Midday Roundup: Boehner tries to appease pro-life conservatives

Distraction mission. Two bills in the House that target Planned Parenthood funding and abortionists might not be enough to appease conservative Republicans and avoid a showdown with President Barack Obama that could partially shut down the government. A group of pro-life House members say they will block passage of federal appropriations unless the president agrees to stop funding Planned Parenthood, something he’s refused to do. House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, reportedly wants to avoid a shut down and is encouraging pro-life Republicans to vote for the bills, even though they almost certainly will be vetoed. One would stop Planned Parenthood’s funding for a year, and the other would impose federal criminal penalties on abortionists who do not attempt to save babies born alive after abortions.

Trump’s latest slam. At a campaign event in New Jersey on Thursday, a Donald Trump supporter called Obama a Muslim and said, “We have a problem in this country. It’s called Muslims.” When asked what he planned to do to “get rid” of Muslims, Trump responded, “We’re going to be looking at that and many other things.” Democrats and media pundits swiftly condemned Trump for not sticking up for the president, who says he is Christian, and even one of his Republican challengers rebuffed the Donald. “I wouldn’t have permitted that if someone brought that up at a town hall meeting of mine,” New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said.

Party crashers. Pope Francis is scheduled to visit the White House next week, and President Barack Obama has invited some provocative guests. The Vatican reportedly is taking issue with the guest list, which includes a transgender activist and an openly gay Episcopal bishop. Having the pope photographed with them could make it look like he is endorsing their activities, a Vatican official told The Wall Street Journal. Sister Simone Campbell, a social justice activist who has been non-committal about her stance on abortion, also is invited.

Smash hit. The Republican presidential debate Wednesday night was CNN’s most-watched program ever with 23.1 million viewers, the network reported. CNNMoney called the debate ratings “NFL-level.” Prior to Wednesday night’s primetime showdown, the network’s most-watched primary debate, one between Democratic candidates in 2008, garnered 8.3 million viewers.

Really gone girl. A California woman is suing the city of Vallejo for mischaracterizing her March kidnapping as a hoax. Denise Huskins and her boyfriend, Aaron Quinn, say a man broke into their house in the middle of the night, drugged them, and abducted Huskins. The kidnapper demanded ransom, but released the woman before it was due. Police said at the time they suspected Huskins orchestrated the drama, possibly in an attempt to gain attention. Months later, the FBI arrested a man in a similar home invasion and named him as a suspect in Huskins’ case. Vallejo police apologized, but said they took appropriate steps based on the information they had at the time.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.