10 things you need to know today: March 11, 2019

1. Trump to request $8.6 billion for border wall in new budget

President Trump reportedly plans to ask for $8.6 billion in funding to build sections of a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border when he unveils his annual budget request to Congress on Monday. Trump will call for $5 billion to go the Department of Homeland Security for wall construction, and another $3.6 billion in the Defense Department's military construction budget, The Washington Post reported, citing three people briefed on Trump's budget. The request could trigger a new fight in Congress over Trump's promised wall. House Appropriations Committee Chair Rep. Nita M. Lowey (D-N.Y.) said the request was "not even worth the paper it's written on."

The Washington Post

2. Ethiopia, China ground Boeing 737 Max 8 jets after crash

Ethiopian Airlines on Monday said it was grounding its fleet of new Boeing 737 Max 8 jets after one of the planes crashed Sunday shortly after takeoff, killing all 157 people on board. China's civilian aviation authority also ordered Chinese airlines to temporarily ground their 96 Max 8s following the crash, the second involving one of the Boeing planes in five months; a Lion Air flight crashed in the Java Sea in late October, killing all 189 people on board. The United Nations said Sunday that at least 19 of its staff members were among the dead in Sunday's crash. The plane was leaving Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital, for Nairobi, Kenya, carrying passengers from at least 30 countries, including eight Americans. The cause of the crash is under investigation.

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CBS News The New York Times

3. U.S.-backed forces attack last ISIS enclave in Syria

The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces on Sunday started an offensive against the last enclave controlled by the Islamic State in eastern Syria. The assault is intended to drive ISIS out of the last part of the "caliphate" that once covered a third of Iraq and Syria, although the Islamist extremist group is still considered a major security threat capable of guerrilla attacks. The SDF offensive has been delayed for weeks to give civilians, including the wives and children of ISIS fighters, an opportunity to leave the area. The offensive began after civilians stopped emerging over the weekend. "The military operations have started. Our forces are now clashing with the terrorists and the attack started," said Mustafa Bali, head of the SDF media office.

Reuters

4. Schiff says it's a 'mistake' for Mueller not to interview Trump

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said Sunday it was a "mistake" for Special Counsel Robert Mueller to wrap up his investigation into Russian election meddling without interviewing President Trump. Schiff told NBC's Meet the Press that he understood that Trump could fight a subpoena and his new attorney general, William Barr, might back him up. "But I do think ultimately it's a mistake because probably the best way to get the truth would be to put the president under oath," Schiff said. Mueller reportedly is close to submitting his report. Trump has repeatedly called the Russia inquiry a "witch hunt," maintaining that there has never been any evidence that his associates colluded with Moscow's efforts to help him win the 2016 election.

The Washington Post

5. Malaysian court releases one suspect in murder of Kim Jong Nam

A Malaysian court on Monday unexpectedly freed one of the women accused of killing Kim Jon Nam, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's half-brother, with a deadly nerve agent two years ago. The decision came after prosecutors withdrew the charge against the woman, Siti Aisyah. She hugged her co-defendant, Doan Thi Huong of Vietnam, before leaving the courtroom, telling reporters she was "shocked." Aisyah was expected to leave immediately for her home country, her lawyer said. Prosecutors did not immediately explain the decision, and they did not drop the charges against Huong. Security footage showed a woman smearing something on Kim's face as he entered Kuala Lumpur International Airport. The women said North Korean agents duped them into what they thought was a reality TV prank.

CNN

6. Report: Domestic terror cases outnumber those linked to foreign groups

Federal authorities arrested more domestic terror suspects last year than they did people inspired or linked to international terror groups, The Washington Post reported Sunday, citing the newspaper's review of internal FBI figures. In 2018, 120 domestic terrorism suspects were arrested, compared to 100 people linked to international groups such as the Islamic State or al Qaeda. The figures illustrate why officials and politicians debate how to focus U.S. national security resources. The debate intensified after the arrest last month of Coast Guard Lt. Christopher P. Hasson, 49, an alleged white nationalist inspired by Anders Behring Breivik, who killed 77 people in Norway in 2011.

The Washington Post

7. Powell says Fed does 'not feel any hurry' to raise rates again

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said Sunday that interest rates are "appropriate" and "roughly neutral," and the U.S. central bank does "not feel any hurry" to change them again. The comments underscored that the Fed had pivoted from its policy of slowly and steadily raising rates to keep the improving economy from overheating, and would instead monitor how the slowing global economy will affect the U.S. The slowing economies of China and Europe create the biggest risks for the U.S., which otherwise has a strengthening economy, Powell said in an interview with CBS's 60 Minutes. Powell also said President Trump's criticism of Fed rate hikes had nothing to do with the January decision to pause the increases.

Reuters The Associated Press

8. Southeast hit by more tornadoes

Another episode of severe weather erupted over the weekend, hitting the South with at least five more tornadoes a week after tornadoes killed 23 people in Alabama. Three tornadoes were confirmed in northwest Louisiana, one in central Arkansas, and another in northern Mississippi. Weather radar also showed possible tornado activity from eastern Texas to western Tennessee. The severe weather destroyed mobile homes and cars, and swept away some farm buildings. At least two people were reportedly injured in Arkansas. Prairie County Sheriff Rick Hickman in Arkansas said several buildings were destroyed, including one that was left in a "big twist with metal on top of automobiles that were in there."

USA Today

9. Captain Marvel dominates box office in debut

Captain Marvel brought in an estimated $153 million to dominate the domestic box office in its debut weekend, the third highest March debut ever in the U.S. The blockbuster was the 21st installment of Disney's Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the first of the films to have a solo female lead, Oscar-winning actress Brie Larson as Carol Danvers. The film's domestic haul was the second highest grossing superhero origin film, behind Black Panther's $302 million debut. Captain Marvel's global debut reached $455 million with an estimated $302 million internationally, the fifth biggest international opening weekend and the second largest superhero debut of all time.

CNBC USA Today

10. U.S. cycling Olympic medalist Kelly Catlin dies at 23

Olympic cycling medalist Kelly Catlin, a three-time world champion, has died, USA Cycling said Sunday. She was 23. Catlin was part of the U.S. women's pursuit team that won a silver medal at the 2016 Rio Games. She also won gold medals with the pursuit team at the world championships in 2016, 2017, and 2018. Her father, Mark, said in a letter to VeloNews that his daughter died by suicide Friday night at her California home. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the Catlin family," USA Cycling President and Chief Executive Rob DeMartini said in a statement. "Kelly was more than an athlete to us, and she will always be part of the USA Cycling family."

Reuters