Slow Warmup This Week; Minor Weekend Cooling

President Donald Trump has ordered the release of thousands of classified governmental documents about the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy, which has fueled conspiracy theories for decades. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] The executive order Trump signed Thursday also aims to declassify the remaining federal records relating to the assassinations of Sen. Robert F.

WASHINGTON — The Senate on Thursday confirmed John Ratcliffe as CIA director, President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead America’s premier spy agency and his second nominee to win Senate approval. Ratcliffe was director of national intelligence during Trump’s first term and is the first person to have held that position and the top post at the CIA.

During the last decade, we have become painfully aware that the climate crisis is no longer a distant threat but a living reality. It affects millions of people every day. Last year, the world exceeded 1.5°C of warming above pre-industrial temperatures for the first time—a milestone that reminds us of the urgency of action.

Denver International Airport travelers bound for Germany will be able to fly on the world’s largest passenger aircraft, a double-deck 509-seat Airbus, starting in April, city officials announced Thursday. The Airbus A380 holds 75% more people than the 293-seat Airbus 350-900 currently in use, officials said. Denver Mayor Mike Johnston announced that Lufthansa German Airlines will operate the Airbus A380s on nonstop flights between DIA and Munich, one of the growing numbers of international flights. Related Articles Transportation | Denver International Airport sets records for passengers and cargo Transportation | Four more local restaurants land at Denver International Airport Transportation | DIA’s iconic art collection lands a new star even as the airport struggles to bring back pieces that have been in storage for years Transportation | Bustang launches route linking Sterling and Denver International Airport Lufthansa has scheduled daily flights between April 30 and September 30.

The quality of mercy is tough to measure, but the quantity of mercy has not been strained in Washington recently. It has been dropping like torrential rain from the heavens. Outgoing President Joe Biden pardoned his son, then commuted the sentences of thousands of individuals who have served more time for nonviolent drug offenses than would be warranted under current guidelines, and then—right as his lease on the White House was up—preemptively pardoned his relatives and political allies for crimes of which they had not yet even been (officially) accused. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Not to be outdone, incoming President Trump pardoned or commuted the sentences of more than 1,500 rioters who had definitely been accused and convicted of crimes, including bringing guns to the Capitol to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power, a disruption which led to the death of at least one police officer and the injury of approximately 140 more.

Business leaders and AI experts discussed the challenges and potential of artificial intelligence (AI) during a TIME roundtable in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 22. Participants in the TIME100 Talks event, titled “Go Beyond the Transformative Power of AI,” discussed how AI has the potential to enhance areas including health care and climate, as well as the risks to consider as the technology advances rapidly.