Bezos claims National Enquirer chief tried to blackmail him

David Pecker threatened to publish embarrassing photos of Amazon CEO. No Images? Click here   By Paul Vale     Friday, February 8 BEZOS CLAIMS PECKER BLACKMAIL PLOT David Pecker, the chief executive of American Media Inc., which owns the supermarket tabloid National Enquirer, threatened to publish embarrassing photos of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos if he didn’t stop investigating Pecker’s company — according to a Bezos blog post. “Rather than capitulate to extortion and blackmail, I’ve decided to publish exactly what they sent me, despite the personal cost and embarrassment they threaten,” Bezos, who also owns The Washington Post, wrote. [HuffPost] [Tweet | Share on Facebook] SCOTUS BLOCKS LOUISIANA ABORTION RESTRICTIONS The Supreme Court is stopping Louisiana from enforcing new regulations on abortion clinics in a test of the conservative court’s views on abortion rights. The justices ruled 5-4 against a law that requires abortion providers to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals. [AP] SAUDI PRINCE THREATENED TO SHOOT KHASHOGGI Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2017 told a top aide he would use “a bullet” on Jamal Khashoggi, the Saudi journalist killed in October, according to a report by The New York Times. [HuffPost] DINGELL DEAD AT 92 John Dingell Jr., the Michigan Democrat who became the longest-serving member of Congress, has died. [HuffPost] GOP WANTS NO OVERSIGHT ON TRUMP’S TAXES Republicans in Congress have formally asked Democrats to stop trying to access President Donald Trump’s hidden tax returns. Democrats will hold a hearing on the importance of disclosing Trump’s tax information, which would reveal how much money he makes, who pays him and how much taxes he pays. [HuffPost] ACTING AG WILL APPEAR FOR HEARING Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker has agreed to appear for a congressional hearing today after all, House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler said in a tweet. The Department of Justice confirmed Whitaker would show. [HuffPost]     .   COPS PROBE N.Y. SWASTIKA ATTACK Police are investigating swastika graffiti along with a fire that caused substantial damage to a Jewish educational center in New York. [HuffPost] THE NEO-NAZI PODCASTER NEXT DOOR Alleged Pittsburgh shooter Robert Bowers was a fan of a white supremacist propagandist known online as Grandpa Lampshade. We expose who he really is. [HuffPost] ARIZONA CITY VOTES TO REMOVE RAZOR WIRE The City Council of Nogales, Arizona, has voted unanimously for a resolution ordering Trump administration officials to rip out new “lethal” razor wire coiled on a border fence along the downtown shopping district. [HuffPost] LAWMAKER RESIGNS OVER ALLEGED FACE LICK A Florida politician has resigned from her post as city commissioner just days after she was fined $5,000 by the state ethics commission for allegedly sexually assaulting the former city manager by licking his face. [HuffPost] MUSLIM INMATE EXECUTED AFTER SCOTUS DECISION A Muslim inmate who filed a legal challenge because Alabama wouldn’t let his Islamic spiritual adviser be present in the execution chamber was put to death after the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way. [AP] THAI KING’S SISTER RUNNING FOR OFFICE A Thai political party has nominated the King's sister as its candidate for prime minister in March elections — an unprecedented move that could upend the political landscape and give the revered monarchy an overt role in politics. [CNN]    .   Ariana Grande has accused the Grammys of “lying” about why she’s not performing. Sonequa Martin-Green is honoring Black History Month by celebrating her own place in television history, as the first black woman to lead the 50-year-old Star Trek franchise. ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi survived a coup attempt last month launched by foreign fighters in his eastern Syrian hideout, intelligence officials believe. Here are four questions about hair that black girls are tired of answering. Baseball Hall of Famer Frank Robinson died Thursday after a long illness. He was 83 years old. Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin have explained why they got married so quickly. The Justice Department has announced an $8.3 million fund to support California victims of the 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas. Nevada victims already have been awarded $16 million. Woody Allen has filed a $68 million suit against Amazon Studios, alleging that the streamer has backed out of a four-picture deal due to “a 25-year-old, baseless allegation.” Twitter users dunked on Howard Schultz after he was forced to ask an audience to clap. Michelle Rodriguez has come out to defend her “Widows” co-star Liam Neeson with a bizarre reason for why she believes he isn’t racist: He kissed Viola Davis. Here’s a remarkable new photo of China's moon lander, taken from orbit. Apple is cracking down on apps that record iPhone users’ screens after a TechCrunch investigation revealed a number of major companies have been quietly recording their customers’ screen activity. The “Six Octave Man’ astounded judges with his range on “The World’s Best.” Here's how to listen to HuffPost's daily news briefing. These 21 tweets capture the experience of grocery shopping with kids. These are the best long-distance running shoes, according to runners. And love this newsletter? Share it with a friend!        HuffPost is now a part of Oath and a part of Verizon. On May 25, 2018 we introduced a new Oath Privacy Policy which will explain how your data is used and shared. Learn More. Start your workday the right way with the news that matters most — all with a dash of signature Morning Email snark. Does somebody keep forwarding you this email? Get your own copy. It's free! Sign up here. 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