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- ISIS 10:21am ET
The ISIS caliphate is already crumbling
Matt Cardy/Getty Images
In
the Iraqi city of Mosul, the water has become undrinkable because
supplies of chlorine have dried up, said a journalist living there, who
spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect his safety. Hepatitis is
spreading, and flour is becoming scarce, he said. "Life in the city is
nearly dead, and it is as though we are living in a giant prison," he
said.
In
the Syrian city of Raqqa, the group's self-styled capital, water and
electricity are available for no more than three or four hours a day,
garbage piles up uncollected, and the city's poor scavenge for scraps on
streets crowded with sellers hawking anything they can find, residents
say. [The Washington Post]
In many areas of Iraq and Syria, Islamic State militants were
initially greeted as liberators from Shiite oppressors. It's not too
hard to imagine residents changing their tune if living conditions
continue to deteriorate.- -
- Benched 4:42pm ET
Justin K. Aller/Getty Images
The senior was knocked out in a 26-20 loss to Kansas State in November, The Associated Press reports, and he had not played since. Trickett said on Friday that he has sustained five concussions over the last 14 months, and he indicated that West Virginia's medical staff was not immediately made aware of all of the injuries.
"That was on me," Trickett said of not reporting all of the concussions. "If they would have known, they probably would have been more cautious about it, but I was trying to push through it."
Sophomore Skyler Howard will start for the Mountaineers (7-5) in the Liberty Bowl.
- Banned 4:22pm ET
Facebook.com/Exodus: Gods and Kings
"(Exodus) gives a Zionist view of history and contains historical inaccuracies, and that's why we have decided to ban it," Gaber Asfour was quoted as saying by Agence France-Presse.
Morocco has also reportedly banned the film, which stars Christian Bale as Moses and Joel Edgerton as Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses. Variety reports that the film has already grossed $46 million in the U.S., along with another $62 million in 39 international markets, since its release in mid-December.
- This just in 3:57pm ET
Ramil Sitdikov/Host Photo Agency via Getty Images
And unlike a 2010 version of Russia's military doctrine, the new document gives Moscow room to use precision conventional weapons "as part of strategic deterrent measures," although it does not outline exactly how or when the Kremlin would be able to resort to such actions.
NATO said it "poses no threat to Russia or to any nation," and that, "it is Russia's actions, including currently in Ukraine, which are breaking international law and undermining European security."
- This just in 3:27pm ET
Legendary jazz clarinetist Buddy DeFranco died on Wednesday in a Panama City hospital, his family confirmed on Friday to The Associated Press.
DeFranco, who was 91, collaborated with musicians such as Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday, Art Tatum, Ella Fitzgerald and Tony Bennett. He had been named a Living Jazz Legend at at Kennedy Center ceremony, and he was recognized 16 times as the top jazz clarinetist in the world.
Below, take a listen to DeFranco's expertise in a couple clips of him and Terry Gibbs appearing on Jonny Carson's Tonight Show. The suits may be dated, but the performances are as stylish as ever. --Sarah Eberspacher
DeFranco, who was 91, collaborated with musicians such as Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday, Art Tatum, Ella Fitzgerald and Tony Bennett. He had been named a Living Jazz Legend at at Kennedy Center ceremony, and he was recognized 16 times as the top jazz clarinetist in the world.
Below, take a listen to DeFranco's expertise in a couple clips of him and Terry Gibbs appearing on Jonny Carson's Tonight Show. The suits may be dated, but the performances are as stylish as ever. --Sarah Eberspacher
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- Onward! 2:43pm ET
In her first five months on earth, baby Kamina has become quite the traveler.
The gorilla was born at Oklahoma City's zoo in August, The Associated Press reports, but her mother failed to bond with the baby. Zookeepers there sent her to the Cincinnati Zoo, where human keepers worked with Kamina on developing proper gorilla behaviors. Alas, when she was recently introduced to two female gorillas there, the surrogate moms shunned her, too.
(Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden/Facebook.com)
So now, Kamina is headed for the Columbus Zoo, which has experience working with animals that have been ostracized by their biological parents. Let's hope third time's the charm and this baby has a happy — and settled — new year.
The gorilla was born at Oklahoma City's zoo in August, The Associated Press reports, but her mother failed to bond with the baby. Zookeepers there sent her to the Cincinnati Zoo, where human keepers worked with Kamina on developing proper gorilla behaviors. Alas, when she was recently introduced to two female gorillas there, the surrogate moms shunned her, too.
(Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden/Facebook.com)So now, Kamina is headed for the Columbus Zoo, which has experience working with animals that have been ostracized by their biological parents. Let's hope third time's the charm and this baby has a happy — and settled — new year.
- eyes on russia 1:43pm ET
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
"Visa is now prohibited from offering Visa-branded products and services to Crimea," the company said in a statement. "This means that we can no longer support card-issuing and merchant/ATM acquiring services in Crimea."
The move comes after a recent executive order from President Barack Obama. The U.S. has been imposing sanctions since Russian President Vladimir Putin annexed the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine in March.
- $$$$$ 12:34pm ET
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Between Mockingjay and X-Men: Days of Future Past, J-Law's films raked in $1.4 billion (and counting!) at the box office. Her success didn't stop in theaters, either: Her Mockingjay song "Hanging Tree" was a Billboard hit.
Chris Pratt, Scarlett Johansson, and Mark Wahlberg all trail Lawrence on the Forbes list, with each of their movies grossing at least $1 billion this year.
- sneak peek 11:45am ET
- North Korea 11:24am ET
iStock
The U.S. already swaps intelligence with both nations, but under the new agreement, South Korea and Japan would be able to share information on North Korea's nuclear and missile programs via the U.S.
North Korea has made progress in manufacturing small, light nuclear warheads capable of reaching the U.S., South Korean officials say. The new agreement is designed to allow all three nations to respond more swiftly to North Korean provocation.
- surveillance nation 11:23am ET
iStock
While past NSA revelations have shown agents intentionally misusing their spying power for personal gain — like the case of an employee who monitored his foreign girlfriend's phone calls for a month — this report also includes at least one noteworthy tale of incompetence: An NSA agent spied on himself when he accidentally requested surveillance "of his own personal identifier instead of the selector associated with a foreign intelligence target."
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