Friday morning news: June 7, 2019

Trump visits Omaha beach, meets with French President » President Trump will arrive at the White House today, returning from a state visit to England and commemorations of D-Day. On Thursday, the president took part in a ceremony on France’s Omaha Beach.

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He also met with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron in the nearby town of Caen. Iran topped the list of issues they discussed.

The two leaders have not seen eye-to-eye on the 2015 nuclear deal. President Trump backed out of that agreement last year. But both leaders said they have the same end goal.

TRUMP: I don’t think we have differences over Iran. I don’t think that the president wants to see them having nuclear weapons and neither do I, and that’s what it’s all about. 

Macron called on Iran to return to the negotiating table.

And he stressed that the military alliance between the U.S. and France remains strong.

MACRON: We work very closely together. Our soldiers work very closely together in Sahel, in Iraq, in Syria. Each time freedom and democracy is at stake, we work closely together.

Mexico, U.S. continue talks on pending tariffs over border surge » Meantime back in Washington, Mexican officials met again Thursday with leaders in the Trump administration They’re hoping to find a way around tariffs set to take effect Monday.

Vice President Mike Pence said the tariffs are necessary to convince Mexican officials to stop migrants from trekking north through their country.

PENCE: Our hope is as discussions continue that Mexico will step up, will take such action as is necessary to address what the American people know is a real humanitarian and security crisis. 

Some Republicans have been highly critical of the president’s decision to tie border security to trade. But others are defending the move.

Florida Senate Marco Rubio told Fox News…

RUBIO: The president said this is the one I’ve got. I’ve got to use this stick. It’s the only one I have that actually works. And if someone has a better one, I’m for it. I just—no one’s come up with a better one that gets them to the table. 

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley this week suggested he may not begin consideration of the US-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement, if the tariffs against Mexico take effect. But on Thursday, he sympathized with the president’s challenge.

GRASSLEY: When you have a 1,800,000 people cross the border this fiscal year, this isn’t something we want Mexico to take a nonchalant approach to. 

A 5 percent tariff on Mexican goods takes effect Monday and could increase in the months ahead.

NC House fails to override veto of pro-life bill » Lawmakers in North Carolina this week failed to gather enough votes … to override the governor’s veto of a pro-life bill. WORLD Radio’s Kristen Flavin has more.

KRISTEN FLAVIN, REPORTER: Members of the state’s House of Representatives voted 67-to-53 in favor of an override, but fell short of the 72 votes they needed.

Democratic Governor Roy Cooper vetoed the The Born-Alive Abortion Survivor’s Protection Act in April. It would have required abortion providers to offer the same care to babies born alive after botched abortions as they would to other patients. And it would’ve created civil and criminal penalties for abortionists who violated the law.  

The governor called it “an unnecessary interference between doctors and their patients.”

The Wisconsin legislature passed a similar bill Wednesday, but Democratic Governor Tony Evers is expected to veto it as well.

Reporting for WORLD Radio, I’m Kristen Flavin.

Washington State Supreme Court rules against Christian florist » The Supreme Court of Washington state ruled against Christian florist Barronelle Stutzman on Thursday.

The U.S. Supreme Court last year vacated an earlier ruling against her. And it ordered the Washington high court to review Stutzman’s religious liberty case in light of its ruling in a similar case. But the state court said its review found prosecutors did not act with religious animus toward her.

Stutzman, who owns Arlene’s Flowers in Richland, Washington, faces unprecedented punishment if she loses.

STUTZMAN: It pains me to see my own state continue to come after my flower shop, my home and every penny I own.

The case stems from a 2013 incident involving longtime customer Rob Ingersoll. Stutzman declined to make flower arrangements for his same-sex wedding because, she said, scripture teaches that marriage is between a man and a woman.  

STUTZMAN: But I gave Rob the names of other nearby florists who I knew would make his wedding beautiful. Rob has the freedom to act on his beliefs about marriage, and I’m only asking for the same freedom. This case isn’t just about me. It’s about everyone’s freedom to live their beliefs without fear of government punishment. 

Alliance Defending Freedom, which defended Stutzman, said Thursday—“We look forward to taking Barronelle’s case back to the U.S. Supreme Court.”

African Union suspends Sudan » The African Union announced Thursday that it has suspended Sudan from the union until its ruling military council hands power to a civilian government. WORLD Radio’s Paul Butler has that story.

PAUL BUTLER, REPORTER: The African Union is a continental organization of 55 nations. It announced Sudan’s suspension after government security forces raided a camp of protesters in Khartoum. At least 61 people died in the bloody crackdown. The opposition says 108 people perished, though the government disputes that total.

Amnesty International and other outside groups are calling on the global community to take stronger action against Sudan’s ruling military council.

Reporting for WORLD Radio, I’m Paul Butler.

(AP Photo/Alex Brandon) President Donald Trump waves as he boards Air Force One before he departs Shannon Airport, Thursday, June 6, 2019, in Shannon, Ireland. 

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