“Congratulations to @elonmusk Maybe now I can get @verified,” Simpson wrote on Twitter Friday in a post that also contained a video in which he discussed Musk’s Twitter takeover. On Thursday, Musk completed his $44 billion deal to acquire Twitter. He originally made the proposal to become the social media platform’s new owner in April, but he later tried to back out of the deal. He cited Twitter underreporting the amount of fake accounts and bots on the platform for his decision to halt the plan, but Twitter sued in an attempt to compel Musk to follow through with the purchase....

“It could be a great way to house a lot of people quickly,” Kaplan told the San Francisco Chronicle. “Cruise ships have been used for emergency housing after natural disasters and for extra housing for things like Olympics.” Homelessness has greatly increased in the San Francisco Bay Area in recent years. Oakland has a larger homeless population per capita than any other large California city, with an estimated 3,210 individuals unsheltered this year, according to the Chronicle....

Oakland police said they began investigating reports of gunfire around 1:45 p.m. in the 8200 block of Fontaine Street, where there are multiple schools and school-aged children. The building where the shooting took place is shared by BayTech Charter School, Rudsdale Newcomer High School and Sojourner Truth Independent Study. City Council Member Treva Reid told the Associated Press that authorities informed her the shooting could be tied to “group and gang violence....

McGahn was subpoenaed to appear before the impeachment committee in May. Investigators view McGahn as a potential witness to alleged acts of obstruction of justice, according to NPR. “However busy or essential a presidential aide might be,” wrote U.S. District Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, “and whatever their proximity to sensitive domestic and national-security projects, the President does not have the power to excuse him or her from taking an action that the law requires....

Hours before the Iowa results were in or known, top officials of Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign told me what the final numbers would be: Obama would win by at least seven points and the turnout in the Democratic caucuses would be well above 200,000. The final figures: eight points and 236,000. I mention this for one reason: to say that, among other things, the 2008 Iowa caucuses will be remembered as the place where a new generation of superb Democratic organizers made its debut....

Samantha Power served as U.N. envoy from 2013 to 2017 during Obama’s second term as president. In 2012, Obama had told journalists that any use of chemical weapons by Assad would cross a “red line” and Power was among those recommending that the U.S. act militarily following a chemical weapons attack in August 2013 in Ghouta, Syria, that the U.S. blamed on the Syrian government and said killed more than 1,400 people....

Over a haunting Wynton Marsalis version of “Star Dust,” the movie opens with a spectral image of a blonde in sunglasses. Shortly thereafter, we see the woman getting off a train in the seacoast town of Bray. She’s spotted by two Irish teenagers, Jimmy (Niall Byrne) and Rose (Lorraine Pilkington), best friends who while away the summer concocting fictions about the people they see in the town. Jimmy, transfixed by this mystery woman, makes up a lurid fantasy: she’s French, she’s killed someone and she’s on the lam....

What Is Ocaliva Used For? Ocaliva treats adults with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) without cirrhosis or with compensated cirrhosis who do not have signs of portal hypertension. Brand Name(s): Ocaliva Drug Availability: Prescription Therapeutic Classification: Farnesoid X receptor (FXR) agonist Available Generically: No Controlled Substance: N/A Administration Route: Oral Active Ingredient: Obeticholic Acid Dosage Form(s): Oral tablet The Fibrotic Liver Disease Consortium suggested that PBC prevalence in the U.S. was 23....

Known as the public charge rule, the ruling allows the Trump administration to deny citizenship to immigrants who may need to rely on such programs as SNAP [the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps], Medicaid and federal housing assistance. The U.S. Supreme Court lifted the injunction by a vote of 5-4. “This is shameful,” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted. “America shouldn’t have a wealth test for admission. It’s a place where millions of people are descendants of immigrants who came w nothing & made a life....

Neither do we. Yet the Silver & Black are taking all kinds of action in the NFL futures market in Las Vegas. This is not unusual. In fact, it happens every year. Opening at odds of 250-to-1 at William Hill, the Raiders are down to 50-to-1 to win Super Bowl 50, set for Feb. 7, 2016 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. There’s been a similar move at the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook, where the Raiders’ odds have been adjusted from 300-to-1 to 100-to-1....

Based on the betting lines in Las Vegas, oddsmakers anticipate that all three of these teams will rest some starters, including their quarterbacks, for significant parts of the games. But while there were chants of “We want Romo” during Dallas’ 42-21 win over Detroit on Monday night, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones does not want to see his now-backup Tony Romo on the field at all in the regular-season finale at the Philadelphia Eagles....

In 2017, the NFC East and NFC South are stronger overall divisions than the NFC West, which gives Seattle the path of least resistance to home-field advantage and its easiest ticket to a third conference title game in five years. Here’s a look at how the regular season and postseason will play out for the Seahawks and the rest of the NFC. MORE: AFC playoff predictions for 2017 2017 NFC playoff predictions Seeding Seahawks (13-3), NFC West champions Rumors of the Seahawks’ decline have been greatly exaggerated....

That's my stock answer every time a fan, friend or family member brings up the 43-8 blowout in NFL Super Bowl XLVIII for the Seattle Seahawks over the Denver Broncos and how much of a bummer it was the big game wasn't competitive. They're right, of course. It's no fun (unless you're a fan of the winning team) when the game is over 12 seconds into the second half. That's why I hope I'm wrong in thinking the NFC is poised to go on a run of dominating Super Bowl victories, the likes of which we haven't seen since the NFC won every single Super Bowl played between 1985-1997....

What is surprising, however, is they’re playing the Seahawks on Thursday in what could be a game that swings the NFC West. The 49ers are 9-4 on the season, whereas the Seahawks are 7-6 and half a game out of the NFC wild card playoffs. Add to that the 49ers are currently starting a banged up seventh-round rookie in Brock Purdy, who suffered an oblique injury in his sensational first start against the Bucs in Week 14....

For Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Comeback Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year, the winners were selected by who got the most votes from their fellow players. Only head coaches were allowed to vote for Coordinator of the Year and Coach of the Year. Only front-office staff and personnel decision-makers were allowed to vote for Executive of the Year. In every case, players, coaches and executives were advised not to pick someone from their own team....

It just happens to be that player is a quarterback: Texas A&M's Johnny Manziel. According to Sirius XM NFL Radio, Raiders officials came away "very impressed" with Manziel in Indianapolis, including owner Mark Davis. Although Manziel did deliver with a Raiders-pleasing 40-yard dash, his meeting with the team also went well. MORE: Johnny Manziel, Connor Shaw shine at Combine in 40 Oakland holds the No. 5 overall pick in May's NFL Draft, and quarterback is the organization's most pressing need....

The official invitee list will be available the first week of February, but expect to see top prospects such as Florida State’s Jameis Winston and Oregon’s Marcus Mariota throw during on-field workouts Saturday, Feb. 21. Winston and Mariota could decline the invitation to participate, however, much like 2014 first round picks Johnny Manziel and Teddy Bridgewater. MORE: Mock Draft | List of invited players | PHOTOS: Memorable Mariota moments...