1. Republican Handel Wins Georgia House Seat in Key Contest
Channel 5: Republican Karen Handel has won a nationally watched congressional election in Georgia, avoiding an upset that would have rocked Washington ahead of the 2018 midterm elections.
Her narrow victory Tuesday over Democrat Jon Ossoff in Georgia's 6th Congressional District allows Republicans a sigh of relief after what's being recognized as the most expensive House race in U.S history, with a price tag that may exceed $50 million.
Georgia's outcome follows similar results in Montana, Kansas and South Carolina, where Republicans won special House races by much narrower margins than they managed as recently as November.
2. Brussels train station blast being treated as terror attack
AP: Belgian authorities said they foiled a "terror attack" Tuesday when soldiers shot and killed a suspect after a small explosion at a busy Brussels train station that continued a week of attacks in the capitals of Europe.
Federal prosecutor Eric Van der Sypt said soldiers "neutralized" a male suspect at the Central Station immediately after the explosion there on Tuesday night. The man lay still for several hours while a bomb squad checked whether he was armed with more explosives.
Prosecutor's spokeswoman Ine Van Wymersch confirmed his death early Wednesday and said no other explosives were found on his body. Some Belgian media had reported earlier that the suspect was wearing a bomb belt.
Belgium's Crisis Center, which monitors security threats in the country, said based on initial information it did not see a need to raise the country's terror threat to the highest level and kept it at the second-highest level.
3. Minnesota government database hacked by activist in protest of Yanez verdict
FOX 9: A Minnesota state government database was hacked by an activist in protest of the acquittal of Officer Jeronimo Yanez in the fatal shooting of Philando Castile. Minnesota IT Services confirmed the attack to Fox 9.
“Minnesota IT Services is aware of this attack and is investigating the incident,” the agency said in a statement. “Minnesota IT Services’ security forensics team will share any relevant information with law enforcement for review for potential criminal activity.”
According to Motherboard, a hacker calling himself Vigilance gained access to a Minnesota state government database and allegedly stole a list of 1,400 email addresses and passwords. The hacker claimed he could impersonate a Minnesota government official or state employee with the information.
"I thought I had to do something against what I found to be unjust," the hacker told Motherboard. "This was a failure of justice. And his family won't get the satisfaction of knowing the one who killed Philando is rightly punished. An innocent man died. And a guilty one lives freely."
4. State Fair sandwich gets new name after anti-Semitic complaints
Pioneer press: Shortly after the release of new Minnesota State Fair Foods on Tuesday morning, complaints started coming in that a name of one of the new dishes was anti-Semitic.
Concerns were reported to TCJewFolk.com, and relayed to State Fair officials. Owners of The Hideaway Speakeasy promptly renamed a honey-smoked salmon sandwich on pumpernickel bread from its original name, The Swindler, to Swing Dancer after hearing of the complaints.
A statement from the State Fair, said the owners did not intend to be offensive when naming the sandwich. The Hideaway Speakeasy is a new vendor at the Fair this year and names of dishes are references to the Roaring ’20s and the St. Paul gangster era. Menu items include Fall Guy Breakfast and Boss Man paninis, Mobster’s Caviar as well as Bootlegger and Gambler sandwiches.
“We regret that the name of the Swindler Sandwich within the 2017 Minnesota State Fair New Foods list was negatively received. It was never the intention of the vendor or the State Fair to be offensive. The vendor’s response was immediate, and they have renamed the item,” the State Fair statement reads, adding that it has changed its materials to reflect the new name.
5. Ken gets a dad bod and man bun as part of Barbie world makeover
Star tribune: Barbie has announced the expansion of its Fashionistas line, which includes 15 new and diverse Ken dolls, featuring three body types – slim, broad and original – and a variety of skin tones, eye colors, hairstyles and modern fashion looks. Barbie got her own makeover last year.
Here’s the lineup:
In 2016, Barbie introduced three new Barbie body types – tall, curvy and petite – along with new skin tones, eye colors, hairstyles and countless on-trend fashions and accessories.
“By continuing to expand our product line, we are redefining what a Barbie or Ken doll looks like to this generation,” said Lisa McKnight, senior vice president and general manager, Barbie. “Evolving Ken was a natural evolution for the brand and allows girls to further personalize the role they want him to play in Barbie’s world.”
Ken now comes in seven different skin tones, eight hair colors, nine hairstyles, including man buns and cornrows, and fashions ranging from casual business attire to athletic wear. The brand is also introducing 25 additional diverse Barbie dolls.