AP News in Brief at 9:04 p.m. EDT
Trump honors fallen and families in Memorial Day address
ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) - President Donald Trump on Monday expressed the nation's "boundless" gratitude for the ultimate sacrifice paid by Americans defending the United States, dedicating his first Memorial Day address as commander in chief to a top Cabinet secretary and two other families who lost loved ones.
Participating in the somber, annual observance at Arlington National Cemetery, Trump recounted the stories of Green Beret Capt. Andrew D. Byers of Colorado Springs and Christopher D. Horton of the Oklahoma National Guard as Byers' tearful parents and Horton's emotional widow looked on.
Trump also singled out for special mention Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly, a retired Marine four-star general whose son, Marine 2nd Lt. Robert M. Kelly, was killed in November 2010 after he stepped on a land mine while on patrol in southern Afghanistan.
To all Gold Star families, Trump said of their lost service members: "They each had their own names, their own stories, their own beautiful dreams. But they were all angels sent to us by God and they all share one title in common and that is the title of hero, real heroes."
"Though they were here only a brief time before God called them home, their legacy will endure forever," Trump said.
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French president flexes diplomatic muscles in Putin meeting
VERSAILLES, France (AP) - Flexing his diplomatic muscles, French President Emmanuel Macron said he had "extremely frank" and "direct" talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday and launched an extraordinary attack on two state-funded Russian media outlets he accused of spreading "lying propaganda" during France's presidential campaign.
Macron's full-on blast at the state news agency Sputnik and broadcaster Russia Today came at a news conference with Putin standing at his side. His comments underscored the clear differences between the two men on multiple issues and fulfilled the French president's campaign promises to pull no punches with Russia when needed.
But after more than two hours of meetings - their first since Macron's May 7 election and longer than scheduled - both leaders also signaled a shared desire not to let disagreements define their fledgling relationship. The fight against terrorism, in particular, appeared to offer common ground.
Putin said Macron proposed a framework for French and Russian anti-terror experts to meet and work together. And both leaders agreed they don't want Syria - where Russia is propping up the government of President Bashar Assad - to collapse into a failed state.
Progress in Syria "will happen by a joint effort, which today we laid the foundations for," Macron said.
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Protest sparks Texas lawmaker threats of gun violence
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Hundreds of protesters opposing Texas' tough new anti-"sanctuary cities" law launched a raucous demonstration from the public gallery in the Texas House on Monday, briefly halting work and prompting lawmakers on the floor below to scuffle - and even threaten gun violence - as tense divides over hardline immigration policies boiled over.
Activists wearing red T-shirts reading "Lucha," or "Fight," quietly filled hundreds of gallery seats as proceedings began. After about 40 minutes, they began to cheer, drowning out the lawmakers below. Protesters also blew whistles and chanted: "Here to stay!" and "Hey, hey, ho, ho, SB4 has got to go," referring to the bill that Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law this month.
Some unfurled banners reading: "See you in court!" and "See you at the polls!"
State House leadership stopped the session and asked state troopers to clear the gallery. The demonstration continued for about 20 minutes as officers led people out of the chamber peacefully in small groups. There were no reports of arrests.
Texas' new law is reminiscent of a 2010 Arizona "show your papers" measure that allowed police to inquire about a person's immigration status during routine interactions such as traffic stops. It was eventually struck down in court.
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Ultimate sacrifice: Teen dies shielding cousin from gunfire
BROOKHAVEN, Miss. (AP) - It was after midnight when a gunman burst into the living room of a southern Mississippi home where young people were playing video games.
Caleb Edwards, 15, said the man - whom he knows as Corey Godbolt - demanded to know where his cousin's parents where. Jordan Blackwell, 18, said they were gone to another town.
At that, Godbolt "just started shooting," Caleb said.
As people scrambled to hide inside the Brookhaven home, Blackwell used his own body to shield his cousin Caleb from the gunfire.
With his mother standing by his side Monday, Caleb spoke calmly as he recounted to The Associated Press how he felt the force of the impact as Blackwell was shot Sunday.
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Trial near for sect members accused of beating away demons
RUTHERFORDTON, N.C. (AP) - It has been nearly 4½ years since Matthew Fenner said he was beaten in a church sanctuary by a group of congregants hell-bent on expelling his "homosexual demons."
After countless twists and turns, the long-delayed, high-profile case finally appears ready to move forward in North Carolina Superior Court.
Jury selection could begin Tuesday for the first of five Word of Faith Fellowship members charged in the attack. Each defendant will be tried separately.
The first defendant, longtime minister Brooke Covington, 58, has pleaded innocent to one count each of kidnapping and assault. If convicted, she faces up to two years in prison.
The 23-year-old Fenner is bracing himself.
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City clash fuels fear of IS foothold in southern Philippines
MARAWI, Philippines (AP) - Inside this lakeside city dotted with hundreds of mosques, a powerful militant designated by the Islamic State group as its leader in the Philippines has managed to unify a disparate group of gunmen under a single command.
Over the past week, his fighters have shown their muscle, withstanding a sustained assault by the Philippine military and increasing fears that the Islamic State group's violent ideology is gaining a foothold in this country's restive southern islands, where a Muslim separatist rebellion has raged for decades.
The army insists the drawn-out fight is not a true sign of the militants' strength, and that the military has held back to spare civilians' lives.
"They are weak," Gen. Eduardo Ano, the military chief of staff, said of the gunmen, speaking at a hospital where injured soldiers were being treated. "It's just a matter of time for us to clear them from all their hiding places."
Still, the fighters have turned out to be remarkably well-armed and resilient.
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McConnell juggling diverse demands on Republican health bill
WASHINGTON (AP) - For Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, writing a Republican-only health care bill that can pass the Senate boils down to this question: How do you solve a problem like Dean, Lisa, Patrick, Ted, Rand and Susan?
Those are some GOP senators whose clashing demands McConnell, R-Ky., must resolve. Facing solid Democratic opposition to demolishing former President Barack Obama's 2010 overhaul, Republicans will lose if just three of their 52 senators defect.
In a report that complicated McConnell's task, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office delivered a damaging critique last week of the GOP-written bill the House approved May 4. It concluded the measure would create 23 million additional uninsured Americans by 2026; lower premiums for younger and healthy people by letting them buy sparser coverage; and confront unhealthy, poorer and older consumers with exorbitant out-of-pocket costs.
As GOP senators try privately crafting a bill, here are some problems facing McConnell:
23 MILLION!?!?
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Portland mayor aims to nix free-speech rally, fears 'hatred'
The mayor of Portland, Oregon, on Monday urged U.S. officials and organizers to cancel a "Trump Free Speech Rally" and other similar events, saying they are inappropriate and could be dangerous after two men were stabbed to death on a train as they tried to help a pair of young women targeted by an anti-Muslim tirade.
Mayor Ted Wheeler said he hopes the victims will inspire "changes in the political dialogue in this country."
It comes amid a wider debate in the U.S. about the First Amendment, often in liberal cities like Portland and Berkeley, California, and on college campuses, where violent protests between far-right and far-left protesters have derailed appearances by contentious figures.
Taliesin Myrddin Namkai Meche, 23, and Ricky John Best, 53, were killed Friday as they tried to stop Jeremy Joseph Christian from harassing the women, one of whom was wearing a hijab, authorities say. Another who stepped in was seriously injured.
Christian's social media postings indicate an affinity for Nazis and political violence. He is accused of aggravated murder, intimidation - the state equivalent of a hate crime - and being a felon in possession of a weapon and is scheduled to be in court Tuesday.
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AP Exclusive: Suspected drug thefts persist at VA centers
WASHINGTON (AP) - Federal authorities are investigating dozens of new cases of possible opioid and other drug theft by employees at Veterans Affairs hospitals, a sign the problem isn't going away as more prescriptions disappear.
Data obtained by The Associated Press show 36 criminal investigations opened by the VA inspector general's office from Oct. 1 through May 19. It brings the total number of open criminal cases to 108 involving theft or unauthorized drug use. Most of those probes typically lead to criminal charges.
The numbers are an increase from a similar period in the previous year. The VA has pledged "zero tolerance" in drug thefts following an AP story in February about a sharp rise in reported cases of stolen or missing drugs at the VA since 2009. Doctors, nurses or pharmacy staff in the VA's network of more than 160 medical centers and 1,000 clinics are suspected of siphoning away controlled substances for their own use or street sale - sometimes to the harm of patients - or drugs simply vanished without explanation.
Drug thefts are a growing problem at private hospitals as well as the government-run VA as the illegal use of opioids has increased in the United States. But separate data from the Drug Enforcement Administration obtained by the AP under the Freedom of Information Act show the rate of reported missing drugs at VA health facilities was more than double that of the private sector. DEA investigators cited in part a larger quantity of drugs kept in stock at the bigger VA medical centers to treat a higher volume of patients, both outpatient and inpatient, and for distribution of prescriptions by mail.
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said AP's findings were "troubling." He urged Congress to pass bipartisan accountability legislation he was co-sponsoring that would give the agency "the tools needed to dismiss employees engaged in misconduct." The Senate is set to vote on the bill June 6.
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Tiger Woods blames medications for his arrest on DUI charge
Tiger Woods attributed an "unexpected reaction" to prescription medicine for his arrest on a DUI charge that landed him in a Florida jail Monday for nearly four hours.
Woods, the 14-time major champion who had back surgery five weeks ago, was arrested on suspicion of DUI at about 3 a.m. Monday and taken to Palm Beach County jail. He was released on his own recognizance.
An arrest report might be available on Tuesday, Jupiter Police spokeswoman Kristin Rightler said.
"I understand the severity of what I did and I take full responsibility for my actions," Woods said in a statement Monday evening. "I want the public to know that alcohol was not involved. What happened was an unexpected reaction to prescribed medications. I didn't realize the mix of medications had affected me so strongly."
Woods apologized to his family, friends and fans and said, "I expect more from myself, too."
