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In the news today: The Pentagon has ordered about 1,500 active duty soldiers to be ready in case of a possible deployment to Minnesota, where a federal immigration enforcement operation is underway; at least 39 people are confirmed dead in a high-speed train collision in Spain; and "60 Minutes" airs its story about Trump administration deportations that was abruptly pulled from the show's lineup last month. Also, a purple star sapphire, worth at least $300 million, is set to be put up for sale. |
Federal law enforcement officers knock on the door of a house on Sunday in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura) |
Pentagon puts 1,500 soldiers on standby for possible Minnesota deployment, AP sources say
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Around 1,500 active duty soldiers have been given prepare-to-deploy orders for possible use in Minnesota, where federal authorities have been conducting a major immigration enforcement operation, two defense officials said Sunday. Read more. |
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The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military plans, said two infantry battalions of the Army's 11th Airborne Division have been given prepare-to-deploy orders. The unit is based in Alaska and specializes in operating in arctic conditions. One defense official said the troops are standing by should President Donald Trump invoke the Insurrection Act, a rarely used 19th century law that would allow him to employ active duty troops as law enforcement.
- The move comes days after Trump threatened to use the legislation to quell protests against his administration's controversial immigration crackdown.
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Spanish train collision death toll rises to at least 39 as rescue efforts continue
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At least 39 people are confirmed dead in a high-speed train collision on Sunday night in southern Spain, where rescue efforts were continuing, according to Spanish police. Read more. |
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The crash occurred when the tail end of a train carrying some 300 passengers on the route from Malaga to the capital, Madrid, derailed. It collided with an oncoming train traveling from Madrid to Huelva, another southern Spanish city, according to rail operator Adif. Video and photos showed twisted carriages lying on their sides under floodlights. Passengers reported climbing out of smashed windows with some using emergency hammers to break the windows, according to Salvador Jiménez, a Spanish journalist who was on board one of the derailed trains.
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'60 Minutes' airs Trump deportations report that was pulled last month
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"60 Minutes" aired its story about Trump administration deportations that was abruptly pulled from the newsmagazine's lineup a month ago, a move that had triggered an internal battle about political pressure that spilled out into the open. Read more. |
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Correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi made no reference to her dispute with CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss in the story about deportees who had been sent to El Salvador's notoriously harsh CECOT prison. When the segment was struck from the Dec. 21 episode on Weiss' orders, Alfonsi told her colleagues that it "was not an editorial decision, it was a political one." Weiss had argued that the story did not sufficiently reflect the administration's viewpoint or advance reporting that had been done by other news organizations earlier. The story included no on-camera interviews with Trump administration officials. But it did include statements from the White House and Department of Homeland Security that were not part of what Alfonsi had used before her story was pulled. Some of the statements, which were carried in full on the "60 Minutes" website, were dated prior to Dec. 21.
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Gemologist Ashan Amarasinghe holds what is said to be the world's largest purple star sapphire at a ceremony in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) |
Sri Lanka unveils a rare purple star sapphire claimed to be the biggest of its kind
A purple star sapphire weighing 3,563 carats was unveiled on Saturday in the Sri Lankan capital by the owners, who are ready to sell the precious stone which is estimated to be worth at least $300 million. The round-shaped gem named "Star of Pure Land" is the world's largest documented natural purple star sapphire, said Ashan Amarasinghe, a consultant gemologist. |
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