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Attorney general pores over Russia report, details may come Sunday

WASHINGTON/WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (Reuters) - U.S. Attorney General William Barr pored over a special counsel report into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Moscow, and was due to release key findings perhaps as early as Sunday. Barr, the top U.S. law enforcement official, aimed to transmit to Congress and the public a summary of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report by the end of the weekend. There appeared to be initial good news for President Donald Trump and his inner circle, as Mueller did not bring any new indictments when handing over his report to Barr on Friday after a probe of almost two years.

Flooding impairs drinking water treatment for Kansas City, Missouri

The public health advisory came as utility crews struggled to replace broken pumps at a wastewater treatment plant submerged by floodwaters about 30 miles upstream in Leavenworth, Kansas, a town of 35,000 on the river's west bank. It was expected to reach Kansas City on Sunday. The KC Water utility, which serves 170,000 mostly residential customers in Kansas City, Missouri, with water drawn from the river, said it had failed to meet "enhanced treatment technique standards." Testing showed excessive levels of turbidity, the presence of fine particles in the water that can carry bacteria, viruses and parasites including Cryptosporidium, which can cause diarrhea.

Houston petrochemical disaster stretches to sixth day, impacting key port

Fallout from a petrochemical fire outside Houston continued for a sixth day on Saturday, with emergency workers struggling to remove volatile fuels from exposed tanks and ship traffic disrupted on the nation's busiest oil port. A fire that burned for three days broke out last Sunday at Mitsui & Co's Intercontinental Terminals Co site in Deer Park, Texas. On Friday, flames again erupted for an hour and halted efforts to remove volatile fuels that leaked when a containment wall breached.

Explainer: Why Trump's legal woes go beyond the Mueller report

Other ongoing investigations and litigation are focusing on issues including his businesses and financial dealings, personal conduct, charitable foundation and inaugural committee. The special counsel on Friday submitted his confidential report on the investigation to U.S. Attorney General William Barr, who must decide on how much of it to make public. The U.S. Justice Department has a decades-old policy that a sitting president cannot face criminal charges, so such a case against Trump would be unlikely while he is in office even if there were evidence of wrongdoing.

Under heavy fire from Trump, Mueller soldiered on in Russia probe

In this rare public appearance in May 2017, Mueller did not bring up President Donald Trump or the investigation, but offered a clear message stressing the importance of honesty and integrity. "You could be smart, aggressive, articulate, indeed persuasive, but if you are not honest, your reputation will suffer," Mueller said. The saying goes: If you have integrity, nothing else matters, and if you do not have integrity, nothing else matters." On Friday, Mueller handed in the long-awaited report on his investigation.

Factbox: Who did not face charges in Mueller's probe?

U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller on Friday appeared to end his probe without bringing criminal charges against several individuals he had investigated, including advisers and family members of President Donald Trump accused by Democratic lawmakers of not fully disclosing contacts with Russians. Mueller handed in a confidential report on his investigation into Russia’s role in the 2016 presidential election to U.S. Attorney General William Barr, who will decide how much of it to make public. Trump has repeatedly called Mueller’s investigation a "witch hunt" and denies any collusion with Russia.

Factbox: Smoke or fire? Contacts between Trump campaign and Russia

Trump and Moscow have denied any collusion. Mueller handed in the keenly awaited report on his probe, the Justice Department said on Friday. U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded Russia interfered in the presidential election with a campaign of hacking and propaganda to sow discord in the United States and damage the Republican Trump's Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton.

Immigrant portraits in New York art show face down Trump

Immigrant faces captured in life-sized portraits by artist Betsy Ashton look the viewer straight in the eye, as if eager to tell their stories of leaving home to brave new struggles in a strange land. Ashton said she created the oil paintings to counter what she calls a false political narrative spun by the Trump administration. "I simply decided it was time to balance the story, time to try to counter this inflammatory rage that's being whipped up against a group of people that don't deserve it," Ashton said.

High times in Beverly Hills, with pot delivery and a Gucci ashtray

High-end department store Barneys New York has given the marijuana lifestyle the luxury treatment, launching a range of pot-themed products this week in the latest sign a drug once associated with bohemians and deadbeats is moving up the social ladder. Customers at the upscale retailer's Beverly Hills store on Friday perused a new section with hand-blown glass bongs, Gucci ashtrays, jewelry inscribed with the words "Lighten Up" and cosmetics labeled as containing cannabidiol, a non-high inducing part of the cannabis plant. Marijuana remains banned by federal law, although California is one of 10 U.S. states that has legalized the drug for recreational use.

Mueller submits Trump-Russia report, lawmakers urge quick release

Marking the end of his nearly two-year investigation that ensnared former Trump aides and Russian intelligence officers and cast a cloud over the Republican businessman's presidency, Mueller submitted the report to Attorney General William Barr, the Justice Department said. Mueller did not recommend any further indictments, a senior Justice Department official said, in a sign that there might be no more criminal charges against Trump associates arising from the investigation.

Texas petrochemical fire prompts hundreds to visit health clinic

Hundreds of neighborhood residents of a petrochemical plant that burned for three days and briefly emitted cancer-causing benzene into the air brought their coughs, headaches and other symptoms to a mobile clinic on Friday set up by local health officials. While some of the symptoms people complained of are consistent with exposure to chemicals, health officials said they treated a wide variety of ailments, including the anxiety that comes with living near an industrial accident. "The community is literally right next door to the plant," said Les Becker, director of operations for Harris County Public Health, at the clinic which was set up near the site of the blaze.

Mueller submits Trump-Russia report, clamor grows for its quick release

Marking the end of his nearly two-year investigation that ensnared former Trump aides and Russian intelligence officers and cast a cloud over the Republican businessman's presidency, Mueller submitted the report to Attorney General William Barr, the Justice Department said. It was not known if Mueller found criminal conduct by Trump or his campaign, beyond the charges already leveled against several aides. In all, Mueller brought charges against 34 people and three companies.

FEMA error exposes 2.3 million disaster survivors to fraud: watchdog

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General (OIG) said FEMA had shared financial records and other sensitive information of people who had participated in an emergency shelter program after being displaced by hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria and the California wildfires in 2017. The Inspector General's office said FEMA had shared participants' home addresses and bank account information with the contractor, along with necessary information like their names and birthdates. In a statement released on Friday, FEMA spokeswoman Lizzie Litzow said the agency had found no indication to suggest survivor data had been "compromised." She said the agency has removed unnecessary information from the contractor's computer systems.

Explainer: Why Trump's legal woes go beyond the Mueller report

Other ongoing investigations and litigation are focusing on issues including his businesses and financial dealings, personal conduct, charitable foundation and inaugural committee. The special counsel on Friday submitted his confidential report on the investigation to U.S. Attorney General William Barr, who must decide on how much of it to make public. The U.S. Justice Department has a decades-old policy that a sitting president cannot face criminal charges, so such a case against Trump would be unlikely while he is in office even if there were evidence of wrongdoing.

Missouri River flooding forces evacuation of 7,500 from waterfront city

Record floodwaters that submerged vast stretches of Nebraska and Iowa farmland along America's longest river reached a new crest on Friday at the waterfront city of St. Joseph, Missouri, forcing chaotic evacuations of thousands from low-lying areas. With emergency sirens blaring as the Missouri River rose to the top of the three-story-high levee wall in St. Joseph, about 55 miles (88 km) north of Kansas City, Missouri, sheriff's deputies rushed door-to-door urging residents to flee to higher ground.

Houston petrochemical fire put out after it re-ignites, had added to shipping woes

A petrochemical fire was quickly put out after it had re-ignited Friday at a fuel storage facility outside Houston, which had compounded the danger from a containment wall breach earlier in the day that spilled chemicals and halted ship traffic in the nation's busiest oil port. The fire in multiple giant tanks of fuel at Mitsui & Co.'s Intercontinental Terminals facility in Deer Park, Texas, was put out by emergency workers at the scene about an hour after it began. Hundreds of people showed up Friday to be checked at a medical clinic in Deer Park after air monitors a day earlier showed a spike in benzene, a cancer-causing chemical contained in the tanks of gasoline.

Under heavy fire from Trump, Mueller soldiered on in Russia probe

In this rare public appearance in May 2017, Mueller did not bring up President Donald Trump or the investigation, but offered a clear message stressing the importance of honesty and integrity. "You could be smart, aggressive, articulate, indeed persuasive, but if you are not honest, your reputation will suffer," Mueller said. The saying goes: If you have integrity, nothing else matters, and if you do not have integrity, nothing else matters." On Friday, Mueller handed in the long-awaited report on his investigation.

Timeline: Big moments in Mueller investigation of Russian meddling in 2016 U.S. election

Here is a timeline of significant developments in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russia's role in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and whether President Donald Trump's campaign conspired with Moscow. 2017 May 17 - U.S. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appoints former FBI Director Mueller as a special counsel to investigate Russian meddling in the 2016 election and to look into any links and/or coordination between the Russian government and people associated with Republican Trump's campaign.

Factbox: Smoke or fire? Contacts between Trump campaign and Russia

Trump and Moscow have denied any collusion. Mueller handed in the keenly awaited report on his probe, the Justice Department said on Friday. U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded Russia interfered in the presidential election with a campaign of hacking and propaganda to sow discord in the United States and damage the Republican Trump's Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton.

U.S. asylum seekers returned to Mexico despite fear claims under policy challenged in court

SAN FRANCISCO/TIJUANA (Reuters) - Two people from Central America seeking asylum in the United States were sent back across the border to Mexico on Thursday, despite their claims that a return to Mexico was too dangerous, as part of the first test of a controversial new Trump administration policy. The returns came as a U.S. federal judge in San Francisco on Friday heard legal arguments on whether or not to halt the policy, known as the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), which was rolled out in late January. The major policy shift is based on a decades-old law that says migrants who enter from a contiguous country can be returned there to wait as their deportation cases move forward.

Citizenship question on U.S. Census would cause Hispanic undercount by millions: study

The study by the Harvard Kennedy School's Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy is the first to assess the impact of the proposed question since U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross announced plans last year to reinstate it for the first time in more than half a century. The study found the question could lead to census-takers missing between 3.9 million and 4.6 million Hispanics nationwide - or between 7.7 percent and 9.1 percent of the Hispanic population recorded in the last U.S. census, in 2010. Demographers, data experts and even Census Bureau officials have said the question risks frightening immigrants into abstaining from the count in a climate of stepped-up immigration enforcement.

U.S. judge recommends Manafort serve sentence in Maryland prison

The U.S. judge overseeing former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort's trial in Washington recommended on Friday that his sentence be served at a prison in Cumberland, Maryland. Earlier this month, Manafort was sentenced to a total of 7-1/2 years behind bars for witness tampering, tax and bank fraud, and other crimes. The U.S. Bureau of Prisons will ultimately decide where Manafort will spend his sentence and the agency does not have to follow Judge Amy Berman Jackson's recommendation.

U.S. adds criminal charges against ex-Autonomy CEO Lynch

Lynch faces a new charge of securities fraud, which carries a maximum prison term of 25 years, as well as additional charges of wire fraud and conspiracy in the 17-count indictment filed with the federal court in San Francisco. The charges were revealed ahead of Monday's scheduled start of a $5 billion civil fraud trial in London's High Court, where HP is accusing Lynch and former Autonomy Chief Financial Officer Sushovan Hussain of involvement in accounting irregularities that caused it to overpay for the company. The wire fraud and conspiracy charges were also added against Lynch's co-defendant Stephen Chamberlain, a former Autonomy vice president of finance.

Trump: 'I know nothing' about Kushner's WhatsApp messaging

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday said he knew nothing about son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner's use of the WhatsApp encrypted messaging tool, a day after a top Democratic congressman pressed the White House for information on the issue. Elijah Cummings, chairman of the House of Representatives Oversight Committee, on Thursday asked the White House about Kushner's use of the Facebook Inc-owned messaging application as part of his government work. In a letter to the White House, seen by Reuters, Cummings said Kushner's lawyer Abbe Lowell had told lawmakers that Kushner used WhatsApp for official duties, a move that would violate current law prohibiting White House officials from using non-official electronic messaging accounts.

Teen arrested over racist threat that closed Charlottesville schools

City leaders have worked to ease racial tensions in the city since a white nationalist rally in August 2017 descended into violence, with a white nationalist killing a counter-protester and injuring others after he drove into a crowd. The threat against Charlottesville High School was reported to the police on Wednesday afternoon, according to the police department. According to U.S Census Bureau data, African Americans make up around 19 percent of Charlottesville's population of nearly 50,000 people.

UCLA soccer coach charged in admissions fraud scandal resigns

The University of California, Los Angeles' men's soccer coach, Jorge Salcedo, who is among those charged in the biggest college admissions fraud scheme ever uncovered in the United States, resigned his post on Thursday, school officials said. Salcedo was one of nine current or former college coaches, as well as an associate athletic director, who were charged by federal prosecutors in Boston on March 12 in connection with the fraud scheme that has captured national attention. University officials confirmed Salcedo's resignation to Reuters on Friday, and said that they had no additional comment.

GM confirms plans to build new EV, invest $300 million in Michigan plant

The largest U.S. automaker has come under heavy criticism from President Donald Trump in recent days over its decision to end production at its Lordstown, Ohio, assembly plant earlier this month. GM officials said the announcement was planned well before Trump's series of angry GM tweets that started on Saturday. Trump called GM CEO Mary Barra on Sunday to urge her to reverse the decision to end production at the Ohio plant, which is in a crucial state for the 2020 presidential election.

Engineering elections? U.S. top court examines electoral map manipulation

Thanks to partisan gerrymandering - a practice the Supreme Court will examine on Tuesday in two cases that could impact American politics for decades - that is no longer the case. A U.S. House of Representatives district that once covered heavily Democratic Greensboro was reconfigured in 2016, with the voters in the city of 290,000 people inserted into two other districts spanning rural areas with reliable Republican majorities. In adopting the electoral map, the legislature partitioned the campus of North Carolina A&T State University, the nation's largest historically black public college, into two separate districts.

Democrats push financial inclusion as 2020 election race heats up

Following the 2008 financial crisis, many banks pulled back from their poorest customers. The shift has had lasting costs for millions of Americans now struggling to access mainstream financial services such as checking accounts and credit cards. The three Democrats, along with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, have advocated for the U.S. Postal Service to provide banking services.

Climate change's fingerprints are on U.S. Midwest floods: scientists

The "bomb cyclone" that dumped rain on Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri and killed at least four people now threatens a wider region downstream of swollen rivers and smashed levees. "The atmosphere is pretty close to fully saturated, it's got all the water it can take," said Michael Wehner, a senior scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Big storms like the bomb cyclone and Hurricane Harvey, which smacked Houston in 2017 with record downpours, are where the impact of climate change can most clearly be seen, he said, adding that climate change's fingerprints were all over the recent storm.

New Mexico compound suspects plead not guilty, targeted as Muslims: lawyers

The three women and two men faced charges last week of conspiring to support planned attacks on U.S. law enforcement officers, military members and government employees while living in their makeshift home in Taos County, New Mexico. The case gained significant attention after Taos County Sheriff Jerry Hogrefe said the group were "extremist of the Muslim belief" and prosecutors accused them of training two teenage sons to carry out school shootings. Defendants Jany Leveille, 36, Siraj Ibn Wahhaj, 40, Hujrah Wahhaj, 38, Subhanah Wahhaj, 36, and Lucas Morton, 41, are all related as siblings or by marriage.

Man charged with sending bombs to Trump critics pleads guilty

A Florida man pleaded guilty on Thursday to using weapons of mass destruction and other crimes in connection with mailing explosives to prominent Democrats and other critics of U.S. President Donald Trump. Cesar Sayoc, 57, entered his plea before U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff in Manhattan federal court, speaking in a halting, shaky voice that often dropped to a whisper. Sayoc listed the intended recipients of his packages, including former President Barack Obama, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, U.S. Senators Cory Booker and Kamala Harris, billionaire investor and Democratic donor George Soros, former Central Intelligence Agency director John Brennan, actor Robert DeNiro and CNN.