What to Know
- President Trump starts his second month in office; on Monday, he chose Army Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster to succeed Michael Flynn
- Four Americans were killed in a small plane crash in Australia
- Beloved panda cub Bao Bao is heading to China to join a panda breeding program
Get the top headlines of the day in your morning briefing from NBC 4 New York, Monday through Friday. Sign up for our newsletter here.
Trump Begins 2nd Month in Office
As President Donald Trump begins his second month in office, his team is trying to move past the crush of controversies that overtook his first month and make progress on health care and tax overhauls long sought by Republicans. Both issues thrust Trump, a real estate executive who has never held elected office, into the unfamiliar world of legislating. On Sunday, White House advisers held a three-hour meeting on health care at Trump's South Florida club, their third lengthy discussion on the topic in four days.
Trump Taps New National Security Adviser
President Trump has picked Army Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster to succeed Michael Flynn as his national security adviser, Trump said Monday. He made the announcement at Mar-a-Lago, flanked by McMaster and the acting adviser, retired Army Gen. Keith Kellogg. Kellogg will stay on as McMaster's chief of staff, Trump said. The appointment comes a week after Flynn was asked to resign as national security adviser. Trump's first choice to replace Flynn, retired Vice Adm. Robert Harward, turned down the offer.
“Not My Presidents Day” Rallies Held
Local
Presidents Day means a day off for many across the United States, and hundreds of people in cities from New York to Los Angeles were using it to send a message to the current occupant of the White House. "Not My Presidents Day" rallies were held in at least a dozen cities Monday, continuing a weekend of demonstrations aimed at speaking out against President Trump's policies and actions.
More Threats to Jewish Centers
A Jewish community center in Buffalo was one of 10 evacuated around the country on Presidents Day amid a rash of bomb threats targeting JCCs. Federal authorities are investigating the threats, the FBI said Monday. In addition to the Buffalo JCC in New York, centers in Birmingham, Cleveland, Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul, Tampa, Albuquerque, Nashville and Houston reported phoned-in threats, the Jewish Community Center Association of North America said. The events come just weeks after another round of bomb threats targeted 53 Jewish community centers across 26 U.S. states.
4 Americans Killed in Australia Crash
Four Americans were among five people killed when a light plane crashed into the roof of a shopping mall in Melbourne, Australia, the U.S. State Department has confirmed. The assistant police commissioner for Victoria state said there were no fatalities other than those five people on board the aircraft. "We extend our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of all those who died in today's tragic crash," a State Department official said.
Search After JFK Security Breach
Authorities on Tuesday were still trying to find eight of 11 people who passed through an unattended security checkpoint lane at John F. Kennedy International Airport. The travelers managed to breach security at Terminal 5 Monday morning, according to PANYNJ spokesman Joe Pentangelo. The TSA confirmed that three passengers weren't properly screened after they walked through a metal detector, setting off alarms.
Deadline Looms for Pipeline Protesters
As dawn breaks over an encampment that was once home to thousands of people protesting the Dakota Access oil pipeline, a few hundred holdouts rise for another day of resistance. They aren't deterred by the threat of flooding, nor by declarations from state and federal authorities that they must leave by Wednesday or face possible arrest. Protesters have been at the campsite since August to fight the $3.8 billion pipeline that will carry oil from North Dakota through South Dakota and Iowa to a shipping point in Illinois.
Farewell to Beloved Panda Bao Bao
The National Zoo is packing up its American-born panda cub Bao Bao for a one-way flight to China, where the 3-year-old will eventually join a panda breeding program. Bao Bao is scheduled to depart the zoo Tuesday morning and travel to Washington Dulles International Airport in northern Virginia, where she'll board a special FedEx plane. Fans will be able to watch her departure from the zoo and airport on the zoo's Facebook page.
LaBeouf Moves Trump Piece From NYC
Actor Shia LaBeouf has brought a performance-art piece against President Trump to New Mexico's largest city. LaBeouf was arrested in New York City last month after he got into an altercation with another man during the performance art project. The Museum of the Moving Image in Queens recently shut down the installation, citing concerns over security.
