Midday Roundup: Harry Reid to retire, GOP plans to pounce on his seat

Senate retirement. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., announced this morning he will not seek reelection in 2016. Reid, 75, said he is stepping down from the seat he has held since 1986 to help elect fellow Democrats in what is sure to be a contentious election. Nevada is a swing state, and Reid was considered vulnerable during his last election in 2010. On Jan. 1, Reid suffered an accident while exercising that left him with limited sight in his right eye. That incident also motivated his decision to retire, since it gave him time to think about his political future, he said. “We’ve got to be more concerned about the country, the Senate, the state of Nevada than about ourselves,” Reid said in a statement. “And as a result of that I’m not going to run for reelection.”

Secret illness. German prosecutors say the co-pilot of the Germanwings jet that crashed Tuesday in the French Alps had a sick note that excused him from work that day. They also said 27-year-old Andreas Lubitz hid his illness from his employer and co-workers, although prosecutors would not describe the nature of the illness. Based on the black-box recording of noise in the cockpit just before the crash, officials say Lubitz intentionally crashed the plane into the side of a mountain, killing all 150 people on board. They do not believe he was motivated by any religious or political beliefs. German news outlets are reporting Lubitz suffered from depression, had been treated for psychological issues, and might have been prompted to commit suicide after a recent breakup with his girlfriend. But people who knew him said he appeared “very happy” and gave no indication he was suffering from any mental condition.

Judge this. A Michigan woman who was booted from a Planet Fitness gym after she complained about a man who dresses as a woman using the women’s locker room is suing. Yvette Cormier wants $25,000 in damages for, among other things, breach of contract and invasion of privacy. “There comes a point where we have to start saying that enough is enough,” said David Kallman, Cormier’s attorney. “And there needs to be a line somewhere…common sense, common decency.” Planet Fitness has a “no judgment” policy that allows men who self-identify as women to use women’s locker rooms and showers. Cormier said she was not notified that could happen. When she complained and warned other female members about the policy, she was tossed out. Planet Fitness said Cormier’s behavior was disruptive and judgmental, in violation of its policy.

Federal abortion funding. A new report reveals massive taxpayer funding of pro-abortion groups. The Government Accountability Office reported that between 2010 and 2012, federal and state governments funneled nearly $1.7 billion to groups that promote or provide abortions. Catherine Glenn Foster, litigation counsel with Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), said Americans should not be forced to fund abortion: “We’re supposed to be using taxpayer dollars to help and care for the most vulnerable among us, not to kill them. And that’s exactly what’s happening.” ADF found Planned Parenthood was the biggest recipient of taxpayer money, pulling in $1.5 billion.

No more anonymity. The United Kingdom approved legislation on Thursday that creates a public registry of corporate ownership, a move to crack down on corruption, tax evasion, and using anonymous companies to launder criminal proceeds. According to Washington, D.C.-based Global Financial Integrity (GFI), about $1 trillion flows illegally out of developing countries, aided primarily by anonymous companies. “Creating registries of the true, human, ‘beneficial’ owners of each company is a common-sense approach to curbing financial crime and the tremendous flow of illegal money,” said GFI Policy Counsel Joshua Simmons. “We are very pleased to see the U.K. take the lead on this issue, and we call on all countries—especially the United States—to follow the straightforward standard set by the U.K.” The European Union is moving forward with similar legislation, and the Group of Eight industrialized nations has adopted standards requiring corporate ownership documentation. The United States has yet to comply.

The Associated Press and WORLD Radio’s Mary Reichard contributed to this report.