Tuesday morning news: June 4, 2019

Trump receives royal welcome in England » President Trump began his three-day state visit to England at Buckingham Palace on Monday. Queen Elizabeth II greeted the president with a royal welcome that included a 41-gun salute.

AUDIO: [Sound of gun salute]

The Trumps had lunch with the queen and members of the royal family.

ELIZABETH: Ladies and gentlemen, I invite you all to rise and drink a toast to President and Mrs. Trump, to the continued friendship between our two nations, and to the health, prosperity, and happiness of the people of the United States. 

They also had tea with Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla. The president was later the guest of honor for a state dinner at Buckingham Palace.

But the president’s visit was not without controversy. Protesters packed the streets of London. And before arriving in England, Trump took to Twitter to spar with London Mayor Sadiq Khan. The mayor penned a scathing critique of Trump and said he didn’t deserve a red carpet reception. President Trump responded by calling Khan a “stone cold loser.”

Mexican officials begin talks to avoid tariffs » Mexico’s Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard is in Washington this week, leading a delegation in talks with the Trump administration. His goal will be to convince U.S. officials and ultimately, President Trump to hold off on tariffs he threatened last week.

Ebrard met with Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross on Monday. He’ll meet with other top officials later this week, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

President Trump said again on Monday that Mexico must do more to stem the flow of migrants to the U.S. border.

TRUMP: We’ll see what can be done, but if it’s not done you know what we’re going to be doing, and I’m really okay with that. 

He said he’ll impose a 5 percent tariff on June 10th. And it could increase over the coming months to 25 percent—until he’s satisfied Mexico is stepping up.  

But Mexico’s ambassador to the U.S., Martha Bárcena on Monday said her county is already doing a great deal.  

BARCENA: Without Mexico’s efforts, an additional quarter-million migrants could arrive at the U.S. border in 2019. 

And she argued that adding tariffs to hurt the Mexican economy will only worsen the strain on the U.S. border.

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López also said—quote—“The main thing is to inform about what we’re already doing on the migration issue, and if it’s necessary to reinforce these measures without violating human rights.”

He added that his country does not plan to retaliate with tariffs, saying “We’re not going to get into a trade war.”

U.S. aircraft carrier deployed over Iran stays outside Gulf » A U.S. aircraft carrier the White House deployed to the Mideast over threats from Iran is keeping its distance. WORLD Radio’s Leigh Jones has more.

LEIGH JONES, NEWS EDITOR: The U.S.S Abraham Lincoln is parked in the Middle East but it’s so far steering clear of the Persian Gulf.

The Trump administration says it’s trying to de-escalate tensions between Tehran and Washington. With that in mind, the carrier has held position in the Arabian Sea, near the coast of Oman.

Officers on board say from that distance, they could rapidly respond to any threat. At the same time, staying outside the Gulf helps to avoid confrontation with Iranian forces.

The commanding officer of the Lincoln, Captain Putnam Browne said—quote “You don’t want to inadvertently escalate something.”

Last month, the White House deployed the carrier and B-52 bombers to the region. The U.S. also plans to send another 900 troops to the Middle East.

Reporting for WORLD Radio, I’m Leigh Jones.

House passes disaster relief bill » Lawmakers in the House passed a massive disaster relief bill on Monday after multiple delays.

AUDIO: On this vote the yays are 354. The Nays are 58.

The legislation will allot just over $19 billion in federal relief funds for areas hit by floods, fires, hurricanes and other disasters.

While members were on recess around Memorial Day, leaders in the House tried several times to pass a relief bill by unanimous consent. But each time, one Republican congressman said no, objecting to certain provisions in the bill.

The Senate has already approved the measure, and it now heads to President Trump’s desk. He is expected to sign it into law.

Arkansas braces for more flooding as Oklahoma residents begin cleanup » Meantime, one disaster is still unfolding.

In Arkansas, many homes remain under water. Owners of those that aren’t are racing to save them, stacking sandbags and using pumps to divert water. Faulkner County resident Tammie Dawn Patton said her family does not have flood insurance.

PATTON: I mean we’ve worked so hard trying to get this out of the house. 

Making matters worse, forecasters predict more rain in the central and southern U.S. this week.

Heavy rains have shattered records in the central U.S. over the past few weeks, pushing rivers in several states to record levels.

At least 30 protesters dead after Sudan military crackdown » At least two-dozen people died in Sudan on Monday, when the military moved to crush the protest movement opposing its grip on power. WORLD Radio’s Kristen Flavin reports.

KRISTEN FLAVIN, REPORTER: Security forces overran the main sit-in site in the capital city of Khartoum on Monday. Witnesses say the troops burned down tents and unleashed volleys of gunfire—killing at least 30 people.

Demonstrators have camped outside the military’s headquarters for months. The protest movement succeeded in forcing the military to remove strongman Omar al-Bashir from power. But demonstrators stayed in the streets to demand the generals allow civilians to lead the transition.

A spokesman for the ruling military council said troops targeted an area near the sit-in over criminal activity, but the violence spilled over. Organizers of the protest condemned what it called the military’s “treacherous attempt to break up our sit-in” and called for more civil disobedience.

Reporting for WORLD Radio, I’m Kristen Flavin.

(Doug Mills/Pool Photo via AP) President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump walk with Queen Elizabeth II.

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