Welcome to the Overnight News Digest with a crew consisting of founder, the magnanimous Magnifico, current leader, the ever luminescent Neon Vincent, and regular editors side pocket, maggiejean, Chitown Kev, Doctor RJ, Magnifico, annetteboardman and Besame. Alumni editors include (but not limited to) Man Oh Man, wader, palantir, Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse (RIP), ek hornbeck, ScottyUrb, Interceptor7, BentLiberal, Oke (RIP) and jlms qkw.OND is a regular community feature on Daily Kos, consisting of news stories from around the world, sometimes coupled with a daily theme, original research or commentary. Editors of OND impart their own presentation styles and content choices, typically publishing each day near 12:00 AM Eastern Time. Please feel free to share your articles and stories in the comments.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Scotland Yard says nerve agent poisoned former Russian spy and his daughter
By Christina Boyle
Mar 07, 2018 | 2:45 PM
London
British police confirmed Wednesday that a potentially deadly nerve agent was used to deliberately attack a former Russian spy and his daughter, and the case is now being treated as attempted murder.
A police officer who was one of the first to attend to the pair after they were found slumped unconscious on a bench near a shopping mall in the picturesque cathedral city of Salisbury has also fallen ill and is currently in serious condition in a hospital intensive care unit.
U.S. Troops in Niger to Receive Combat Pay, Pentagon Says
BY THOMAS GIBBONS-NEFFMARCH 7, 2018
NEW YORK TIMES
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon said on Wednesday that American troops in Niger had been authorized to receive imminent-danger pay the day before the commander who oversees military missions in Africa told House lawmakers that the White House had still not approved that request.
China’s Women-Only Subway Cars, Where Men Rush In
March 4, 2018
In one of China’s biggest cities, the women-only subway cars are full of men.
It is, perhaps, an inescapable reality in one of the world’s busiest metro systems. Hop on a train during rush hour in the southern city of Guangzhou and you may find your face pressed against the back of a man’s down jacket, your knees banged by someone’s tote and your torso poked by a migrant worker’s sack of construction tools.
How Palestinian women led successful non-violent resistance
AL JAZEERA
by Mersiha Gadzo
Ramallah, occupied West Bank - Movements that welcome women into leadership positions are more likely to achieve their goals. This is because their use of non-violent tactics is almost 100 percent more likely to be successful than violent campaigns.
Snap Inc. plans to lay off about 100 software engineers, or 10% of its engineering workforce, according to multiple news reports.
Snap did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Venice company has about 3,000 employees.
US metal tariffs: Mexico and Canada may be exempt, White House says
BBC
The White House says there could be exemptions to US plans to impose tariffs on metal imports, in a softening of its tough stance.
Canada, Mexico and other countries may see "carve-outs" on national security grounds, a spokeswoman said.
US President Donald Trump has said steel products will face a 25% tariff, with 10% on aluminium goods.
ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS
Climate change 'impacts women more than men'
By Mary Halton BBC News, science reporter
UN figures indicate that 80% of people displaced by climate change are women.
Roles as primary caregivers and providers of food and fuel make them more vulnerable when flooding and drought occur.
The 2015 Paris Agreement has made specific provision for the empowerment of women, recognising that they are disproportionately impacted.
TECH NEWS
Amazon promises fix for creepy Alexa laugh
By Dave Lee
North American Technology Reporter
Amazon’s Alexa has been letting out an unprompted, creepy cackle - startling users of the best-selling voice assistant.
The laugh, described by some as “witch like” was reported to sometimes happen without the device being “woken” up.
Others reported the laugh occurring when they asked Alexa to perform a different task, such as playing music.
"We’re aware of this and working to fix it,” Amazon said.
Tesla’s new electric Semis make their first cargo deliveries
Marketwatch
Published: Mar 7, 2018 9:34 p.m. ET
Tesla Inc.’s new electric Semis are on the road with their first cargo deliveries, hauling battery packs from the company’s Gigafactory in Nevada to its auto plant in Fremont, Calif.
Chief Executive Elon Musk on Wednesday showed off a pair of the big rigs in an Instagram post before they left the Sparks, Nev., facility.