CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The regional bureau of The Associated Press, shares 10 things you need to know Thursday, June 27, 2019. Look for full stories on these late-breaking news items and much more in West Virginia newspapers.
1. Democratic candidates debate immigration, health care
Ten Democratic presidential candidates clashed in the first night of debates among the party’s 2020 presidential candidates, highlighting differences on immigration, Medicare-for-all, climate change, and economic inequality. The lineup included Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), former Rep. Beto O’Rourke, and Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.). Several candidates broke into Spanish while discussing the humanitarian crisis at the southern border. Warren, the only candidate on stage polling in double digits, backed abolishing private health insurance. Candidates largely agreed on major issues and goals, but diverged on details. Former Housing Secretary Julián Castro and O’Rourke clashed over immigration policy, and candidates gave a range of answers when asked about the biggest geopolitical threat. Another 10 candidates will debate Thursday. [The Washington Post, CNN]
2. Senate approves $4.6 billion for emergency border spending
The Republican-led Senate on Wednesday passed a $4.6 billion bill on addressing a wave of migrants trying to cross the southern border. The legislation clashes with the version already approved by the Democrat-led House. The House vote followed party lines, while the Senate version had bipartisan support and passed 84-8. Senators intensified pressure to get money to agencies handling the humanitarian crisis, making reference to a widely circulated photo of the bodies of a Salvadoran man and his daughter who drowned trying to cross the Rio Grande into the U.S. after they could not get to a border crossing to request asylum. The House and Senate bills would provide roughly the same amount of money, but the House bill puts tighter restrictions on how the Trump administration can spend the funds. [CNN, The Washington Post]
3. Trump heads to G-20 summit to discuss trade and other key issues
President Trump is off to join other world leaders at the Group of 20 summit in Osaka, Japan, where tense negotiations are expected on trade disputes, Iran, and other global issues. Trump will meet one-on-one with eight leaders on the sidelines of the summit, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. “We’re going to be meeting with a lot of people from different countries — many of whom have been taking advantage of the United States, but not so much anymore,” Trump said Wednesday as he boarded Marine One to start the trip. “In fact, not at all anymore.” Trump and Xi are aiming to pave the way for getting past sticking points in collapsed negotiations to end their trade war. [The Associated Press, The Washington Post]
4. House panel approves subpoena for Kellyanne Conway
The House Oversight Committee voted Wednesday to subpoena White House counselor Kellyanne Conway to testify about her alleged Hatch Act violations after she refused to comply with a request to show up voluntarily. The panel voted 25-16 to subpoena Conway, as Democrats had threatened to do if she skipped its hearing. The Office of Special Counsel, a federal watchdog, recommended Conway be fired for “repeatedly” violating the Hatch Act, which limits the political speech White House officials can engage in as part of their official duties. Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.), who has called for impeaching President Trump, voted with Democrats to authorize the subpoena. The White House had directed Conway not to testify before the House panel. Conway says she never violated the Hatch Act. [CNN]
5. North Korea, U.S. discussing possible 3rd denuclearization summit
North Korea and the Trump administration are engaging in “behind-the-scenes talks” to plan a third denuclearization summit between President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Wednesday. The two sides have held no public meetings since the failed second summit between Trump and Kim held in Vietnam in February. Moon didn’t say who participated in the new discussions, or whether they were face-to-face. “Complete denuclearization and a permanent peace regime on the peninsula are tasks that cannot be achieved overnight,” Moon wrote in response to questions from seven news organizations. Trump is traveling to Japan Thursday for a G-20 summit, before heading to South Korea to meet with Moon. [The Associated Press]
6. U.S. asylum officers ask court to block Trump’s ‘Remain in Mexico’ policy
A union representing U.S. asylum officers on Wednesday asked the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to block President Trump’s “Remain in Mexico” asylum policy. The group argued in a friend-of-the-court brief that making asylum-seekers stay in Mexico while awaiting their immigration hearing puts them in mortal danger. The asylum officers also said the policy is unnecessary, and “fundamentally contrary to the moral fabric of our nation and our international and domestic legal obligations.” A lower court put the policy on hold in April, saying it is probably illegal, but the appellate court allowed it to continue during litigation. Trump and Mexico expanded the policy earlier this month. [The Washington Post, Axios]
7. NRA severs ties with longtime PR firm
The National Rifle Association’s infighting burst further into public view on Wednesday when the powerful gun-rights lobbying group ended its relationship with its longtime public relations firm, Ackerman McQueen, and halted operation of its online TV station. The events came a week after the group placed Chris Cox, who was executive director of the NRA’s lobbying arm, on administrative leave. Cox was once thought likely to succeed NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre, but he fell out of favor after the group accused him of being involved in an attempt to force out LaPierre. Cox called the allegation “offensive and patently false,” and has now submitted his resignation. [The Associated Press]
8. FAA finds new flaw in Boeing 737 Max jets
The Federal Aviation Administration said in a tweet Wednesday that it had found a new flaw in Boeing’s grounded 737 Max jets that could delay the return of the once top-selling planes to the air. The FAA said it discovered the “potential risk” in simulator tests. The regulator did not provide further specifics but said “Boeing must mitigate” the problem. The FAA previously said it could approve by late June changes Boeing made to fix problems suspected of contributing to two fatal crashes in recent months. Airlines once hoped they would be able to return the Boeing 737 Max airliners to service this summer, but the date has been pushed back to later in the year. [BBC News]
9. USC gynecologist charged with sexually assaulting 16 women
A former University of Southern California gynecologist, Dr. George Tyndall, was arrested and charged Wednesday with sexually assaulting 16 women who were patients at the school’s student health center. The 29 felony counts were the first criminal charges in the case, although USC already has offered to pay $215 million to settle thousands of civil claims. Tyndall, 72, worked at USC for nearly three decades. One of his accusers, Daniella Mohazab, called the filing of charges “a huge step in moving forward.” Tyndall has denied doing anything wrong. His lawyers say he never did anything inappropriate to his patients. “We’re going to be able to punch some serious holes in all these allegations,” said Andrew Flier, one of Tyndall’s attorneys. [The Associated Press]
10. Southern California woman, 21, killed by sharks in Bahamas
An American woman, 21-year-old Jordan Lindsay, was killed Wednesday in a shark attack in the Bahamas, a spokesperson for the Royal Bahamas Police Force said. Lindsay, a communications student at Loyola Marymount University, was attacked by three sharks while snorkeling on an expedition to swim with wild pigs with her family near Rose Island. Deputy Commissioner Paul Rolle said Lindsay’s family spotted the sharks and shouted warnings to no avail. The Torrance, California, woman was pulled from the water and rushed to a hospital in nearby Nassau, where she was pronounced dead. She was the only victim in the attack, and the first person killed by sharks in the Bahamas in more than a decade. [CNN, Daily Mail]