Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:
1. ‘WHAT A SAD DISAPPOINTMENT’ Top House Democrats are planning to investigate what they call Attorney General William Barr’s efforts to politicize federal law enforcement.
2. CHINA SEES ANOTHER SPIKE IN VIRUS TOTALS The country’s National Health Commission says 121 more people had died, bringing the total to nearly 1,400, and there were 5,090 new confirmed cases.
Democratic presidential candidate and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg speaks during his campaign launch of "Mike for Black America," at the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2020, in Houston. (AP PhotoDavid J. Phillip)
3. BLOOMBERG TARGETED BY 2020 HOPEFULS They are accusing their billionaire rival of trying to buy his way into the White House and raising questions about his commitment to racial equality.
4. ‘I HAVE TO GO TO SAUDI’ Thousands of Ethiopians escaping extreme poverty trek to Saudi Arabia in search of work each year, crossing deserts, the sea and a long journey through war-torn Yemen to get to the kingdom.
5. AP: FEDS TO TARGET MEDICARE MARKETERS A government watchdog plans to investigate how telemarketers may be getting hold of seniors’ personal Medicare information, a red flag for potential fraud and waste.
A runner wears the cold on his face while running along West River Parkway hills Thursday, Feb. 13, 2020, near downtown Minneapolis, with temperatures hovering near minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit with wind chills. (David JolesStar Tribune via AP)
6. WHY A HIGHWAY IS KEY IN SYRIA President Bashar Assad reclaims the Damascus-Aleppo highway, a roadway through the country’s major cities and a key to control after eight years of civil war.
7. INDIA KEEPS LID ON KASHMIR'S INTERNET Kashmiris are only allowed to access government-approved websites while popular social media sites like Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter remain blocked.
8. 'RED FLAG' LAW REMOVES HUNDREDS OF GUNS A Florida law that allows judges to bar anyone deemed dangerous from possessing firearms has been used 3,500 times since its enactment after the Parkland high school massacre in 2018.
A model displays a design partially made of chocolate in a fashion show during an annual chocolate festival in Brussels, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2020. (AP PhotoFrancisco Seco)
9. WHAT HAS SOME ECONOMISTS CONCERNED Negative interest rates are likely to be a feature of the global economy for years to come and could change the way people save and invest.
10. ‘I AM REALLY SORRY’ Alex Bregman and his Houston Astros teammates speak about the sign-stealing scheme they used during their 2017 run to a World Series title and again the next season.