1. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia dies at 79
Conservative Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia was found dead Saturday at a luxury resort in West Texas. Several state and federal agencies are conducting an investigation, but officials say it appears the 79-year-old died of natural causes. Scalia, the longest-serving justice on the court, was appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1986. His death has the potential to dramatically reshape the ideological make-up of the court.
San Antonio Express-News NBC News
2. GOP and Dems clash over who should pick Scalia's replacement
Following the unexpected death of conservative Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia on Saturday, Republicans and Democrats immediately began fighting over who should select his replacement. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said in a statement that "this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president," while Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said President Obama "can and should send the Senate a nominee right away." Obama said Saturday he will nominate a successor "in due time."
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3. Crowd repeatedly boos Donald Trump at combative debate
The six remaining Republican presidential hopefuls faced off Saturday night in one of the most combative debates of the 2016 race. The debate in Greenville, South Carolina, was the last before the Feb. 20 primary in South Carolina and the Feb. 23 caucus in Nevada. Donald Trump and Jeb Bush got into several heated exchanges — many of which resulted in the crowd aggressively booing Trump. Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio also tangled over immigration, and Trump called Cruz the "single biggest liar."
The Week
4. Pope Francis addresses drug trade in Mexico
In his first full day in Mexico, Pope Francis spoke directly to the issues facing the nation Saturday. "I beg that you not underestimate the moral and antisocial challenge which the drug trade represents for Mexican society as a whole, as well as for the church," he told church leaders at a Mexico City cathedral. The pope also delivered a speech alongside President Enrique Peña Nieto. Francis stressed the need to care about everyone in society, as opposed to just the privileged few.
Los Angeles Times
5. State Department releases 81 more confidential Clinton emails
The State Department marked 81 of more than 500 Hillary Clinton emails released Saturday as confidential. Another three were upgraded to "secret" status, and none were marked "top secret," the highest designation. None of the emails released Saturday had been marked confidential when they were originally sent. The State Department still has more than 3,000 emails to release from Clinton's private server, which she used as secretary of state.
The Hill
6. U.N.: Civilian injuries up in Afghanistan
In 2015, 3,545 civilians were killed due to war in Afghanistan, while 7,457 were injured, the United Nations said in a report released Sunday. That's a 4-percent decrease in deaths, but a 9-percent increase in injuries. The majority of the violence can be attributed to civilians caught in the ongoing crossfire between the Afghan government and the Taliban.
The Associated Press
7. More than 5,000 pregnant women in Colombia have Zika virus
More than 5,000 pregnant women in Colombia have been infected by the Zika virus, the country's national health institute said Saturday. In the nation, 31,555 people in total have the virus. The mosquito-borne virus, which the World Health Organization has declared a public health emergency, is thought to be linked to microcephaly, a birth defect. So far there are no cases of microcephaly linked to Zika in Colombia.
Reuters
8. The Big Short, Spotlight win at Writers Guild of America Awards
The Big Short and Spotlight took home top screenplay trophies at Saturday night's Writers Guild of America Awards. Both films are up for Best Picture at the Feb. 28 Academy Awards. On the TV side, WGA awarded the highest screenplay honors to Veep and Mad Men.
Variety
9. Zach LaVine pulls off rare move for 2nd straight Slam Dunk Contest crown
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Zach LaVine topped the Orlando Magic's Aaron Gordon in Saturday's Verizon Slam Dunk Contest. It's the second year in a row LaVine has won the All-Star weekend event, a feat only three other players in history — including Michael Jordan — have managed. In the second tiebreaker, LaVine sealed his victory with a between-the-legs dunk from the free-throw line. Watch the All-Star Game starting at 8 p.m. ET Sunday on TNT.
ESPN
10. Kanye West releases The Life of Pablo on Tidal
Kanye West released The Life of Pablo, his seventh solo LP, early Sunday. The album is streaming exclusively on Tidal, Jay Z's music service. It's the third major release in recent weeks to be tied to Tidal, following Rihanna's ANTI and Beyoncé's new single, "Formation." Kanye's new album release has been riddled with false starts and technical difficulties. The artist announced the album drop on Saturday Night Live, but the Tidal stream wasn't available until after 1:30 a.m. ET.
The Verge Tidal
talking pointsAfter Pike disaster, is it time to rethink death penalty?
QUOTE OF THE DAY‘What it actually means in the American context is you want to replace American workers with foreign workers and you want boys to play in girls’ sports.’
the explainerJustice Dept. launches largest-ever effort to strip citizenship