Biggest news you missed this weekend
Motive of Florida airport killer remains a mystery
The man accused of a bloody shooting spree that left five people dead and six wounded at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport faces a court appearance Monday while the motive for his rampage remains a mystery. Iraq war veteran Esteban Santiago, 26, is accused of an act of violence at an international airport resulting in death and two firearms offenses. More charges are likely to be added as the investigation into the Friday attack continues. Authorities investigating the shooting said they have not ruled out a terrorism motive.
Ethics office: Trump nominee hearings rushed
The head of the federal agency charged with vetting President-elect Donald Trump's Cabinet picks says his office is unlikely to complete its ethics reviews ahead of confirmation hearings in the Senate. The schedule of hearings "is of great concern to me" and "has left some of the nominees with potentially unknown or unresolved ethics issues," Walter Shaub, director of the Office of Government Ethics, wrote to two Democratic senators and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., in a letter released Saturday.
4 killed, 15 wounded in Jerusalem truck attack
Four Israeli soldiers were killed and more than 15 other people were injured Sunday when a truck slammed into a group of soldiers at a Jerusalem bus stop before the assailant was fatally shot, police said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who visited the scene, said the attacker has been identified, and “according to all the signs, he was a supporter of the Islamic State.” He said there “definitely could be a connection” between Sunday's incident and recent truck attacks in France and Germany, the Associated Press reported.
Queen Elizabeth II goes to church after recovering from heavy cold
Queen Elizabeth II, the indomitable nonagenarian who has reigned Britain for nearly 65 years, went to church Sunday near her Norfolk estate, a weekly ritual interrupted on Christmas and New Year's by a "heavy cold" that kept her and, initially, husband Prince Philip, 95, indoors. It was the first time the queen had been seen in public since early December, and her reappearance, in her familiar brightly colored coat and hat, led to sighs of relief around Britain: She's back on the job.
Influential former Iranian leader Rafsanjani dies
Former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a wily political survivor and multimillionaire mogul who remained among the ruling elite despite moderate views, died Sunday, state TV reported. He was 82. Iranian media reported earlier Sunday that he was taken to a hospital north of Tehran because of a heart condition. State television broke into programming to announce his death, the female newscaster’s voice quivering as she read the news. She said Rafsanjani, “after a life full of restless efforts in the path of Islam and revolution, had departed for lofty heaven.”
The latest on NFL wild-card weekend
Wild-card weekend was anything but wild when the NFL Playoffs kicked off Saturday afternoon. The Houston Texans began the day by beating up on an injury-depleted Oakland Raiders team, winning 27-14. Later on in the evening, the Seattle Seahawks hosted the Detroit Lions in what turned out to be a controversial game (to some). Seattle found their rhythm on offense and took care of business, beating the Lions 26-6. On Sunday, the Steelers torched the Dolphins in a 30-12 rout. Wild-card weekend wraps up with the Packers hosting the Giants (4:40 ET, Fox).