TOP STORIES
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MEET TRUMP’S SUPREME COURT PICK Here’s everything you need to know about President Donald Trump’s nominee for the Supreme Court, conservative Neil Gorsuch, a federal appeals judge in Denver. Gorsuch is being called another Scalia ― and this graphic lays out where he is in terms of conservatism on the current Supreme Court. And as Democrats weigh whether to vote for the nominee, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) said, “The ghost of Merrick Garland still floats around part of this place.” [HuffPost]
SENATE DEMOCRATS ON THE FINANCE COMMITTEE BOYCOTTED TWO CABINET VOTES They were set to vote on Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) to lead the Department of Health and Human Services and Steve Mnuchin to lead the Treasury Department, but by not showing up denied Republicans the quorum needed to vote. Finance Committee ranking member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) said Democrats boycotted voting on nominees who “misled the public and held back important information about their backgrounds.” [HuffPost]
‘DETROIT SON: MY MOM DIED WAITING IN IRAQ BECAUSE OF TRUMP’ “A Michigan man blames the death of his 75-year-old mother on President Trump after she was forced to stay in Iraq during the implementation of his controversial immigration ban.” Naimma Hager had lived in the U.S. since 1995 and was visiting Iraq. [HuffPost]
MORE IMMIGRATION BAN FALLOUT Nearly 900 State Department employees signed a cable against the immigration ban, which is “18 times as many as signed onto a ‘dissent cable’ last summer against President Barack Obama’s policy on Syria.” A draft executive order is circling that would deport immigrants who rely on welfare. And here’s how popular the ban is in coal country. [HuffPost]
IRAN CONFIRMS MISSILE TEST And President Hassan Rouhani called Trump a “dangerous newcomer.” [Reuters]
‘WATER COULD SOON BE UNAFFORDABLE FOR MILLIONS OF AMERICANS’ “Researchers found that monthly water bills could reach a national average of nearly $170 [in the next five years], a rate they estimate would be unaffordable, by the EPA’s definition, to nearly 41 million households.” [HuffPost]
WHAT’S BREWING
BUDWEISER’S SUPER BOWL AD IS SOMETHING WE ALL NEED RIGHT NOW And it even features a “Welcome to St. Louis, son.” [HuffPost]
YOU’RE ABOUT TO DROP A LOT OF MONEY ON THE SUPER BOWL Turns out all those chips and dip decorated like footballs add up. [HuffPost]
WHEN GRINDR SPOOF ACCOUNTS RUIN A LIFE “Herrick reported the fake profile to Grindr, but the impersonations only multiplied. Soon there were eight or nine visitors a day, and then more than a dozen, all finding their way not just to Herrick’s home, but also to the midtown Manhattan restaurant where he worked.” [Wired]
APPARENTLY BIEBER, KANYE AND DRAKE ARE SKIPPING THE GRAMMYS Started from the bottom now we’re ― not attending because we’re too cool? [HuffPost]
JAMES CAMERON WANTS YOU TO STOP WONDERING WHETHER JACK COULD HAVE STAYED ON THE RAFT He just wants you to take the ending of “Titanic” at raft value (sorry, had to). [HuffPost]
FORGET THE MAN CAVE According to The Wall Street Journal, the “She Shed” is the new thing. [WSJ | Paywall]
BEFORE YOU GO
~ Prince Charles wants you to remember the lessons of WWII.
~ Anthony Weiner could be facing child pornography charges.
~ Austria is banning the full-face veil in public places.
~ Ben Affleck is stepping away from directing the Batman movie he’s starring in, which calls for revisiting the sad Affleck meme.
~ The culprit of a mysterious outbreak killing India’s children every summer turns out to be a popular fruit.
~ Forget your Fitbit: You now need a hydration monitor.
~ We can’t get over how cool these photos from 14 kids who won a National Geographic photo contest are.
~ Twitter (fairly if we might say) is having a field day with the Tostitos breathalyzer chip bag.
~ Stephen Colbert has a large issue with Steve Bannon’s comments about hobbits.
~ Shots fired: Esquire is calling the Chainsmokers the Nickelback of EDM, to which the band has responded by creating a mash-up with “Paris” and “How You Remind Me.”
~ Meet the socialite and heiress who was proposed to 65 times and never made it to the altar (and left a few there as well!).
~ Watch out Prince George ― the baby prince of Bhutan may be giving you a run for your money in the cuteness department.