Midday Roundup: CDC confirms Zika causes microcephaly

Zika link. Officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have confirmed the link between the Zika virus and severe birth defects. While the connection between the otherwise relatively mild mosquito-borne illness and microcephaly has been suspected and widely reported, healthcare experts could not confirm it until they conducted targeted studies. U.S. researchers discovered not only that Zika causes microcephaly, a condition that leaves babies with abnormally small heads, but also that it makes the condition more severe than it usually is. The researchers did not confirm a link between Zika and neurological conditions in adults, such as Guillain-Barré syndrome, although the World Health Organization has said enough evidence substantiates a connection between the two.

Not fair? Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump continues to feud with the GOP, claiming its system of delegate allotment is unfair. “The system, folks, is rigged,” he told supporters during a recent campaign rally. “It’s a rigged, disgusting, dirty system.” After failing to win a single delegate in Colorado, Trump blasted the state’s unique grassroots caucus system and said the Republican National Committee (RNC) should be ashamed of itself for allowing it. But RNC Chairman Reince Priebus fired back via Twitter, saying the nomination process has been known for more than a year, and it’s the responsibility of the campaigns to understand it. He also told Trump to “Give us all a break.” On the Glenn Beck Radio Program this week, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, chided Trump for his rhetoric and what he called “intimidation tactics.” Cruz, who is slowly narrowing the gap between himself and Trump, was awarded all 34 of Colorado’s Republican delegates.

Bloated budget? The annual release of the Pig Book has some lawmakers squirming, others shocked. The Pig Book, put together by Citizens Against Government Waste, exposes wasteful government spending via earmarks. Although Congress claims to have a moratorium on earmarks, they still exist, said Thomas Schatz, the watchdog group’s president. “Every single project in the pig book, all 127, have previously been identified as earmarks by members of Congress,” Schatz told Fox News. This new report shows $5 billion in Congress-approved earmarks for fiscal year 2016, and the amount of wasteful spending rose by more than 17 percent over last year. This year marks the 24th year the book has been released and the fourth since Congress supposedly banned earmark spending.

Kobe’s farewell. Los Angeles Laker Kobe Bryant ended his long and storied professional basketball career last night by leading his teammates to a 101-96 comeback win against the Utah Jazz. After he scored a season-high 60 points, Bryant left the game to cheers of “Kobe! Kobe! Kobe!” from the sold-out crowd at the Staples Center. Despite his outstanding performance last night, Bryant leaves the league on a downswing. The Lakers had their worst season in franchise history, winning just 17 games. And the team has not been a serious contender for the National Basketball Association championship in years. But in reflecting after the game on his 20-year career, Bryant said he didn’t mind going through the down years because the team rode its highs “the right way.” “All I can do here is thank you guys,” he told the crowd. “Thank you guys for all the years of support. Thank you guys for all the motivation. Thank you for all the inspiration.”

WORLD Radio’s Mary Reichard and Kristen Eicher contributed to this report.