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AP News in Brief at 11:04 p.m. EDT

Original Publication Date May 25, 2019 - 9:06 PM

Overturning Roe v. Wade wouldn't turn back the clock to 1973

A wave of state abortion bans has set off speculation: What would happen if Roe v. Wade, the ruling establishing abortion rights nationwide, were overturned?

Although far from a certainty, even with increased conservative clout on the Supreme Court, a reversal of Roe would mean abortion policy would revert to the states, and many would be eager to impose bans.

What would not happen is a full-fledged turning back of the clock to 1973.

Women now have far more methods to avoid unwanted pregnancies, as well as safer, easier options for abortion. Many abortions are induced at home with a two-drug combination, and advocacy groups are spreading the word about home abortions using one of the drugs that can be done without a medical professional's involvement.

"I don't think you can put all those different genies back in the bottle," said medical historian Andrea Tone at McGill University in Montreal. "Women are in charge of their procreative destiny. I don't think women will put up with the absence of privacy and discretion that birth control and abortion provide."

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Trump is first head of state to meet Japan's new emperor

TOKYO (AP) — Under a blazing hot sun at Japan's Imperial Palace, President Donald Trump on Monday became the first world leader to meet the new emperor of Japan.

The president, who is on a four-day state visit, was the centre of attention at a grand outdoor welcome ceremony where he took a solo walk down red carpets, reviewing Japanese troops as the guest of honour. The pomp and pageantry then gave way to meetings with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe about trade and other world issues.

Trump's "state call" opened with handshakes and greetings from Naruhito, who ascended to the throne on May 1, and his wife, Empress Masako.

As he approached the emperor, Trump said, "How are you? Thank you very much." The first lady told the empress, "Nice to meet you."

After exchanging pleasantries inside the palace, the couples emerged and walked to a raised platform as the national anthems of both countries were played.

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Europe-wide vote fragments centre as far right, Greens gain

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union's traditional centre splintered in the hardest-fought European Parliament elections in decades, with the far right and pro-environment Greens gaining ground on Sunday after four days of a polarized vote.

Turnout was at a two-decade high over the balloting across the 28 European Union countries. The elections were seen as a test of the influence of the nationalist, populist and hard-right movements that have swept the continent in recent years and impelled Britain to quit the EU altogether. Both supporters of closer European unity and those who consider the EU a meddlesome and bureaucratic presence portrayed the vote as crucial for the future of the bloc.

In Britain , voters went for the extremes, with the strongest showing for Nigel Farage's the newly formed Brexit party and a surge for the staunchly pro-European Liberal Democrats, versus a near wipeout for Conservatives. In France, an electorate that voted Emmanuel Macron into presidential office in 2017 did an about-face and the party of his defeated opponent, Marine Le Pen, drew into first place. In Germany , Chancellor Angela Merkel's ruling coalition saw a drastic loss in support to the Greens and, to a lesser extent, the far right. Italy's League party, led by Matteo Salvini, claimed 32% of the vote in early projections, compared with around 6% five years ago.

"Not only is the League the first party in Italy, but Marine Le Pen is first in France, Nigel Farage is first in Great Britain. Therefore, Italy, France and England: the sign of a Europe that is changing, that is fed up," Salvini said.

Despite gains, the vote was hardly the watershed anticipated by Europe's far-right populists, who have vowed to dilute the European Union from within in favour of national sovereignty. Pro-EU parties still were expected to win about two-thirds of the 751-seat legislature that sits in Brussels and Strasbourg, according to the projections released by the parliament and based on the results rolling in overnight.

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Tornadoes rake 2 Oklahoma cities, killing 2 and injuring 29

EL RENO, Okla. (AP) — A tornado levelled a motel and tore through a mobile home park near Oklahoma City overnight, killing two people and injuring at least 29 others before a second twister raked a suburb of Tulsa more than 100 miles (160 kilometres) away, authorities said Sunday.

The first tornado touched down in El Reno, about 25 miles (40 kilometres) west of Oklahoma City, late Saturday night. It crossed an interstate and walloped the American Budget Value Inn before ripping through the Skyview Estates trailer park, flipping and levelling homes, Mayor Matt White said at a news conference.

"It's a tragic scene out there," White said, adding later that, "People have absolutely lost everything." He said the city established a GoFundMe site, the City of El Reno Tornado Relief Fund, for affected families. Several other businesses were also damaged, though not to the same extent as the motel.

The two people who were killed were in the mobile home park, White said. He did not provide additional details about them. The 29 people who were injured were taken to hospitals, where some were undergoing surgery. Some of the injuries were deemed critical, he said.

The National Weather Service gave the tornado an EF3 rating, meaning it had wind speeds of 136-165 mph (219-266 kph). Personnel who investigated the damage said the tornado began around 10:28 p.m. Saturday and lasted for four minutes. The tornado was about 75 yards wide at its widest point and was on the ground for 2.2 miles (3.5 kilometres).

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Impeach Trump? Most 2020 Democrats tiptoe past the question

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic leaders in Congress have argued that impeaching President Donald Trump is a political mistake as the 2020 election nears. Most of the candidates running to succeed him seem to agree, for now.

Fewer than one-third of the 23 Democrats vying for the nomination are issuing calls to start the impeachment process, citing evidence in special counsel Robert Mueller's report they believe shows Trump obstructed justice . Most others, including leading contenders Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders, have found a way to hedge or search for middle ground, supporting investigations that could lead to impeachment or saying Trump's conduct warrants impeachment but stopping short of any call for such a proceeding.

The candidates' reluctance, even as more congressional Democrats start pushing their leaders in the direction, underscores the risky politics of investigating the president for "high crimes and misdemeanours." Impeachment matters deeply to the party's base but remains unpopular with most Americans.

White House hopefuls may win praise from liberal activists by pressing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., for an impeachment inquiry, but those who fall short of insisting are unlikely to take heat from early-state primary voters more focused on other issues.

"People talk about it and people have opinions about it, but health care is much more salient to them," Sue Dvorsky, a former head of the Iowa Democratic Party, said in an interview. "I just don't see Democratic activists here all worked up about impeachment. They trust Pelosi."

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Bart Starr, QB who led Packers to greatness, dies at 85

Bart Starr was an ordinary quarterback until teaming with Vince Lombardi on the powerhouse Green Bay Packers teams that ruled the 1960s and ushered in the NFL as America's most popular sport.

The quarterback's graceful throws helped turn a run-heavy league into a passing spectacle, yet it's a run for which he's most famous: the sneak that won the famed "Ice Bowl" in 1967.

Starr died Sunday at age 85 in Birmingham, Alabama, the Packers said. He had been in failing health since suffering two strokes and a heart attack in 2014.

Starr is the third of Lombardi's dozen Hall of Famers to die in the past eight months. Fullback Jim Taylor died in October and offensive tackle Forrest Gregg died last month.

"A champion on and off the field, Bart epitomized class and was beloved by generations of Packers fans," Packers President Mark Murphy said in a statement. "A clutch player who led his team to five NFL titles, Bart could still fill Lambeau Field with electricity decades later during his many visits."

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Magnitude 8 earthquake strikes Amazon jungle in Peru

LIMA, Peru (AP) — A powerful magnitude 8.0 earthquake struck a remote part of the Amazon jungle in Peru early Sunday, collapsing buildings and knocking out power to some areas but causing only one reported death.

The quake struck at 2:41 a.m. and was centred in a vast nature preserve 57 miles (92 kilometres) east of the small town of Yurimaguas. Helping limit damage was the earthquake's depth, at 70 miles (114 kilometres) below the surface, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Earthquakes that are close to the surface generally cause more destruction.

President Martín Vizcarra called for calm before travelling to the zone with members of his cabinet to survey the damage. He said first reports indicate a bridge had collapsed and several homes and roads had been affected.

"It's a quake that was felt throughout the Peruvian jungle," said Vizcarra, who was scheduled to host a regional summit Sunday in the capital with the presidents of Bolivia, Colombia and Ecuador.

Ricardo Seijas, chief of the National Emergency Operations Center, said one person died when a rock fell on a house in the Huarango district.

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Israeli president shocked by German skullcap warning

BERLIN (AP) — Israel's president said Sunday he is shocked by a German official's comment that he wouldn't advise Jews to wear skullcaps in parts of the country, which is drawing mixed reactions at home.

Felix Klein, the government's anti-Semitism commissioner, was quoted Saturday as saying: "I cannot recommend to Jews that they wear the skullcap at all times everywhere in Germany." He didn't elaborate on what places and times might be risky.

"The statement of the German government's anti-Semitism commissioner that it would be preferable for Jews not wear a kippa in Germany out of fear for their safety, shocked me deeply," Israeli President Reuven Rivlin said in a statement.

He added that "we will never submit, will never lower our gaze and will never react to anti-Semitism with defeatism — and expect and demand our allies act in the same way."

Government statistics released earlier this month showed that the number of anti-Semitic and anti-foreigner incidents rose in Germany last year, despite an overall drop in politically motivated crimes.

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137-year-old Winchester rifle found in Nevada has new home

BAKER, Nev. (AP) — A 137-year-old rifle found five years ago leaning against a juniper tree in Great Basin National Park in Nevada is now part of an exhibit dedicated to the "Forgotten Winchester" at the park visitor centre near the Utah border.

The weathered Winchester Model 1873 is in a case designed to capture the way it looked when park archaeologist Eva Jensen stumbled across it on a rocky outcrop above Strawberry Creek during an archaeological survey.

Based on its condition, experts believe the weapon might have been abandoned in the forest more than a century ago.

But nearly five years after its discovery, park officials still don't know who it belonged to or why it was left against the tree. No sales or ownership records have been found

The serial number was visible, allowing experts at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming, to determine it was made in 1882.

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Discipline or treatment? Schools rethinking vaping response

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A glimpse of student athletes in peak physical condition vaping just moments after competing in a football game led Stamford High School Principal Raymond Manka to reconsider his approach to the epidemic.

His school traditionally has emphasized discipline for those caught with e-cigarettes. Punishments become increasingly severe with each offence, from in-school suspensions to out-of-school suspensions and, eventually, notification of law enforcement.

But Manka began thinking about it more as an addiction problem, and less of a behaviour issue, after seeing the two players from another school vaping near their bus. "It broke my heart," said Manka, whose school is now exploring how to offer cessation programs for students caught vaping or with vaping paraphernalia.

"We've got to figure out how we can help these kids wean away from bad habits that might hurt their body or their mind or otherwise create behaviours that can create habits that will be harmful for the remainder of their lives," he said.

Schools elsewhere have been wrestling with how to balance discipline with prevention and treatment in their response to the soaring numbers of vaping students.

News from © The Associated Press, 2019
The Associated Press

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