The Brief

Donald Trump
Evan Vucci—AP
google logo renewable energy

Google’s CEO Thought Gmail Was a Joke

Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Google, takes his job seriously. Well, except for that one time he thought Gmail was a hoax. When Pichai interviewed for his position on April Fools' Day in 2004, it was just after Google introduced the email service

Barack Obama

Obama to Democrats: 'Look Out for the American People'

In a closed-door meeting with Democrats, President Obama instructed his colleagues not to let Republicans off the hook for their efforts to gut his health care law without a replacement, a plan that has already been set in motion by Republicans

Western Storms

Wet, Winter Storms Are Pummeling the Western U.S.

Much of Northern California and the Sierra Nevada braced for potential flooding into the weekend as a winter storm that dumped more than 2 feet of snow around Lake Tahoe made its way toward Utah and the Rockies

ducks culled france bird flu

France Is Slaughtering Nearly 1 Million Ducks

France ordered a large-scale killing of ducks in three areas where a severe bird flu outbreak is currently underway. The country's agriculture ministry said the highly contagious H5N8 bird flu virus has spread quickly through poultry populations

Amazon.com Illustrations Ahead Of Earnings

Amazon Is Opening Its First Book Store in New York City

Online retailer Amazon plans to continue its push into brick and mortar stores when it opens its first Manhattan bookstore. The shop, a 4,000-square-foot location in the city's Columbus Circle complex, joins Amazon stores in Seattle, San Diego and Portland

Nine Dead After Church Shooting In Charleston

'There's Nothing Wrong With Me'

Convicted Charleston church shooter Dylann Roof spoke to the jury for the first time at his death penalty trial Wednesday, telling them that there's nothing wrong with him psychologically and that he is not trying to keep any secrets from them

Facebook App

Four Arrested in Chicago Over Beating Live Stream

Chicago police say they are investigating a video circulating on social media that shows several people beating a man. Police say four suspects are in custody. The victims is described as having "mental health challenges"

New Computer Wants to Be the Ultimate AI Home Assistant

Chinese tech giant Baidu is teaming up with consumer tech company Ainemo to launch the device, called Little Fish, which is being positioned as a voice-centric home robot. The computer, about the size of a lamp, will first launch in China