International News:
Trump cuts jeopardise lives of millions of Palestinian refugees, UN warns
Peter Beaumont
The Guardian
Wed 21 Feb 2018 06.56 ESTLast modified on Wed 21 Feb 2018 17.00 EST
The head of the main United Nations agency supporting Palestinian refugees has warned that the organisation is facing the most severe funding crisis in its history, threatening its support to an estimated 5.3 million people, including more than 400,000 inside Syria.
UN demands halt of 'monstrous campaign' in Syrian town
Beirut
Zeina Khodr
Al Jazeera
8 hours ago
Syrian forces backed by Russian warplanes continued to pound the Damascus suburb with at least 27 killed on Wednesday, bringing the civilian death toll to more than 270 - including 60 children - over the past three days.
Top UN officials demanded an immediate cessation of aerial attacks on Syria's devastated Eastern Ghouta with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres calling the rebel-held enclave "hell on Earth".
US News:
by Vikki Ortiz Healy
Chicago Tribune
18:00 est
Hundreds of high school students across the Chicago area walked out of school Wednesday, joining a national movement of young people mobilizing in a passionate response to the Feb. 14 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida.
Feb 21, 2018 | 3:45 PM
LA Times
Days after Florida massacre, L.A. County authorities raced to thwart a school shooting plot in Whittier
Authorities said that in recent days, they also have dealt with potential threats of violence in Long Beach, Inglewood and San Bernardino.
On Wednesdsay, Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell said he was grateful his officers had the chance to head off a potential tragedy at the Whittier school.
Border wall work begins in downtown Calexico
By Associated Press
Feb 21, 2018 | 1:15 PM
San Diego
The federal government began work Wednesday to replace a section of border wall in California, the first wall contract awarded in the Trump administration outside of eight prototypes that were built last year in San Diego.
Customs and Border Protection is replacing a little more than two miles in downtown Calexico, a sliver of the president's plan for a "big, beautiful wall" with Mexico. A barrier built in the 1990s from recycled metal scraps and landing mat will be torn down for bollard-style posts that are 30 feet high, significantly taller than existing walls.
Olympics 2018:
Alpine Skiing Live Results: Lindsey Vonn 1st; Shiffrin 6th
By VICTOR MATHER and BILL PENNINGTONUPDATED 11:00 PM
New York Times
Vonn Way Ahead After Downhill, but Shiffrin in Striking Distance
After an extended delay for a crash by Kim Vanreusel of Belgium, the downhill concluded, and Lindsey Vonn led, 0.74 seconds ahead of her nearest competitor. Lurking in sixth place, 1.98 seconds down, was Mikaela Shiffrin. That sets up an intriguing slalom run, with Shiffrin well within striking distance skiing her specialty, and Vonn looking to hang on in an event she does not love.
2 Horrifying Crashes Mar Men’s Ski Halfpipe Event
By Rebecca Shapiro
Huffington Post
SPORTS
02/21/2018 11:44 pm ET
Two skiers suffered terrifying crashes during the final run of the men’s ski halfpipe event at the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, on Thursday.
Kevin Rolland of France, who won bronze in the same event in Sochi, Russia, in 2014, hit the top of the lip of the halfpipe, causing his legs to split wide as he fell backward to the bottom.
Sorry for the lateness and brevity of tonight’s OND. I struggled through 3 crashes of my Industial Age laptop. Finally got it done. Whew!