Good morning, NBC News readers.
Happy Valentine's Day!
Today is a day of love, but also one of remembrance for the 17 people killed in the tragic school shooting in Parkland, Florida, a year ago today.
Here’s what we’re watching this morning.
Playing nice: Senators running for president are friends first. Can it last?
Today may be Valentine's Day, but it's been a daily lovefest among the five Democratic Senators running for president.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., said she thinks it's "amazing" that Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., is running against her.
"Great people," Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., the most recent entrant into the already crowded primary field, said of her newly minted rivals.
Veteran political strategists don't expect the affection to last.
"The plane has just crashed in the Andes. For right now, everyone's cooperating, but soon they are going to start thinking about who can be eaten first," said Rick Wilson, a Republican strategist who opposes President Donald Trump.
Federal judge rules Manafort lied to prosecutors, breaching his plea deal
Paul Manafort might be looking at a whole lot more time behind bars.
A federal judge ruled on Wednesday that Manafort, President Donald Trump's former campaign chief, had lied to the FBI, the special counsel’s Office and the Mueller grand jury.
Given his lies, the judge ruled that the prosecutors are no longer bound by a plea deal to recommend a lighter sentence for Manafort.
'Birthdays, Thanksgiving, holidays, they all hurt.'
Nick Dworet should be training for the Olympics. Carmen Schentrup should be decorating her dorm room.
They are among the 17 people killed a year ago today at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
For the parents and friends of the slain students, it’s just another hard day in a year full of hard days.
"The anniversary for me is really meaningless because every day for me is Feb. 14," said Andrew Pollack, whose daughter Meadow Pollack, 18, was killed. "I feel the same way every day about losing my daughter."
Tragically, it has been just seven days since the last school shooting in the United States, according to an NBC News tracker.
Israel's Netanyahu appears to say war with Iran is a common goal
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu startled Iranians — and even the White House — on Wednesday with a strident call for Israeli-Arab action against Tehran that was translated by his office as urging "war with Iran."
Israeli officials immediately tried to soften the reference by altering the English translation, but the provocative comment was likely to further the perception that Israel, its Gulf Arab neighbors and the United States are interested in using military action to topple the regime.
And it comes at a particularly delicate moment, as the Trump administration uses a U.S.-organized summit in Warsaw and this week's 40th anniversary of the Iranian Revolution to try to rally the world against the government in Tehran.
Art imitates life when it comes to Brexit's impact on romance
Uncertainty over what the future holds for the more than 3 million E.U. nationals living in the U.K. has not only strained many romantic relationships and marriages, but also inspired art.
Plus
- The woman who raised concerns about “unwarranted security clearances” for Jared Kushner and other Trump administration officials wants special whistleblower protection from the federal government.
- Rep. Ilhan Omar and Elliott Abrams, Trump's new special envoy to Venezuela, clashed at a House hearing over the appointee's truthfulness and his involvement in the Iran-Contra scandal.
- Tee time: Trump had a $50,000 state-of-the-art golf simulator installed in the White House.
THINK about it
Big Weed is trying to bury the risks of marijuana the same way Big Tobacco did, writes former New York Times reporter Alex Berenson.
Science + Tech = MACH
After falling silent eight months ago during a severe dust storm that swept across the Red Planet, NASA's Mars Opportunity rover was officially declared dead during an emotional press conference on Wednesday.
"Even though it’s a machine and we’re saying goodbye, it's still very hard and very poignant," John Callas, project manager for the Opportunity mission.
During its extraordinary 15-year mission, Opportunity covered 28 miles, took over 200,000 images, and changed the way scientists think about planetary science.
Live BETTER
It's not too late! Here are some last minute Valentine's Day gifts that won't break the bank.
One fun thing
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