Monday morning news: May 7, 2018

Britain looking to convince Trump on Iran deal » European leaders are still working to convince President Trump not to pull the plug on the Iran nuclear deal. The effort comes as the president faces a Saturday deadline to decide whether to reimpose sanctions.

British Ambassador Kim Darroch says his country, Germany and France are crafting a proposal to bring to the White House.

DARROCH: We have ideas. We think that we can find some language, produce some action, that meets the president’s concerns.

That from CBS’s Face the Nation. Those ideas would address Iran’s ballistic missile program and its involvement in Mideast conflicts. Those issues are not a part of the current agreement. Trump also objects to the accord’s sunset clause, which allows Iran to resume part of its nuclear program after 2025.

Iran has said it will not consider changing the deal in any way.

Giuliani says Trump may talk to Mueller » President Trump may agree to speak with special counsel Robert Mueller as part of the ongoing Russia probe. That according to the newest of the president’s lawyers—Rudy Giuliani.

Giuliani said the president would “love to speak” with Mueller but cautioned that he would only do so under certain conditions.

GIULIANI: Hillary Clinton treatment is what I’m looking for, and this no under oath, only a Q&A, and then we get the questions in advance and they write the report two weeks before. 

Giuliani said—quote—“we may actually work things out with Bob Mueller,” but he added that he’s not going to walk his client into a trap.

Judge questions Mueller’s authority in Manafort charges » Robert Mueller faced a few tough questions of his own on Friday. A federal judge grilled Mueller’s team about his authority to pursue charges against former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort. Mueller has charged Manafort with tax and bank fraud, but those allegations are unrelated to Russian election meddling.

U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis said—quote—“I don’t see what relationship this indictment has with anything the special counsel is authorized to investigate.” Ellis has asked for an unredacted version of the original Justice Department memo, which outlines the scope of Mueller’s Russia probe.

On Sunday, Texas GOP Congressman John Ratcliffe explained it this way …

RATCLIFFE: He has said, hey it appears you’re trying to use what Paul Manafort did in 2005 to get to Donald Trump in 2018, and I want to see your authority for that. The special counsel’s response was judge you’re not entitled to that, and the judge not so politely said I’ll be the judge of what I’m entitled to, and produce it in the next 2 weeks.

Nunes threatens Sessions » Meanwhile, the head of the House Intelligence Committee is threatening Attorney General Jeff Sessions with a contempt of Congress charge for refusing to turn over materials in the Russia probe. 

Chairman Devin Nunes says his committee issued a subpoena demanding documents on how the Justice Department got secret FISA warrants to wiretap Trump campaign officials. But the DOJ is refusing to comply, citing national security concerns.

But Nunes says the Intelligence Committee has a constitutional oversight role and the Justice Department has hidden behind the “national security” claim too many times in an effort to thwart his committee.

NUNES: I’m not going to take any excuse to say, oh, we’re harming national security. You know, we’ve had to take people to court to get the information. You know, we shouldn’t have had to do that.

The Russia collusion probe began as a counter-intelligence operation.

Nunes says this week he’ll begin pressing lawmakers to charge Sessions with contempt and begin the legal process of enforcing the committee’s subpoena in federal court.

Lava destroys homes in Hawaii » Lava continues to burst out of Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano. destroying at least 21 homes so far and forcing nearly 2,000 people to evacuate. One evacuee said she’s worried, but is taking it in stride.

AUDIO: Living here, that’s the gamble that you take to have all this beauty.

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said eight volcanic vents have opened on the Big Island since Thursday, releasing steam and toxic gas. And in some places, witnesses described lava shooting out of the ground.

AUDIO: It was roaring sky high. It was incredible. It was fuming. It was roaring. It was thundering. Rocks were flying out of the ground.

The eruption also caused multiple earthquakes. And officials from U.S. Geological Survey say it’s far from over. The eruption could last for weeks or even months.

Kansas passes Adoption Protection Act » State lawmakers in Kansas have passed a bill that would protect rights of conscience for religious foster and adoption care agencies. It will allow religious groups to place children in homes in accordance with their sincerely held religious beliefs. Without new protections, advocates say faith-based agencies could face costly lawsuits from LGBT activists who say choosing not to place children in gay and transgender households is discriminatory. The bill now heads to GOP Governor Jeff Colyer’s desk, and he intends to sign it into law.

I’m Kent Covington. Up next: Legal Docket. And later, Mary Coleman on a mother’s worth. This is The World and Everything in It.

(U.S. Geological Survey via AP) In this Saturday, May 5, 2018 photo, a new fissure erupts in Leilani Estates in Pahoa, Hawaii.

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