WEATHER
*Cloudy early then sunny, high 58
LOCAL
*There's breaking news right now, emergency crews are in St. Charles and are searching for a truck that went into the water near the Golden Eagle Ferry. This story is still developing...
The Eagles add a stop in St. Louis to their touring schedule, they'll be at the Scottrade Center on March 18th, tickets go on sale on Friday December 8th at 10am
*3 suspects attempted to break into a gun store in Edwardsville this morning. The suspects tried to break the glass on the front door around 3am at Michael's Arms and Accessories on South Buchanan. Edwardsville police say it does not appear that anything was taken.
*A shoot happened near Francis Howell High School yesterday afternoon. The campus was put on lock down around 2:45pm. A teacher was shot while running on the Hamburg Trail which is just south of the campus.
NATIONAL
Facebook Is Eradicating Terrorism Online Thanks To AI-
Artificial Intelligence is now a powerful tool in the fight against terrorism. Facebook says advances in artificial intelligence technology are helping remove 99-percent of terrorist content before it's flagged by users. The social media giant said this week it's taking down more than 80-percent of content by terrorist groups including ISIS and al-Qaeda within an hour of it being uploaded.
The company says it's mining words, images, and videos to root out and remove terrorists' messages and propaganda. Two managers heading up the effort caution that nothing is perfect, though. “A system designed to find content from one terrorist group may not work for another because of language and stylistic differences in their propaganda.” The social media giant has been concentrating on ISIS and Al Qaeda.
Facebook is under pressure from European officials to crack down on terrorist activity.
Source: Bloomberg
The Today show signed on again this morning with news about Matt Lauer and read his first public statement since NBC fired him for alleged sexual misconduct in the workplace.
Savannah Guthrie said she received Lauer's statement a minute before going on the air. In it he writes, "There are no words to express my sorrow and regret for the pain I have caused others by words and actions. To the people I have hurt, I am truly sorry. As I am writing this I realize the depth of the damage and disappointment I have left behind at home and at NBC. Some of what is being said about me is untrue or mischaracterized, but there is enough truth in these stories to make me feel embarrassed and ashamed."
Lauer added that his new full time job will be to repair the damage his actions caused. Since the news broke of his firing, several more NBC staffers have come forward with claims that they were sexually harassed by Lauer.
NFL And Players Reach Agreement On Social Justice Issues-
The NFL may be able to get back to football soon.
The NFL and a group of players have come to an agreement on a plan to work on social injustices in African-American communities. “ESPN” reports the NFL will give around 100-million-dollars over seven years for social justice causes.
It will include money for criminal justice reform, law enforcement-community relations and education. The deal was struck during a conference call last night. Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins and recently retired wide receiver Anquan [[ ANN-kwon ]] Boldin are the leaders of a group of around 40 players heading the effort. Some players split from the group ahead to the agreement.
The agreement does not include language calling for players to end protests during the national anthem in exchange for funds; there's no implicit quid pro quo.
Source: ESPN
Jared Kushner Met With Special Counsel-
President Trump's son-in-law is reportedly under the microscope in the Russia probe.
Reports say that Special Counsel Robert Mueller's [[ MULL-er ]] team questioned Jared Kushner earlier this month. The topic of discussion was reportedly former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. Mueller's team apparently wanted to make sure that Kushner didn't have information that could have cleared Flynn in their investigation.
Specifically they had questions about what Kushner told lawmakers, details of which leaked through the media. Kushner's lawyer would only say that he's cooperated with all inquiries.
The sources also say Mueller may be hammering out a plea deal with Flynn.
Source: CNN
AG’s Office Restructures To Battle Opioids-
Attorney General Jeff Sessions is making some moves on opioids.
In a Justice Department briefing yesterday, Sessions called the opioid epidemic the worst drug crisis in American history. Sessions said the government will provide millions of dollars in grants to help law enforcement agencies combat the crisis. DEA field offices are being restructured to deal with the epidemic more effectively. Additionally, U.S. attorneys are being directed to set up opioid coordinators in their offices.
Meanwhile, a new study finds that more than 60-percent of people who die from opioid overdoses suffered from chronic pain. Many also have issues with depression or anxiety. The Columbia University Medical Center study suggests that early intervention with people suffering from chronic pain or mental disorders might cut down on the number of overdose deaths.
Source: CBS News
*Toys R Us thinks its management has done such a good job steering it into bankruptcy that its top executives might get million-dollar bonuses. Trustee Judy A. Robbins filed an objection to the New Jersey-based retailer's request to reward 17 execs between $16 million and $32 million. She says, "It defies logic and wisdom" that Toys R Us is proposing "multimillion-dollar bonuses for the senior leadership of a company that began the year with employee layoffs and concludes it in the midst of the holiday season in bankruptcy."
Lawyers for Toys R Us argued that the bonuses are essential to keeping top management motivated to turn the company around.
SPORTS
The Blues lost to the Ducks 3-2, They are off until Friday when they play L.A.