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Happening Today: Texas Bombings, Nor'easter, Trump Congratulates Putin, ‘Black Panther'

What to Know

  • The suspect in the Austin bombings blew himself up with an explosive device as authorities closed in, police say
  • Trump called Russian President Vladimir Putin to congratulate him on his re-election, drawing criticism from members of his own party
  • The pop culture sensation "Black Panther" has set another record: most tweeted about movie ever, Twitter says

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Texas Bombing Suspect Killed After Detonating Bomb

The suspect in a spate of bombing attacks in Austin that have killed two people and injured four others this month blew himself up with an explosive device as authorities closed in, police said. Authorities had zeroed in on the suspect in the last 24 to 36 hours and located him at a hotel on Interstate 35 in the Austin suburb of Round Rock, Austin Police Chief Brian Manley said at a news conference. They were waiting for ballistic vehicles to arrive when his vehicle began to drive away, Manley said. Authorities followed the vehicle, which stopped in a ditch on the side of the road, the police chief said. When members of the SWAT team approached, the suspect detonated an explosive device inside the vehicle, the police chief said. The blast knocked back one officer, while a second officer fired his weapon, Manley said. The suspect, who suffered significant injuries from the blast, was killed. Authorities identified him only as a 24-year-old man. Authorities said it was too soon to say in the suspect had worked alone. They also said they don't know his motive.

March's 4th Nor'easter Approaches, May Dump Foot or More on NYC

A widespread storm system, the fourth nor'easter in less than three weeks, is set to begin its 36-hour assault on the tri-state, bringing up to about a foot or possibly more of snow to the New York City and elsewhere, along with damaging wind gusts. The system -- which caused destructive storms in Alabama earlier this week --will begin cranking through the region in earnest Wednesday morning. It initially appeared the heaviest snow would fall during the evening commute, but Storm Team 4 says the timeline has accelerated, meaning the worst can be expected starting around noon Wednesday. When conditions are at their worst, expect to hear thunder as heavy bands of snow falls on the region. NJ-Transit, Amtrak and Metro-North will all run on modified schedules. A state of emergency has been declared in New Jersey and winter storm warning have been issued for much of the tri-state.

Trump Congratulates Putin, Gets Backtalk From Republicans

President Trump called Russian President Vladimir Putin to congratulate him on his re-election, drawing bruising criticism from members of his own party, including a leading senator who scorned the election as a "sham." Trump also said he and Putin might meet "in the not too distant future" to discuss the arms race and other matters. What they didn't discuss was noteworthy as well: Trump did not raise Russia's meddling in the U.S. elections or its suspected involvement in the recent poisoning of a former spy in England. Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona, a frequent Trump critic, called the president's call "odd." Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Trump "can call whomever he chooses" but noted that calling Putin "wouldn't have been high on my list." White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders defended Trump's call, and noted that President Barack Obama made a similar call at the time of Putin's last electoral victory. Trump himself has long been reluctant to publicly criticize Putin.

“Black Panther” Is Most Tweeted About Movie Ever, Twitter Says

The pop culture sensation "Black Panther" has set another record: most tweeted about movie ever. Twitter said Ryan Coogler's box-office smash has been tweeted about more than 35 million times. That pushes it ahead of the previous record-holder, "Star Wars: The Force Awakens." The most recent "Star Wars" installment, "The Last Jedi," ranks third. Over the weekend, "Black Panther" became the first film since 2009's "Avatar" to top the box office in North America five straight weekends. It has grossed more than $607 million domestically and $1.2 billion worldwide. In the next week, it's expected to pass "The Avengers" as the highest grossing superhero film ever, not accounting for inflation. Twitter said "Black Panther" had the most tweets in the U.S., followed by the United Kingdom and Thailand.

Cynthia Nixon Takes Aim at Cuomo in 1st Campaign Event

Newly announced New York gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon criticized Gov. Cuomo, her Democratic primary opponent, for favoring corporations and the rich over average New Yorkers. The liberal activist and "Sex and the City" actress took aim at Cuomo in her first official campaign appearance, telling the audience at the Bethesda Healing Center in Brooklyn that she had just made it to the event "in the nick of time" because of subway delays that she blamed on "Cuomo's MTA." The Metropolitan Transportation Authority oversees the subways, and Cuomo controls the MTA. An MTA spokesman said on Twitter there had been a sick passenger. Nixon went on to criticize inequality in the state, which she blamed on policy choices like tax cuts for corporations and wealthier New Yorkers, and called out corruption in state government.

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