Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check - Feb 19, 2018

Fashion Emergency:

Parents terrified by the deadly school shooting in South Florida are spending big bucks on bulletproof backpacksfor their kids. TheNew York Postsays the Massachusetts-based companyBullet Blockerhas seen a 30 percent surge in sales since Wednesday's massacre in Parkland. The company sells the fortified bags for between $200 to $500 dollars. The company sold 500 of the backpacks on Thursday alone, with the majority headed to Florida. The backpacks, which weigh about 4 ½ pounds, are lined withKevlar, a fiber used in bulletproof vests that are used by law enforcement.
The company also caters to deep-pocketed adult customers with a range of luxury bulletproof items. That includesa $3,100 bulletproof Gucci diaper bag, a$3,200 bulletproof Gucci jacket,a $5,225 bulletproof Hermes baganda $5,895 bulletproof Armani suit. (Bartha)
Editor's note:And what --exactly-- are all the people who can't afford $500 bulletproof backpacks and $5,000 bulletproof designer suits supposed to do? Just asking on behalf of the many hundreds of thousands of people in the United States who also can't afford to legally purchase a basic $250-dollar firearm... and maybe shouldn't have to feel like they have to. (Bartha)

Travel problems:

Ever had this problem aboard an airliner?
Sure, there's the babies that won't stop crying, the kids annoying you --butwhat about the guy sitting next to you who can't --or won't-- stop passing gas?
Without making judgement on which one is worse, aTransavia Airlinesflight traveling from Dubai to Amsterdam was forced to make an emergency landing after a fight erupted mid-air over an elderly passenger who would reportedly not stop passing gas.
The plane landed at Vienna International Airport after two young, male Dutch-Moroccan passengers began complaining to flight attendants --and thenone of them threatened a stewardess.
That's when the stewardesses went up front, told the pilot and he apparently decided that the guys "could become a serious danger to flight safety" and that they needed to be removed. The elderly gentleman who caused the ruckus was not removed.

Grace notes from Vinny Marino:

AddFERGIEto the list of bizarrenational anthemperformances. She sang it before theNBA All-Star Game, and it was kind of a jazzy/R&B interpretation. Some of the comments on YouTube included: "Sounds like her voice took a knee," and "My cat just left the room." (Marino)

Pet Patrol:

A lady in England caught video of her dog'sbrief romance with a seal.
WENDY PIKEwas walking alongScarborough Beachwith her dogLULAwhen a seal waddled out of the water. The sea mammal makes its way across the sand, heading right up to the pooch. The clip shows Lula and the seal sharing a "kiss." Pike says, "I was so privileged to witness this beautiful connection between two magnificent creatures." (Still)