The light bulb flipped on
Masked militant 'Jihadi John' is identified
LONDON - The world knows him as "Jihadi John," the masked, knife-wielding militant in videos showing Western hostages being beheaded by the Islamic State group. On Thursday he was identified as a London-raised university graduate known to British intelligence for more than five years.
The British-accented militant from the chilling videos is Mohammed Emwazi, a man in his mid-20s who was born in Kuwait and raised in a modest, mixed-income area of west London.
No one answered the door at the brick row house where Emwazi's family is said to have lived. Neighbors in the area of public housing projects either declined comment or said they didn't know the family.
British anti-terror officials wouldn't confirm the man's identity, citing a "live counterterrorism investigation." But a well-placed Western official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak publicly, confirmed the militant is Emwazi.
One man who knew Emwazi portrayed him as compassionate, a description completely at odds with the cruelty attributed to him.
House GOP hopes to avoid partial shutdown
WASHINGTON - Sounding retreat, House Republicans agreed Thursday to push short-term funding to prevent a partial shutdown at the Homeland Security Department while leaving in place Obama administration immigration policies they have vowed to repeal.
"The speaker's pretty adamant that he's not going to shut down Homeland Security, especially in light of the Mall of America and in light of what's happened in New York," said Rep. Dennis Ross., R-Fla., emerging from a closed-door strategy session with the Republican rank-and-file.
He referred to a suggestion made by one terrorist group that a sympathizer should attack the Mall of America, an enormous shopping facility in Minnesota, as well as the arrests Wednesday in Brooklyn of men charged with plotting to help Islamic State fighters.
Ross and other Republicans said legislation to fund DHS for three weeks would be put to a vote in the House on Friday.
Senate Democratic officials indicated they would agree to the measure, and predicted President Barack Obama would sign the measure, averting a partial shutdown of an agency with major anti-terrorism responsibilities.
Republicans seek the perfect 2016 candidate
WASHINGTON - Let's say, for a moment, that America has given you the job of picking the perfect candidate for president. Good luck, Mr. or Ms. Voter, deciding what they've got to have - and what they can do without.
There are all sorts of things to start the list: leadership, vision, charisma, communication skills and foreign policy cred. And more: fundraising prowess, authenticity, empathy, a keen understanding of the presidency and maybe a little familiarity with running for the office.
And even more: good looks are always a plus, even if people don't want to admit it. For many, being an "outsider" is a must at a time when "Washington" is on the outs with a lot of people.
Where do you even start? For Republicans, you can't do much better than this week's Conservative Political Action Conference. There are as many as two dozen GOP hopefuls eyeing the party's nomination in 2016, and many of them will be offering themselves at CPAC as the perfect prom date for conservatives in search of a winning candidate.
Can anyone claim the total package? Matt Schlapp, chairman of the American Conservative Union, which runs CPAC, sees a strong lineup of potential candidates and says that now, "they're going to preen and strut and we're going to see a president emerge."
Islamic State militants seize more Christians
BEIRUT - Islamic State militants seized more Christians from their homes in northeastern Syria in the past three days, bringing the total number abducted by the extremist group to more than 220, activists said Thursday.
At the same time, the extremists also released a video showing the continued destruction of the heritage of the lands under their control. It depicted men using sledgehammers to smash ancient Mesopotamian statues and other artifacts in Iraq's northern city of Mosul.
The video, coinciding with mounting fears over the fate of the captive Christian Assyrians in Syria, sent a fresh wave of dread across the region, particularly among minorities who feel targeted by the group.
$150K dress worn at Oscars reported stolen
LOS ANGELES - A $150,000 gown adorned with thousands of pearls and worn by Lupita Nyong'o at the Academy Awards has been reported stolen, sheriff's officials said Thursday.
Deputies responded to a West Hollywood hotel late Wednesday after the custom Calvin Klein Collection by Francisco Costa dress was reported missing from the hotel room of the actress, sheriff's Sgt. Richard Bowman said.
The custom ivory dress designed by Costa included 6,000 pearls of various sizes.
- The Associated Press