Today’s Top World News from The Washington Post
WORLD Saudi king names son as new crown prince, upending the royal succession line-- CAIRO — Saudi Arabia’s King Salman elevated his 31-year-old son on Wednesday to become crown prince, ousting his nephew in a seismic shift in the royal succession line that could have deep ramifications for the oil-rich monarchy and the broader Middle East.In a series of royal decrees, published in the Saudi state news agency, the monarch stripped Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef from his position. A powerful figure who as interior minister oversaw the kingdom’s security and counterterrorism operations, he was in line to inherit the throne. He was relieved of all his positions, according to the decrees. Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the new crown prince, will also become the kingdom’s deputy prime minister while retaining his control of the Defense Ministry and other portfolios. The decree all but confirms him as the next ruler of this key American ally and the Arab world’s largest economy. By Sudarsan Raghavan and Kareen Fahim http://wapo.st/2sSWzlB Suspect in foiled Brussels attack was 36-year-old Moroccan, authorities say-- BRUSSELS — A potentially deadly terrorist bombing at a central Brussels train station was averted after a nail-packed device in a bag failed to fully detonate, a Belgian prosecutor said Wednesday, a day after the attack at the crowded rail hub. A 36-year-old Moroccan national who lived in Brussels attempted the attack, which started at 8:39 p.m. Tuesday, prosecutor Eric Van der Sypt said. The man, identified only by his initials, O.Z., was known to police but had no previously discovered terrorist ties, the prosecutor said. He was shot dead after he shouted “Allahu akbar” — Arabic for “God is great” — and tried to attack a soldier in the station, Van der Sypt said. Authorities said the attack in a crowded Brussels station could have been far worse if the explosives had fully detonated. The suspect first attempted to detonate his bag, setting off a “partial explosion” as he ran toward a group of people in the mezzanine level of the station that descends to the tracks, Van der Sypt said. By Michael Birnbaum http://wapo.st/2rUTNra ‘My son is no terrorist’: Family of Finsbury Park attack suspect provides few hints of possible motives-- LONDON — The family of the man suspected of ramming a van into Muslim worshipers offered public condolences Tuesday in statements that gave little hint of possible motives behind the latest terrorist strike in London. The suspect — identified by British media as Darren Osborne, 47 — was heard by witnesses saying that he wanted to kill Muslims. But few other details have emerged on what caused Osborne to drive 160 miles from Wales and point his van at crowds outside two London mosques Monday following late-night prayers during the holy month of Ramadan. At least 11 people were injured before Osborne was wrestled to the ground and arrested. One man died, but police said it was unclear whether he was killed in the attack or collapsed moments before in the Finsbury Park district. By Karla Adam http://wapo.st/2rCofaj
POLITICS Republican Karen Handel defeats Democrat Jon Ossoff in Georgia’s 6th Congressional District-- BROOKHAVEN, Ga. — President Trump’s hopes of steadying his presidency and his agenda on Capitol Hill were given a lift Tuesday when a Republican won a special congressional election in the Atlanta suburbs. Republican Karen Handel defeated Democrat Jon Ossoff in Georgia’s 6th Congressional District, retaining a seat that has been in GOP hands since 1979 after a grueling, four-month campaign that earned the distinction of being the most expensive House race in history. Handel won by almost 11,000 votes and by more than four percentage points, and Ossoff failed to reach the 48 percent mark that he topped in the initial round of voting in April. Handel’s win will bring fresh attention to a beleaguered Democratic Party that has suffered a string of defeats in special elections this year despite an angry and engaged base of voters who dislike Trump. By Robert Costa, Paul Kane and Elise Viebeck http://wapo.st/2spOJ1p Attorney General Sessions retains a personal attorney-- Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who has been under fire in recent months for his contacts with Russian officials during the 2016 presidential race, has retained the services of Washington lawyer Charles J. Cooper, a longtime friend. Cooper was seen sitting behind Sessions when he testified last week before the Senate Intelligence Committee about President Trump and Russia. “I do represent the Attorney General, but, as with all clients, do not comment on confidential client matters,” Cooper wrote in an email to The Washington Post. Cooper, a partner with his own firm, Cooper & Kirk, would not say when he was retained by Sessions or whether he is representing Sessions in the special counsel’s investigation into Trump and Russia. Sessions, who was the first senator to endorse Trump on the campaign trail, was a top adviser to Trump during his race for president. By Sari Horwitz http://wapo.st/2sPBkjG Senate GOP leaders will present health bill this week, even as divisions flare-- After weeks of secret deliberations, Senate Republicans are in the final stages of a sweeping rewrite of the nation’s health-care laws amid growing frustration among the rank and file over how to fulfill the party’s top campaign promise over the past seven years. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Tuesday that GOP leaders will produce a “discussion draft” on Thursday and hinted that a final vote could come next week — even as key senators expressed concern about the emerging legislation, the lack of transparency surrounding it and the disagreement that remains. McConnell’s desire to wrap up before the Fourth of July recess reflects the sense of urgency among Republicans, including President Trump, to show progress on health care after years of vowing to “repeal and replace” the Affordable Care Act. By Sean Sullivan, Juliet Eilperin and Kelsey Snell http://wapo.st/2sUTelD
Trump seeks sharp cuts to housing aid, except for program that brings him millions-- President Trump’s budget calls for sharply reducing funding for programs that shelter the poor and combat homelessness — with a notable exception: It leaves intact a type of federal housing subsidy that is paid directly to private landlords. One of those landlords is Trump himself, who earns millions of dollars each year as a part-owner of Starrett City, the nation’s largest subsidized housing complex. Trump’s 4 percent stake in the Brooklyn complex earned him at least $5 million between January of last year and April 15, according to his recent financial disclosure. Trump’s business empire intersects with government in countless ways, from taxation to permitting to the issuing of patents, but the housing subsidy is one of the clearest examples of the conflicts experts have predicted. By Shawn Boburg http://wapo.st/2tN9m5D OPINION: In Georgia’s 6th District, is Handel’s victory of great consequence — or none at all?-- As promised, the special election in Georgia’s 6th Congressional District was nip and tuck for much of the night. Republican Karen Handel nevertheless eked out a win over newcomer Jon Ossoff, a Democrat. In a rational political atmosphere, neither side would take great comfort from nor be seized with panic because of a race determined by a few percentage points. Indeed, it’s easy to forget that this special election took place in an overwhelmingly Republican congressional district. But with tens of millions spent on a single race, and both sides determined to extract some indication of its national fortunes — provided it won! — the hype was unstoppable. And to some degree the hype itself becomes self-fulfilling: A psychological boost surely sways candidates’ and elected officials’ behavior. By Jennifer Rubin http://wapo.st/2sPuOJI NATIONAL Pressure grows to classify Muslim girl’s slaying a hate crime-- A Virginia teen found dead after she was attacked as she walked to a mosque was being remembered at vigils set in the District and other cities nationwide Tuesday night, a day before her funeral. The killing of Nabra Hassanen on Sunday also prompted calls from civil liberties advocates and her supporters to investigate her killing as a possible hate crime, including nearly 12,000 people who signed an online petition to the Virginia Department of Human Rights and the U.S. Justice Department. Virginia police officials initially said that there is no indication that the 17-year-old was targeted because of her religion and that her killing was a “road rage incident” that happened as she and a group of other teens walked and biked along a street as they headed back to a mosque early Sunday. But they also said their investigation continues. By Justin Jouvenal http://wapo.st/2spzqpk How Mobb Deep’s Prodigy changed rap music with 8 words-- It’s just eight words — “I’m only 19, but my mind is old” — but it might be the most paralyzing rap lyric ever written, the kind of declaration that makes your pulse quicken while your blood cools in your capillaries, the kind of blunt-force poetry that activates an impossible swirl of excitement, dread, sorrow and sympathy. It arrived in 1995 on the lips of Prodigy, co-founder of the New York duo Mobb Deep, in a song called “Shook Ones (Part II),” which, amazingly, begins with dedication to those who “ain’t got no feelings.” By the end of Prodigy’s opening verse, you’ve felt everything. Prodigy — who died on Tuesday at 42 after being hospitalized for complications related to sickle cell anemia — grew up in a rage. First, he was angry at his body, which always seemed to be losing a painful fight with the blood disorder that would ultimately end his life. Then, he was angry at a God who wouldn’t intervene, therefore must not exist. That’s how a child becomes a nihilist, how a young mind becomes old. By Chris Richards http://wapo.st/2sAlozC Morning Mix Headlines: Stories from All Over— Michael Brown’s parents settle wrongful death lawsuit against Ferguson This union ironworker wants Paul Ryan’s job. He’s got a great ad but a losing record. Actor Daniel Day-Lewis retires at 60. The three-time Oscar winner doesn’t say why. Read more at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/
BUSINESS Uber founder Travis Kalanick resigns as CEO amid a shareholder revolt-- After several tumultuous months that culminated in a shareholder revolt, Travis Kalanick stepped down Tuesday as chief executive of the ride-hailing giant Uber. Kalanick, who helped founded Uber in 2009 and established it as Silicon Valley’s highest flying start-up, will stay on Uber’s board of directors, a company official confirmed. He was asked to resign in a letter from five major shareholders. The resignation comes after a series of bruising scandals that arose from the company’s famously hard-charging workplace culture, which many say is a reflection of Kalanick himself. The controversies include a slew of executive departures and sexual harassment allegations that have raised concerns about the company’s ability to recruit female talent. In addition, the company has come under fire for using tactics to evade law enforcement and it is facing off against Google in a major trade secrets lawsuit. By Elizabeth Dwoskin http://wapo.st/2sV993j In this part of the Midwest, the problem isn’t China. It’s too many jobs.-- WARSAW, Ind. — Each day at Zimmer Biomet headquarters, machinists on one robot-assisted factory floor churn out about 3,000 metallic knee parts. They are facing pressure to crank up the pace as the population ages and demand soars. But the artificial-bone giant is grappling with a steep downside of the nation’s low unemployment rate: It is struggling to find enough workers, despite offering some of the region’s best pay and benefits. Forty positions sit open. Other manufacturers in Kosciusko County, home to roughly one-third of global orthopedic device production, are running into the same problem. The lack of laborers not only threatens to stunt the growth of these companies, experts warn, but it could also force them to decamp their home town in search of workers. By Danielle Paquette http://wapo.st/2tNgY7U
EPA just gave notice to dozens of scientific advisory board members that their time is up-- The Environmental Protection Agency has given notice to dozens of scientists that they will not be renewed in their roles in advising the agency, continuing a scientific shake-up that has already triggered resignations and charges from some researchers that the administration is politicizing the agency. Members of the EPA’s Board of Scientific Counselors (BOSC) whose terms end in August will not see them renewed, according to an email sent to members and obtained by The Washington Post, though they can reapply for their posts. Moreover, five meetings of subcommittees of the board, planned for the late summer and the fall, will now be canceled because of lack of membership. They will be held once the board is reconstituted, according to EPA officials. By Chris Mooney and Juliet Eilperin http://wapo.st/2rUAM8p |
