These are the headlines you Need 2 Know.
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Boeing Fix: Boeing announced a fix for the 737 Max jet, which remains grounded around the world after two deadly crashes. The airline manufacturer says it will make a previously optional warning system standard. CNN.
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Brexit: Members of Parliament voted down all seven Brexit options, as well as a No Brexit option, after Prime Minister Theresa May offered to step down if her Brexit deal could get passed. May says she’s ready to leave the position early “to do what is right for our country and our party.” BBC.
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Facebook Bans White Nationalism: Facebook is banning support for white nationalism. The decision to prohibit “praise, support and representation of white nationalism and separatism” follows talks with civil rights groups and academics, the company said in a blog post. Enforcement of the ban begins next week. Motherboard.
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Barbara Bush on Trump: Barbara Bush reportedly blamed Donald Trump for her heart problems, and at the end of her life didn’t consider herself a Republican. The former first lady even kept a clock counting down the days until Trump’s term ended on her table. The revelations come in a new book out next week. USA Today.
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Spam Calls: Four robo-calling companies have agreed to shut down after the FTC fined them millions of dollars. Meanwhile, Verizon is rolling out new software that will offer its cellular customers free spam-blocking tools by the end of the week. Americans received nearly 50 billion robo-calls in 2018. The Verge.
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Airbnb Milestone: Airbnb now has more annual sales than Hilton, and is on pace to overtake Marriott. The home-sharing site said it has booked half-a-billion guest arrivals since launching in 2008, and to commemorate the company revealed its most popular property in the world: a castle in Galway, Ireland that goes for $181 per night. See it.
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Opening Day: All 30 MLB teams play their first games today to kick off an early start to the 2019 baseball season. The Red Sox ended last year with a title, but will they be able to pull off a repeat come October? Here’s how all the teams stack up ahead of the first pitches. Power rankings.
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Pot Play: Seth Rogen is getting in on the cannabis gold rush. The actor announced he’s launching Houseplant, which will sell recreational marijuana and try to educate the public about the drug’s benefits. EW.
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World’s Tallest Politician: A New York City councilman has been named the tallest politician in the world, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. Robert Cornegy, who hails from Brooklyn, is 6’10.” The title isn’t without controversy: An Ohio mayor claims that, at 7’, he’s actually the tallest politician. See pic.
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Kiss the Ring: Pope Francis apparently isn’t a fan of the tradition of having his ring kissed. A viral video shows the pope resorting to increasingly extreme measures during an audience with worshipers attempting to kiss the papal ring. An aide said, “sometimes he likes it, sometimes he doesn’t. It’s really as simple as that.” See it.
Cheddar's Hena Doba gets into the latest.
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