ObamaCare replacement bill approved in House
In Other News:
Year later, charge dropped against Flint water official
ATLANTA (AP) — “A federal inmate and his fiancée ran an “inmate taxi service,” ferrying inmates to restaurants, hotels and homes and returning them to the prison, authorities said Thursday.
The pair charged a fee to transport inmates who were able to easily escape through holes in a fence at the U.S. Penitentiary in Atlanta, and many of the inmates returned with contraband items, including booze and cigarettes, prosecutors said.” More here. PROSECUTORS: ‘INMATE TAXI SERVICE’ LET PRISONERS COME AND GO
Arkansas levees breach, 500 evacuated
ACLU and others ready lawsuits on Trump’s religious exemption order
California Must Provide Trans Prisoners With Compression Underwear
World News:
Russian bombers, fighter jets fly near Alaska, prompting Air Force escort
North Korea threat: Pyongyang directly criticizes China in rare move
North Korea denounces China, claims it has ‘protected’ Beijing
TILLERSON MEETS SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS, BUT FOCUS IS NKOREA
French Police Defy Their Unions to Vote For Le Pen
French Presidential Candidate Le Pen Egged While on Campaign Trail
May 4 (UPI) — Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, “a former Afghan warlord, has returned to Kabul after being ousted more than 20 years ago as part of a peace agreement with the government. Hekmatyar on Thursday traveled to Kabul from Jalalabad in a convoy made up of members of his Hezb-i-Islami group that was guarded by an Afghan army helicopter.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani welcomed Hekmatyar at the presidential palace, where he thanked him for “heeding the peace call.”
“I call upon all armed opposition groups to follow in the footsteps of Hezb-e Islami and join the peace process,” Ghani said. “Let me ask the Taliban. What agenda and goal do you have other than killing innocent people? What have you achieved?” More here. Former Afghan warlord ‘Butcher of Kabul’ returns to capital
Iraqi forces launch offensive in west Mosul from north
BAGHDAD (AP) — “Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi is in talks with the Trump administration to keep American troops in Iraq after the fight against the Islamic State group in the country is concluded, according to a U.S. official and an official from the Iraqi government.
Both officials underlined that the discussions are ongoing and that nothing is finalized. But the talks point to a consensus by both governments that, in contrast to the U.S. withdrawal in 2011, a longer-term presence of American troops in Iraq is needed to ensure that an insurgency does not bubble up again once the militants are driven out.
“There is a general understanding on both sides that it would be in the long-term interests of each to have that continued presence. So as for agreement, yes, we both understand it would be mutually beneficial. That we agree on,” the U.S. official said.” More here. Iraq, US in talks to keep American troop presence after IS
Venezuelan Crisis: Video Emerges of Demonstrators Skirmishing With Security Forces
President Trump:
Trump signs order to ease ban on political activity by churches
Trump calls out Rice for refusal to testify to Congress
Trump will travel to Middle East in first trip abroad
Economy:
Apple to invest $1B in ‘manufacturing fund’ to create U.S. jobs
Obama:
WATCH | “The Obama administration distributed thousands of intelligence reports with the unredacted names of U.S. residents during the 2016 election.
During his final year in office, President Obama’s team significantly expanded efforts to search National Security Agency intercepts for information about Americans, distributing thousands of intelligence reports across government with the unredacted names of U.S. residents during the midst of a divisive 2016 presidential election.” More here. President Obama’s team sought NSA intel on thousands of Americans during the 2016 election
Immigration:
“A new report out of the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General’s Office stated that a broken and ineffective set of electronic systems are hampering efforts by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to track people who have overstayed their visas.” More here. Technology is hampering ICE’s ability to track people overstaying their visas
ICE removes Honduran man wanted for murder
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