What to Know
- Democrats are putting pressure on Attorney General Jeff Sessions after it was revealed he met with the Russian ambassador last year
- Scientists believe they've found the oldest known fossils in Canada
- Two accountants responsible for the Academy Awards gaffe will never return to the Oscars again
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Calls for Trump AG to Resign Amid Russia Revelations
Attorney General Jeff Sessions had conversations with the Russian ambassador to the United States during the presidential campaign season last year, contact that Sessions' spokeswoman confirmed Wednesday, a revelation that fueled calls for the attorney general to resign or recuse himself from a Justice Department investigation into Russian interference in the election and even resign from his job. Sessions, an early supporter of President Donald Trump and a policy adviser to the Republican candidate, did not disclose those communications at his confirmation hearing in January when asked what he would do if "anyone affiliated" with the campaign had been in contact with the Russian government. In a statement Wednesday night, Sessions said, "I never met with any Russian officials to discuss issues of the campaign. I have no idea what this allegation is about. It is false."
Lawyers to Aides: Keep Russia Materials
White House lawyers have instructed the president's aides to preserve materials that could be connected to Russian interference in the 2016 election and other related investigations, three administration officials said Wednesday. The instructions, which were sent to White House staff on Tuesday, come after Senate Democrats last week asked the White House and law enforcement agencies to keep all materials involving contacts that Trump's administration, campaign and transition team — or anyone acting on their behalf — have had with Russian government officials or their associates.
Senate Set to Confirm Ben Carson
Local
The next Trump administration Cabinet nominee up for a vote in the Senate is celebrated neurosurgeon Ben Carson. Approval is expected when senators vote Thursday on President Trump's choice to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Carson has no government or housing policy experience, and Democrats were critical early on about his credentials. Despite that, he won unanimous support in a Senate committee vote in January. On Wednesday, Carson cleared a Senate hurdle when lawmakers voted, 62-37, to move his nomination to a final vote.
Oprah Winfrey 2020?
Oprah Winfrey seemed to suggest that she's shifted her thoughts on a presidential run of her own, with a thinly veiled reference to President Trump, in a video clip published Wednesday of Bloomberg's "The David Rubenstein Show: Peer-to-Peer Conversations." "I never considered the question even a possibility," she said, when asked if she ever considered a run. Rubenstein said it's clear that experience running the government isn't a prerequisite, since Trump was elected without ever serving in office. "I thought 'Oh, gee, I don't have the experience, I don't know enough.' And now I'm thinking, '...Oh...Oh!'" Winfrey replied, with an intrigued look on her face as the audience applauded.
Earth’s Earliest Known Fossils Discovered
Tiny tubes and filaments in some Canadian rock appear to be the oldest known fossils, giving new support to some ideas about how life began, a new study says. The features are mineralized remains of what appear to be bacteria that lived some 3.77 billion to 4.28 billion years ago, the scientists said. That would surpass the 3.7 billion years assigned to some other rock features found in Greenland, which were proposed to be fossils last August. The new results come from examining rock found along the eastern shore of Hudson Bay in northern Quebec.
Accountants Banned From Oscars
The president of the film academy says the two accountants responsible for the best picture flub at Sunday's Academy Awards will never return to the Oscar show. PwC accountants Brian Cullinan and Martha Ruiz were responsible for the winners' envelopes at Sunday's Oscar show. Cullinan tweeted a photo of Emma Stone from backstage minutes before handing presenters Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway the wrong envelope for best picture.
Lopez and "Trump" on Fallon
Jennifer Lopez and Jimmy Fallon had a dance battle and Fallon brought his Donald Trump character back to report on his speech to Congress on "Tonight."
