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1. Ethiopian plane crash
Similarities between deadly Ethiopian Airlines and Lion Air crashes has led to the grounding of all Boeing 737 Max planes in the US. The FAA said these similarities were found in data gleaned from satellite-based tracking. So, the planes will stay out of US skies indefinitely, pending an examination of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302's black boxes. That will take place in Paris, where the black boxes are expected to arrive today. The US was the last country to ground the planes. US officials and Boeing had argued to keep the planes operating but changed course in light of this new information. Meanwhile, the world continues to mourn the victims of this international tragedy, including a woman traveling on the ill-fated flight with her family who sent a message to her sister, saying she felt "like there's something bad ahead."
2. Politics
The news is breaking fast and furious in the political world, so let's handle it lighting-round style:
• The Senate votes today on a resolution of disapproval that would block President Trump's national emergency declaration on the US-Mexico border. It's expected to pass. Trump vows to veto it.
• Paul Manafort was sentenced to 43 more months in prison on federal conspiracy and obstruction charges. So, that's a total of 7.5 years behind bars for Trump's ex-campaign chairman, who'd already been sentenced on financial convictions in Virginia. Then, just moments after the latest sentence was handed down, the Manhattan district attorney charged Manafort with business and mortgage fraud allegations.
• An attorney connected with Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani reassured ex-Trump fixer Michael Cohen in an email back in April that Cohen could "sleep well tonight" because he had "friends in high places," a copy of an email obtained by CNN shows. Cohen presented this and another email during his closed-door congressional testimony as proof that a pardon was dangled before he cooperated with prosecutors. But the lawyer who wrote the emails called Cohen's interpretation "utter nonsense."
• Make room for one more in the crowded Democratic presidential field. Beto O'Rourke announced his candidacy this morning. He's starting a three-day swing through Iowa today.
It's another day of Brexit voting in London, after lawmakers yesterday rejected the option of a no-deal Brexit. Parliament will vote today on whether Brexit should be postponed for a couple of months to give everybody more time to figure this out. But even if this vote passes, there's no guarantee that the European Union would agree to a Brexit delay without some kind of withdrawal deal already in place. And UK lawmakers have already rejected embattled Prime Minister Theresa May's proposed deals twice. The UK is set to leave the EU in just weeks. Click here to keep up with the latest updates.
4. College admissions scandal
The University of Southern California says all applicants tied to the biggest college admissions scam ever alleged won't be allowed to attend the school. The status of students already enrolled at USC who might be connected to the scheme will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. That's the latest fallout from the nationwide scandal, in which 50 people -- including wealthy parents, actresses, college coaches and test administrators -- are accused of using bribes and cheating on tests to get students into top-notch colleges. Many people of color and those from disadvantaged backgrounds say the scandal shows that it's not affirmative action that threatens the fairness of the college admissions process but the advantages of the rich and powerful.
5. Weather
The bomb cyclone hit hard. It whipped Rocky Mountain and Southwestern states with hurricane-force winds. It caused blizzard conditions in Colorado that sparked a 100-car pileup and stranded about 1,100 motorists on the roads. It left 125,000 people without power in Colorado and Texas. It closed Denver's airport and canceled almost 3,100 flights nationwide. It caused flooding in Iowa, Illinois and Missouri. And it's bringing the threat of tornadoes to the central US. Click to find out where the storm is headed next, to see pictures and to learn just what exactly a bomb cyclone is.
BREAKFAST BROWSE
Oh baby, baby
Music by Britney Spears will soon make its way to Broadway. The musical comedy, "Once Upon a One More Time," opens this fall.
Cleared for take-off
Remember when catching a flight was a thrilling adventure? The Pan Am Experience takes you back, with dinner theater that recreates 1970s air travel.
Final farewell
Opportunity rover just sent one last gift from the Great Beyond: 354 photos of Mars' Perseverance Valley, where the spacecraft met its demise.
Must be March
The madness has already started for No. 1 Gonzaga, which fell to unranked St. Mary's in the West Coast Conference tournament final.
Beauty on top of beauty
If the super bloom of wildflowers in California isn't exciting enough for you, then feast your eyes on the swarms of butterflies it's attracting.
TODAY'S NUMBER
The number of years in a row that Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International has been named the world's busiest airport
TODAY'S QUOTE
"God knows me and Siti Aisyah didn't do anything."
Doan Thi Huong, the Vietnamese woman on trial in Malaysia for allegedly using a nerve agent to kill the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Prosecutors rejected Huong's appeal to drop the murder charge against her. Earlier this week, they freed Aisyah, her co-defendant, without saying why.
AND FINALLY
Taste test
Would you be able to stomach your kid's school lunch? These brave parents give it a try. (Click to view.)
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