1. Trump is seeking Congress' help on wiretap claim, while the FBI disputes it
President Trump turned to Congress yesterday for help finding evidence to support his claim that former President Barack Obama had Trump's telephones tapped during the election. Obama's intelligence chief said no such action was ever carried out, and a U.S. official said the FBI has asked the Justice Department to dispute the allegation.
Republican leaders of Congress appeared willing to honor the president's request, but the move has potential risks for the president, particularly if the House and Senate intelligence committees unearth damaging information about Trump, his aides or his associates.
2. North Korea fired 4 ballistic missiles into the ocean
Just this morning, North Korea fired four banned ballistic missiles that flew about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles), with three of them landing in waters that Japan claims as its exclusive economic zone, in an apparent reaction to huge military drills by Washington and Seoul that Pyongyang insists are an invasion rehearsal.
It was not immediately clear the exact type of missile fired, but the tests will be viewed as a provocation by the Trump administration in Washington, which is working on its policy for North Korea. The New York Times reported over the weekend that, despite efforts to perfect cyber and electronic strikes against North Korea's missile program, the United States still can't effectively counter Pyongyang's actions.
3. Divided Americans fret that the country is losing its identity
A new survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds Republicans are far more likely to cite a culture grounded in Christian beliefs and the traditions of early European immigrants as essential to U.S. identity.
Democrats are more apt to point to the country's history of mixing of people from around the globe and a tradition of offering refuge to the persecuted.
While there's disagreement on what makes up the American identity, 7 in 10 people — regardless of party — say the country is losing that identity.
The debut of 20th Century Fox's "Logan," starring Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, ranks among the biggest March openings ever and top R-rated debuts. Like last year's R-rated "Deadpool" (also a Fox release), the better-than-expected opening for "Logan" — a darkly violent, grittily dramatic movie applauded by critics — further proves moviegoers' hunger for less conventional comic book films.
The Oscar best-picture winner "Moonlight" had its widest release yet, appearing on 1,564 screens. It turned in its biggest weekend, too, with an estimated $2.5 million. That accounts for roughly 10 percent of the movie's total domestic haul of $25.3 million.
5. Three people were pulled from a Chisago County lake after falling through the ice
A St. Paul fisherman who fell through the ice of a Chisago County lake Sunday afternoon was pulled from the water uninjured, along with two other people who attempted to rescue him, officials say.
A passing motorist saw Skyllar Vujongyia clinging to his fishing gear more than 80 yards from shore in Lake Moody shortly before 5:20 p.m., according to a news release from the Chisago County Sheriff’s Office. The motorist crawled out on the ice to throw a tow strap to Vujongyia, but he too fell through.
Several people called 911, and emergency responders were dispatched to the scene. First to arrive was a conservation officer with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, who threw a rope to the men before also falling through the ice.
All three were pulled from the water and treated for hypothermia before being transported to Fairview Wyoming Hospital for further evaluation.