Disney chief: abortion law would make it difficult to keep filming in Georgia

Bob Iger says many Disney employees would not want to work there if law that bans abortion as early as six weeks takes effectDisney has filmed blockbuster movies such as Black Panther and Avengers: Endgame in Georgia. Photograph: Imagine China/REX/ShutterstockThe chief executive of the Walt Disney Company said Georgia’s new strict abortion law would make it “very difficult” for the media company to keep filming in the state.Walt Disney Co chief executive Bob Iger told Reuters on Wednesday that the law would cause many people to not want to work in the state if it were to go in effect.Georgia’s Republican governor Brian Kemp signed the legislation earlier this month. The law bans abortion once cardiac activity can be detected – which can be as early as six weeks, before many women even realize they are pregnant. The law is due to take effect on 1 January, if it survives court challenges.Disney has filmed blockbuster movies such as Black Panther and Avengers: Endgame in the state. It is one of many film and TV production companies lured to the state by tax credits.The industry is now responsible for more than 92,000 jobs in Georgia, according to the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), and some 455 productions were shot in Georgia in 2018, according to the state.Asked if Disney would keep filming in Georgia, Iger said it would be “very difficult to do so” if the abortion law is implemented.“I rather doubt we will,” Iger said in an interview ahead of the dedication for a new Star Wars section at Disneyland. “I think many people who work for us will not want to work there, and we will have to heed their wishes in that regard. Right now we are watching it very carefully.”If the law takes effect, “I don’t see how it’s practical for us to continue to shoot there,” he added.Georgia is one of eight states to pass anti-abortion legislation this year in an effort to induce the US Supreme Court to overturn Roe v Wade, the 1973 landmark case that established a woman’s right to terminate her pregnancy.Although some actors and producers have already said they will no longer work in Georgia because of the abortion law, many of the large production companies have remained publicly silent on the abortion law.On Tuesday, streaming service Netflix said it would “rethink” its film and television production investment in Georgia if the law goes into effect.In the meantime, Netflix will continue production there for now and work with groups that are fighting the law in US courts.

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Bulgaria in first U.S. gas deals buys two LNG cargoes

Bulgaria has agreed to buy U.S. natural gas for the first time, signing a deal for a delivery in the second quarter and another in the third, the country's energy minister said on Friday. Dutch-registered trader Kolmar NL will deliver a 90 million cubic meter (mcm) cargo of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and a second of 50 mcm. "The ship carrying LNG from the United States has arrived at the Greek Revithoussa LNG terminal," Energy Minister Temenuzhka Petkova said.

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North Carolina to Investigate After Concerns Raised at Children’s Hospital

By ELLEN GABLER from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/2QFci0S

There Are 472,000 Words in the Dictionary. For the Spelling Bee, That May Not Be Enough.

By AMY HARMON and ALAN BLINDER from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/2MipnOR

A New Threat From Trump and Old Questions About Its Effectiveness

By PETER BAKER from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/2HMUcXQ

Pork Producers, Corn Growers Urge Trump to Drop Mexico Tariffs

The president said Thursday that 5% duties could be placed on all imports from Mexico on June 10, rising in increments to 25% in October unless Mexico halts the flow of immigrants heading to the U.S. border. “We appeal to President Trump to reconsider plans to open a new trade dispute with Mexico,” David Herring, president of the National Pork Producers Council and a hog farmer from Lillington, North Carolina, said Friday in an emailed statement.

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Trump Tariffs on Mexico Irk Key Republican Allies in Congress

The president’s announcement Thursday surprised many Republicans who hoped to focus on passing a new trade deal with Mexico and Canada known as the USMCA. Trump said he will impose a 5% tariff on all imports from Mexico -- ramping up 5 percentage points every month until hitting 25% in October -- unless Mexico takes "decisive measures" to stem migrants entering the U.S.

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Trump would be 'in handcuffs' if not president, says Democrat Warren

Democratic White House hopeful Elizabeth Warren said Thursday that if Donald Trump were not protected by his presidential status, he would be "in handcuffs and indicted" for obstructing the investigation into Russia's 2016 election interference. The progressive US senator from Massachusetts, one of the leading Democrats for the party's 2020 nomination, was the first presidential candidate to speak out in favor of launching impeachment proceedings against Trump. Warren had called for an impeachment inquiry the day after the April 18 publication of special counsel Robert Mueller's 448-page report on Moscow's election interference.

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New Mexico town gets death threats after halting crowd-funded border wall

A New Mexico mayor on Thursday said he and his staff received multiple death threats after they briefly halted construction of a crowd-funded, private border wall by a group that then urged supporters to tell the city to "stop playing games," and alleged it was tied to drug cartels. The Florida-based group has raised $23 million via crowd-funding site GoFundMe.com to build private border walls to halt smuggling and a surge in undocumented migrants, after funding for President Donald Trump's promised wall was blocked. Perea described the tactics of We Build the Wall as a "cheap blow," and the American Civil Liberties Union accused it of pursuing a "white Nationalist" agenda.

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Man charged after Nassau County police find woman, 2 boys with autism, 1 teen in car with 'CALL 911' sign

A man was charged after police say a woman holding a "CALL 911" sign and her three children were found inside his car on Long Island.

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Disney says it won't make any more films in Georgia if draconian abortion laws come into force in the US state

Disney's chief executive has warned Georgia that the company's film and TV productions are likely to abandon the state if its controversial abortion bill becomes law. Bob Iger said it would be "very difficult" for the entertainment giant to continue working in the state if the so-called "heartbeat bill", which outlaws terminations from as early as six weeks, comes into force. The Walt Disney Company has shot some of its biggest films in the US state, including Black Panther and Avengers: Endgame. Speaking to Reuters, Iger said: "If it becomes law, it'll be very difficult. "I think many people who work for us will not want to work there, and we will have to heed their wishes in that regard. "Right now we are watching it very carefully." Sen John Milkovich speaks outside the State Capitol in Louisiana where the House passed Milkovich's 'fetal heartbeat' bill Georgia has been dubbed the "Hollywood of the South" after it lured production companies with favourable tax laws. The state offers a tax credit that has lured many film and TV productions. The industry is responsible for more than 92,000 jobs in Georgia, according to the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), and some 455 productions were shot in Georgia in 2018, according to the state. However, its proposed abortion laws have caused fury across the industry, with leading stars lining up to condemn the bill. Netflix has also warned it could pull out of the state. Georgia's bill bans abortions in cases where a fetal heartbeat can be detected, which can be as early as six weeks. It is due to come into effect on January 1 2020, although campaigners have already said they will fight it in the courts. It came as last night Louisiana on Wednesday also passed a bill banning abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected, becoming the seventh state to do so. The bans are expected to be blocked in lower courts, but supporters plan to appeal such decisions until they reach the Supreme Court.

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Florida Gov. DeSantis meets with Netanyahu in Israel

JERUSALEM (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis met with Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, calling the embattled Israeli prime minister a "strong leader" on the governor's final day of a trade mission to Israel.

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US national spelling bee crowns eight co-champions after running out of challenging words

A superhuman group of adolescents broke the Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday, with eight contestants crowned co-champions after the competition said it was running out of challenging words.It was a stunning result, coming just after midnight, for the 92nd annual event, which has had six two-way ties but had never experienced such a logjam at the top.After the 17th round, Jacques Bailly, the event’s pronouncer, announced that any of the eight remaining contestants who made it through three more words would share in the prize.“We do have plenty of words remaining in our list, but we’ll soon run out of words that will challenge you,” Mr Bailly told the contestants at Gaylord National Resort & Convention Centre in National Harbour, Maryland.He added: “We’re throwing the dictionary at you. And so far, you are showing this dictionary who is boss.”None of the contestants faltered. They each got their own moment of triumph as they correctly spelled their words in the 20th round, then patiently sat back in their seats as the following contestants had their moments. They supported each other with high-fives and hugs, and each placed a hand on a single trophy.The champions were, along with the final words they spelled:Rishik Gandhasri, 13, of San Jose, California: auslaut.Erin Howard, 14, of Huntsville, Alabama: erysipelas.Saketh Sundar, 13, of Clarksville, Maryland: bougainvillea.Shruthika Padhy, 13, of Cherry Hill, New Jersey: aiguillette.Sohum Sukhatankar, 13, of Dallas: pendeloque.Abhijay Kodali, 12, of Flower Mound, Texas: palama.Christopher Serrao, 13, of Whitehouse Station, New Jersey: cernuous.Rohan Raja, 13, of Irving, Texas: odylic.The competition normally offers a $50,000 (£39,610) prize to the champion. Instead of splitting it eight ways, all eight contestants will receive $50,000 and their own trophies.There have been marathon spelling bees before — the 2017 event went 36 rounds, with two spellers battling it out after the 17th round — but the competition has never hosted such a large group of spellers who could not be defeated.The field is typically winnowed down to fewer than four by the 16th round.This year, the ninth-place finisher, 13-year-old Simone Kaplan of Davie, Florida, was thwarted in the 15th round.From that point on, the contestants correctly spelled 47 straight words.Already nervous, they started showing signs of fatigue as the competition stretched on past its expected window.At the beginning of the 17th round, Rishik had a question for Mr Bailly.“Out of curiosity, would you happen to know what time it is?” he asked. It was 11:18 pm.It was one of several moments of levity from a group of students who appeared largely unfazed by the pressure, with their parents in the audience often looking more unsettled.Rohan prompted laughter in the 17th round as he recoiled at his errant pronunciation of “Gaeltacht.”“Oh God,” he said, “I sound like I vomited.”The New York Times

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How the 2016 Debates Are Still Haunting Democrats

Democrats are trying to avoid the missteps of the 2016 primary debates — a goal that has proven elusive as more candidates have announced.

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Stone Was Like ‘Uncle Roger,’ Miller Testifies to Grand Jury

Prosecutors focused their examination on Miller’s relationship with Stone and Stone’s connection to WikiLeaks founder Assange, Miller’s attorney Paul Kamenar told reporters after the proceeding. Stone was indicted by the grand jury in January on charges of lying to Congress about communications with Assange, obstruction and witness tampering.

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Auto industry dented by latest Trump tariffs

President Donald Trump's plan to impose tariffs on Mexico will affect myriad industries, but few are as exposed as automakers. Shares of several major automakers and auto suppliers dived five percent or more following Trump's announcement Thursday night that the United States would impose a five percent tariff on all Mexican imports on June 10, explicitly linking the trade action to a demand that Mexico crack down on illegal immigration. The White House intends to gradually raise the tariff level until it hits 25 percent on October 1, a levy that "could cripple the industry and cause major uncertainty," said a note from Deutsche Bank.

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Judge considering Missouri abortion clinic license case

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A judge is deciding whether to ensure Missouri's only abortion clinic can keep its license past Friday, the latest development in a decades-long push by abortion opponents to get states to enact strict rules on the procedure.

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Barr: Counter-intelligence Probe of Trump Campaign Crossed ‘Serious Red Line’

Attorney General William Barr said Friday that the FBI's counterintelligence investigation of the Trump campaign "crossed" a "serious red line" and should be "carefully looked at.""The use of foreign intelligence capabilities and counterintelligence capabilities against an American political campaign to me is unprecedented and it's a serious red line that's been crossed," Barr said in an interview with CBS.The attorney general is currently investigating the origins of the probe to determine whether the U.S. intelligence community's surveillance of the Trump campaign was warranted. He has expressed skepticism about the explanations for some of the investigative actions taken.During testimony to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee last month, Barr stated that "spying did occur" on the Trump campaign, angering Democratic lawmakers."I guess it's become a dirty word somehow," Barr told CBS. "I think there is nothing wrong with spying. The question is always whether it is authorized by law.""There were counterintelligence activities undertaken against the Trump campaign, And I'm not saying there was not a basis for it, that it was legitimate, but I want to see what that basis was and make sure it was legitimate," he added.The New York Times reported that the FBI sent an undercover agent posing as a research assistant to ask former Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos whether the campaign was working with Russia. Papadopoulos was told by a Maltese professor in early 2016 that Russia had damaging information on Trump's opponent, Hillary Clinton, but said he told the undercover agent he had “nothing to do with Russia.”"Republics have fallen because of Praetorian Guard mentality where government officials get very arrogant, they identify the national interest with their own political preferences, and they feel that anyone who has a different opinion, you know, is somehow an enemy of the state," Barr remarked. "That can easily translate into essentially supervening the will of the majority and getting your own way as a government official."FBI director Chris Wray said earlier this month that he had seen no evidence that the FBI illegally spied on the Trump campaign.

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Riyadh rallies allies against Tehran at Mecca summits

Gulf and Arab allies rallied around Saudi Arabia Friday as it ratcheted up tensions with regional rival Iran after a series of attacks, drawing accusations from Tehran of "sowing division". Tehran, which has strongly denied involvement in any of the attacks, expressed disappointment that Riyadh plans to level the same "baseless accusations" at a summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) early on Saturday.

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9 Cool Things We Learned Driving the Spectre Land Rover Defender

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Trump: I was 'not informed' about order to move John McCain warship during Japan trip

Trump's comments come after the White House reportedly requested that the USS John S. McCain be "out of sight" during Trump's visit to Japan.

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Showdown over Missouri abortion clinic postponed as governor weighs in

Gov. Mike Parson said court intervention in the fight over whether to renew the license of Missouri's lone abortion provider would be "reckless."

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Amit Shah: Modi's enforcer emerges from behind India's throne

As the battle-hardened drill sergeant for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah has long been considered India's second most-powerful person, and his appointment Friday as home minister elevates his position to leader-in-waiting. While Modi is the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party's people person, firing up rallies and mastering Twitter, Shah has for years made sure that Modi's orders are carried out to the letter while turning the world's biggest political party into the undisputed force across the nation of 1.3 billion people. Shah's piercing stare and strongarm tactics have made him a feared and respected figure in the Hindu nationalist party -- opposition parties and critics call him "ruthless" -- a status only increased by his role masterminding the BJP's second straight landslide election victory this month as the party president.

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Man Who Set Himself on Fire Near the White House Dies From Injuries

By ZACH MONTAGUE from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/2XfcZQN

Authorities Subpoena Information on Andrew Gillum’s 2018 Campaign

By STEPHANIE SAUL from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/2WdcYAk

Unhappy With Findings, Agriculture Department Plans to Move Its Economists Out of Town

By ALAN RAPPEPORT and THOMAS KAPLAN from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/2KfayKq

The 2020 Race Is Testing Progressives’ Power. They’re Pushing Back.

By ASTEAD W. HERNDON from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/2KfIuXs

How Impeachment Works and What You Need to Know About It

By CHARLIE SAVAGE and NICHOLAS FANDOS from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/2WxRjSU

5G: EE launches UK's next-generation mobile network

EE switches on its next-generation 5G mobile network with a Stormzy gig.

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5G: Finally, it's here in the UK - so what is it?

A brief guide to what 5G offers today and how it should improve over the years to come.

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Google and Apple criticise GCHQ eavesdropping idea

The tech giants are among 47 organisations to hit out at a plan to look at encrypted messages.

from BBC News - Technology https://bbc.in/2HMnuWB
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Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg to face leadership vote

Some shareholders want Facebook's chairman and chief executive to step down from one of his roles.

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Rory shares his Parkinson's diagnosis

The journalist shared the news after TV viewers noticed a hand tremor during a report on new 5G technology.

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Roblox: 'I thought he was playing an innocent game'

Online multiplayer game Roblox is marketed at children - but there are fears it also being used for grooming.

from BBC News - Technology https://bbc.in/2wrqktt
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UK parking space data offered up to app developers

New standards for data on parking spaces could revolutionise how drivers find and pay for parking.

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Veterans mark code-breaking machine's 75th anniversary

Colossus, the world's first programmable computer, is credited with shortening World War Two.

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Online usage grows, but so do social media concerns - Ofcom study

Most people say the internet improves their lives, but 70% would support tougher social media laws.

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Would you recognise yourself from your data?

Firms make all kind of assumptions about you based on the data they receive.

from BBC News - Technology https://bbc.in/2HHKW78
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'Demo' found written on South Sudan in Google Maps

The word is inexplicably spelled out in territory in the south east of South Sudan.

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Malware-ridden laptop artwork sold for $1.3m

The computer contains six well-known strains of malware and was bought by an anonymous bidder.

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5G put to the test on the street

BBC News puts 5G mobile connectivity to the test on two phones, downloading a podcast.

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Live BBC broadcast over 5G network on launch day fails

The BBC News at One O' Clock tried to broadcast an interview about the 5G network using the new technology but ran into some issues.

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The sea-cooled eco-resort that's nearly mosquito-free

The Brando resort in French Polynesia is close to being carbon neutral and self-sustainable.

from BBC News - Technology https://bbc.in/2Mlrp0V
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Measles Cases Reach Highest Level in More Than 25 Years, C.D.C. Says

By LIAM STACK from NYT Health https://nyti.ms/2EKYIEt

Fighting the Gender Stereotypes That Warp Biomedical Research

By JOANNA KLEIN from NYT Health https://nyti.ms/2WCFcDY

Cross-Border Shooting Clash Gets U.S. Supreme Court Review

The court will hear arguments in the case of Sergio Hernandez, who was shot in 2010 by a U.S. Border Patrol agent standing in Texas. The case is making its second trip to the Supreme Court, which in 2017 avoided an apparent divide with a compromise that kicked the case back to a lower court. Hernandez, 15, was shot while in a culvert whose center is the international border between El Paso, Texas, and Juarez, Mexico.

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The Latest: Tornadoes reported in northeastern Texas

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Latest on the powerful storms battering parts of the U.S. (all times local):

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Illinois House Passes Bill Repealing Partial-Birth-Abortion Ban

The Illinois House on Tuesday passed a bill that would repeal the state's previous partial-birth-abortion ban and require that insurance providers cover contraception and abortion services.The Reproductive Health Act, which passed 64–50, removes virtually all restrictions on late-term abortions and the penalties currently imposed on doctors who perform them. The legislation must now receive majority support in the state Senate before it can be signed into law.The bill's proponents have argued that the legislation codifies existing practice and is necessary in light of the recent passage of restrictive abortion laws in a number of Republican-controlled states, as well as the conservative majority on the Supreme Court, which many pro-choice activists are concerned might overturn Roe v. Wade.“RHA codifies our existing practices and -- and this is critical -- treats abortion care just like any other health care, because it is,” said the bill's sponsor, state representative Kelly Cassidy (D., Chicago). “Make no mistake, it doesn't end here. Since Roe was decided in 1973, our opponents have fought to impede access to care and these efforts have the greatest impact on the most vulnerable population.”Illinois Republican party chairman Tim Schneider said the legislation was reflective of the Democratic party's recent embrace of abortion extremism.“In just a few short years, the Democrat party in Illinois went from advocating ‘safe, legal and rare’ to abortion on-demand, at any time, for any reason, and funded by taxpayers,” he said in a statement. “This is not the typical pro-life vs. pro-choice debate I have been accustomed to in my lifetime. The RHA goes much further.”Six states have passed increased restrictions on abortions in recent weeks.Alabama governor Kay Ivey signed the nation's most restrictive abortion law earlier this month, effectively banning the practice entirely, including in cases of rape and incest. Ivey admitted that the law is likely unenforceable but argued it was important step toward overturning Roe V. Wade via the courts.Georgia governor Brian Kemp also recently signed a law banning abortion after a fetal heartbeat can be detected, which usually occurs around six weeks. And the last remaining abortion clinic in Missouri is about to be shuttered by state authorities who have refused to renew its license as they prepare to implement similarly restrictive legislation.

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Israel to hold unprecedented second election after Netanyahu fails to form a coalition

Israel is heading for an unprecedented second election in less than six months after Benjamin Netanyahu failed to form a coalition before a Wednesday night deadline and instead forced through a bill to dissolve parliament.  Mr Netanyahu won the most votes in April’s election but has spent the last six weeks struggling to convince smaller Right-wing parties to join his coalition and help him form a majority government.  After a series of frantic last-ditch negotiations broke down, a stony-faced Mr Netanyahu returned to parliament shortly before midnight on Wednesday and voted in favour of a bill to hold new elections on September 17.  The bill passed 74-45. Moments after the vote, Mr Netanyahu condemned the new elections as “superfluous, wasteful elections that nobody needs and nobody wants because the people already spoke”. Israel has never before been forced to hold two elections in a single year and the political chaos is a potentially seriously blow to Mr Netanyahu, who managed to win the April elections despite facing criminal corruption charges.  Parliament voted to dissolve itself and hold new elections Credit: ABIR SULTAN/EPA-EFE/REX The prime minister, who has held power for 13 years, had hoped to use his new government to change the law and shield himself from prosecution. Instead, he finds himself fighting an unwanted second election.      The turmoil in Israel is likely to have repercussions on the White House’s Israeli-Palestinian peace plan.  The economic half of the plan is due to be unveiled at a summit in Bahrain next month, while the more controversial political half was expected to be rolled out at a later date. It seems likely the political component will now be delayed or potentially shelved completely.   Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s son-in-law and point man on the peace process, is due to meet with Mr Netanyahu on Thursday.     The Israeli prime minister’s woes centred around Avigdor Lieberman, his mercurial former defence minister who leads the small Yisrael Beiteinu Right-wing party.  Letters from Jerusalem RHS Mr Lieberman, an avowed secularist, said he would only join Mr Netanyahu’s government if the prime minister pledged to move ahead with a law that would increase the numbers of ultra-Orthodox Jewish men conscripted into the Israeli military.  Ultra-Orthodox Jews are currently exempted from military service as long as they can show they are involved in full-time religious studies.  Mr Lieberman’s demands were flatly rejected by the ultra-Orthodox political parties, whom Mr Netanyahu also needed to form a majority government.  The prime minister spent weeks trying to broker a compromise between the two sides but was ultimately unsuccessful, despite an intervention from Donald Trump who said he was hoping for a deal. Mr Lieberman accused the prime minister’s Likud party of caving before the ultra-Orthodox, also known as the haredi.  “The Likud surrendered completely to the haredi,” he said, shortly before the parliamentary vote. Mr Netanyahu blasted Mr Lieberman, saying he was dragging the country to elections “because of his own whims”.

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Yoga instructor recounts 'spiritual' ordeal of survival while lost in Hawaii

Amanda Eller, 35, seated in a wheelchair outside a Maui hospital flanked by her parents, recalled her ordeal at a news conference four days after a helicopter search team found her alive but sun-burned, malnourished and barely able to walk at the bottom of a ravine. Eller, who also works as a physical therapist, was reported missing on May 9, a day after she went for what she thought would be a 3-mile hike in Maui's Makawao Forest Reserve, only to lose her way in the dense jungle.

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Trump, in Japan, attacks Biden and heaps praise on Kim

President Trump wrapped up his trip to Japan by continuing to attack former Vice President Joe Biden for supporting legislation that had a disproportionate impact on African-Americans.

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Michael Wolff’s ‘Draft Indictment’ of Trump Doesn’t Exist, Says Mueller’s Office

Reuters / Brendan McDermidA spokesman for Robert Mueller has emphatically denied a claim from Fire and Fury author Michael Wolff that the special counsel drew up a three-count obstruction-of-justice indictment against Donald Trump before deciding to ditch it.The unverified allegation is made in Wolff’s new book, Siege: Trump Under Fire, which is due to be published next week. It’s the sequel to Fire and Fury, which infuriated the president for its claims about the dysfunctional inner workings of his White House.The Guardian obtained a copy of the new book and reports that Wolff states his findings about Mueller’s supposed draft indictment are “based on internal documents given to me by sources close to the Office of the Special Counsel.” The newspaper writes that it’s seen the documents.However, Peter Carr, a spokesman for Mueller, told The Guardian: “The documents that you’ve described do not exist.”Wolff claims the draft listing the president’s alleged abuses was written under the title “United States of America against Donald J. Trump, Defendant,” and it sat on Mueller’s desk for a year before being discarded.The Guardian reports the first of the three counts charged the president with corruptly influencing, obstructing, or impeding a pending proceeding before a department or agency. The second count is said to have charged the president with tampering with a witness, victim, or informant, while the third allegedly charged Trump with retaliating against a witness.According to Wolff, Mueller’s team drew up both the three-count indictment of Trump as well as a supporting draft memorandum of law opposing any motion from Congress or the White House that sought to dismiss it.The memo quoted by Wolff says: “The Impeachment Judgment Clause, which applies equally to all civil officers including the president… takes for granted… that an officer may be subject to indictment and prosecution before impeachment. If it did not, the clause would be creating, for civil officers, precisely the immunity the Framers rejected.”Wolff writes that Mueller agonized for a long time over whether to charge the president before ultimately deciding he could not move to prosecute a sitting president.Wolff's conclusion reads: “Bob Mueller threw up his hands. Surprisingly, he found himself in agreement with the greater White House: Donald Trump was the president, and, for better or for worse, what you saw was what you got—and what the country voted for.”Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

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Dangerous tornado touches down in Kansas City; severe weather moves east into Missouri

A dangerous tornado touched down on the western edge of Kansas City, Kansas, forcing local residents to take shelter.

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Democrats need to get past impeachment jitters. It's not 1998 and Trump is no Clinton.

If Democrats think Trump committed impeachable acts, launch the process and stop assuming it will be a political loser. That misreads history.

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Democrats toughen qualifying standards for third presidential debate

Seeking to cull its crowded 2020 presidential field, the Democratic Party will make it tougher for candidates to qualify for a third debate scheduled for September. The party will require contenders to meet both a higher polling standard and a larger fundraising target, the Democratic National Committee said on Wednesday. In the first two debates, scheduled for June and July, contenders have to meet just one of the two criteria, leaving open the possibility that as many as 20 of the 24 announced Democratic candidates could be on stage.

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Pence calls on US Supreme Court to take up 'selective' abortion

Vice President Mike Pence on Tuesday waded into the growing debate in the United States about the hot-button issue of abortion, urging the Supreme Court to bar "selective" abortions based on sex, race or potential disability of the fetus. The comments by Pence, a devout Christian who signed anti-abortion bills while serving as governor of Indiana, coincide with moves by Republican-led legislatures in several states to restrict access to the procedure. Opponents of abortion are seeking to eventually challenge the 1973 US Supreme Court ruling in the case of Roe vs Wade, which made abortion legal nationwide.

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Arkansas River communities preparing for historic flood

The US Army Corps of Engineers, city, state, federal officials, residents, among many others coming together to help each other during flooding.

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Serbia places forces on alert after Kosovo police operation in Serb-populated north

At least 19 people were arrested and a Russian U.N. official detained in the operation. Five police and six Serb civilians were wounded in fighting, Kosovan official said. The incidents signaled rising tensions in four Serb-majority municipalities in northern Kosovo, parts of which remain largely outside control of Pristina and pledge allegiance to Belgrade.

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Venezuela talks in Norway must focus on Maduro departure: US

Talks in Norway between Venezuela's government and the US-backed opposition should focus only on President Nicolas Maduro's removal, Washington said Tuesday. "We note the talks in Norway. As we have repeatedly stated, the United States believes the only thing to negotiate with Nicolas Maduro is the conditions of his departure," State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus told reporters.

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Kamala Harris targets abortion bans with ‘Reproductive Rights Act,’ focusing on constitutionality behind restrictions

Kamala Harris has unveiled a new proposal targeting state abortion bans amid a wave of new restrictions being passed across the country. The 2020 presidential hopeful’s “Reproductive Rights Act” would shift the burden from abortion providers to states attempting to pass bans by forcing them to prove the constitutionality behind the restrictive measures. If a state is unable to do so, they will not receive a pre-clearance requirement from the California Democrat’s Justice Department, which would be needed to enact the state’s law, according to a fact sheet provided by the senator’s campaign. The policy leans on an example created by a core special provision of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, known as Section 5, which barred nine states from implementing new voting laws with federal approval due to their discriminatory track records.Ms Harris, a former prosecutor and attorney general of California, said in a statement announcing her new proposal: “A woman’s constitutional right to an abortion is under attack. Today I announced a plan as president to block these dangerous and deadly state laws before they take effect.” She has frequently spoken about women’s rights and reproductive health care access along the campaign trail, saying during an interview last week, “I will always fight for a woman's right to make whatever decision she believes is in the best interest of her and her family and the government should not be in the business of taking those decisions away from women."The policy proposal arrives as states like Alabama, Kentucky, Ohio, Georgia and Mississippi all have passed restrictions against abortions in recent months. The bills have sparked days of nationwide protests and backlash from legal experts, who say the restrictions do not hold constitutional merit. For example, Alabama’s law is arguably the most restrictive in the country, limiting abortion access once a fetal heartbeat can be detected. This typically occurs just six weeks into a pregnancy, at a time when most people are unaware they are with a child. Those restrictions fly in the face of the Supreme Court’s 1973 ruling in Roe v Wade, which determined abortion access was a constitutional right. However, Republican politicians voting for the abortion bans fully acknowledge the end game with passing legally ambiguous bills: to challenge that exact decision and have the Supreme Court review the constitutionality of abortions once again. "Many Americans, myself included, disagreed when Roe v Wade was handed down in 1973,” Alabama Governor Kay Ivey said in a statement when signing the new law. “The sponsors of this bill believe that it is time, once again, for the US Supreme Court to revisit this important matter, and they believe this act may bring about the best opportunity for this to occur.”The Reproductive Rights Act is just one of several policy proposals Ms Harris has launched in recent weeks ahead of the first Democratic presidential primaries. The senator has also unveiled an equal pay policy that would force companies to reveal their gaps in wages among different genders — and face major fines for not paying employees equally — as well as a federal investment in teacher’s wages.

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Israel to hold election rerun after coalition deadlock

Israel's parliament voted early Thursday to hold new elections only months after April polls in an unprecedented move provoked by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's attempts to remain in power despite failing to form a coalition. The vote was prompted by Netanyahu's failure to reach a coalition deal even though his Likud party, along with its right-wing and religious allies, won a majority of 65 of 120 seats in the April 9 elections. In a matter of weeks, Netanyahu has shifted from victory celebrations to tense, behind-the-scenes efforts to ensure his long tenure in power continues, eventually opting for new elections.

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The Latest: Iran's Guard says it doesn't fear war with US

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The Latest on developments in the Persian Gulf region and elsewhere in the Mideast amid heightened tensions between the U.S. and Iran (all times local):

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When it comes to abortion, conservative women aren't a monolith

Nearly one in four women in the USA will have an abortion by age 45 – obviously, not all of them share the same political views.

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Supreme Court avoids abortion question, upholds fetal burial measure

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday sent a mixed message on abortion, refusing to consider reinstating Indiana's ban on abortions performed because of fetal disability or the sex or race of the fetus while upholding the state's requirement that fetal remains be buried or cremated after the procedure is done. Both provisions were part of a Republican-backed 2016 law signed by Vice President Mike Pence when he was Indiana's governor. The action by the justices comes at a time when numerous Republican-governed states including Alabama are approving restrictive abortion laws that the Supreme Court may be called upon to rule on in the future.

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Mueller speaks: Today's Toon

Want to keep up with USA TODAY's editorial cartoons? Bookmark this page. We'll update it frequently.

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