejection of methane limit will hurt competitiveness

The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers says a vote Friday by the U.S. House of Representatives to axe limits on methane emissions from drilling operations threatens to harm the competitiveness of Canada's energy industry. Alex Ferguson, the vice-president of policy for CAPP, says Canada must work to reduce the costs the oil and gas industry will face as it implements mandated cuts to methane.

Trump Signs Executive Actions Targeting Wall Street and Banking Reforms

President Donald Trump signed two executive actions Friday related to financial regulations that take aim at Wall Street and banking regulations. One of the actions is an executive order directing the secretary of the Treasury to consult regulatory agencies and report to Trump about what can be done to eliminate the "overreaching" aspects of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, a federal law signed by President Barack Obama in 2010, and a frequent target of Republicans on Capitol Hill during the Obama administration.

Democrats say they’ll fight attempt to authorize torture

Top Senate Democrats said Friday that President Donald Trump will face strong bipartisan hurdles in Congress if he moves to change the law or guidelines that currently forbid waterboarding terror suspects, arguing that harsh interrogation measures are immoral and an ineffective means of eliciting reliable intelligence.

Israeli settler group brushes off Trump settlement warning

Israeli police evict settlers in the West Bank outpost Amona, Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2017. Israeli forces have begun evacuating a controversial settlement Amona, which is the largest of about 100 unauthorized outposts erected in the West Bank without permission but generally tolerated by the Israeli government.

Ivanka Trump’s brand ramped up work in China just prior to dad’s nomination

Ivanka Trump 's brand intensified its work in China as her father closed in on the Republican nomination for U.S. president, with her company applying for nearly twice as many trademarks in a five-month span as it had in the preceding eight years. Ivanka Trump Marks LLC applied for 36 trademarks in China between March and July of last year.

White House cautions Israel on expanding settlements in West Bank

Israeli police evict settlers from the West Bank settlement of Ofra on Thursday following the evacuation of Amona outpost. Amona is the largest of about 100 unauthorized outposts erected in the West Bank without formal permission but with tacit Israeli government support.

COLUMN: Centrism is the only path to bipartisanship

Each one of them, from former President George Washington to former President Barack Obama, has found a different way of filling the chair. President Donald Trump's relatively new presidential habits - underhandedly banning religions from entering the country and hanging up on foreign leaders in moments of dissatisfaction - could be considered simply unorthodox if they weren't so blatantly, perhaps irreversibly, destructive.

‘A nightmare for the world’

WHEN news broke of a rift within the Trump/Turnbull alliance on Thursday, centred around a terse phone call across the Pacific, attention rightly turned to the leaders. On Manus Island and in Nauru, the men, women and children from Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iran and Iraq are in limbo; caught in the middle of a diplomatic to-and-fro over where they start their new lives.

Clip of Trump’s granddaughter singing spreads on Chinese web

A brief video clip of Donald Trump's granddaughter singing in Chinese is circulating to strong approval on the internet in China, even while some criticized the U.S. president's failure to send greetings for the Lunar New Year. The clip posted by Trump's daughter Ivanka shows 5-year-old Arabella Kushner singing best wishes for the holiday while playing with a traditional Chinese puppet.

Senate GOP campaign arm backs Gorsuch with ad buy

Republicans' Senate campaign arm is looking to put pressure on vulnerable Democrats over the impending battle over President Trump's Supreme Court nomination. The National Republican Senatorial Committee will start its first paid ad push of the 2018 cycle with a new ad based in Washington, D.C. It'll air starting Friday through the next week on MSNBC's "Morning Joe," a sample of the ads that could await embattled Democrats in their home states if they block the nomination.