National: Breaking US News from The Washington Post

Here is the latest US News from The Washington Post.

Duke responds to some of protesters’ demands, but they refuse to leave the administration buildingDuke University’s president pledged to begin work to raise the minimum wage as protests continue on the North Carolina campus

Heavy showers this morning, cold SaturdayA cold front coming through this morning with some heavy showers, maybe even with some embedded thunder. But behind that cold front, cooler air moves in gradually Friday.

The fight for abortion access around the worldBattles over abortion restrictions are sweeping the globe, from the United States and El Salvador to Northern Ireland and Poland. Here’s a look at where different countries stack up in terms of abortion access.

To press his Supreme Court nominee’s case, Obama returns to his academic rootsThe town hall at the University of Chicago Law School lets the president adopt his ‘professor’ role.

The world’s flags, in 7 chartsEverything you wanted to know about flags, and maybe more.

Basically all of Wall Street is betting Donald Trump will lose

Would you park your dog in a locker while you eat brunch?A rentable sidewalk doghouse allows New Yorkers to stash their furry charges while they do errands complicated by a leash and a Labrador.

The surprisingly easy way to reduce your anxiety, thank you very muchRandom acts of kindness can be key to reducing anxiety, scientists say.

What’s going on in North Carolina’s Republican party?North Carolina’s Republican Party is accusing its own chairman of trying to hack a party website, and now there’s a petition circulating to try and get him removed from his post.

Attorneys for former House Speaker Dennis Hastert seek probation for their clientThe Illinois Republican pleaded guilty last year in a case involving payments to a former male student who accused him of sexual molestation.

Financial digest: Thursday, April 7, 2016Fed officials were unsure of their next move after raising interest rates, documents show.

The conservative gladiator from Kansas behind restrictive voting lawsCritics say Kris Kobach is trying to make it harder for minorities to vote. He says it should be hard to cheat.

Obama antagonizing business interests on his way out the doorThe president is using his authority to try to put Democrats on the side of angry voters

Clinton, Sanders engage in growing grudge match in countdown to N.Y. primaryDemocratic front-runner questions Vermont senator’s qualifications as a Democrat and for president.

Merrick Garland is still tutoring students while his Supreme Court nomination is in limboFollowing his regular routine, Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland showed up to a D.C. elementary school Monday to tutor students.

A history of fiery conventionsThis summer’s political conventions could get heated – but it certainly wouldn’t be the first time.

San Francisco first U.S. city to require businesses to offer new parents paid leaveThe provision gives mothers and fathers six weeks of time off without losing income, including those who adopt.

Even after Wisconsin win, Ted Cruz struggles to get establishment GOP supportThe Texas senator is attempting to remake himself as the unity candidate against Trump.

Pfizer, Allergan call off $160 billion merger after U.S. moves to block inversionsBusiness groups complain that the Obama administration is injecting new uncertainty into global trade.

As contested convention looms, Trump to hire ‘seasoned operatives’ to helpThe operation is growing to deal with a series of challenges, including winning delegates.

Diabetes was once a problem of the rich. Now it belongs to the poor.The disease’s dramatic quarter-century spread around the world has disproportionately affected low- and middle-income countries.

Common criticisms about Common CoreCommon Core started out as a push by states to improve learning standards, but it has made education an even more contentious issue. Here are the most common criticisms about Common Core.

Why Jeff Bezos says Amazon is ‘the best place in the world to fail’In his annual shareholder letter, the Amazon CEO writes about decision-making, corporate cultures and the need for experimentation.

Teacher arrested for carrying a gun at a middle school in Newtown, Conn.Small town where 26 children and teachers were killed in a notorious 2012 elementary school shooting has stepped up its law enforcement presence at schools.

The messy way Colorado is picking its GOP delegates may actually matter this yearRepublicans are holding a state convention instead of a primary or caucus this weekend.

Former coal CEO sentenced to a year in prison after 2010 West Virginia coal mine disasterProsecutors called this the first time a CEO was convicted for a workplace safety crime.

Supreme Court won’t stop execution of Texas inmate who said he drank 12-year-old victim’s bloodThe stay request was rejected hours before Texas planned to execute the 38-year-old inmate by lethal injection.

Maryland rejects Montgomery County’s snow-day waiver requestState said the county did not do enough to modify its calendar in making up missed days.

More relatives of China’s top leaders implicated in Panama papers

Remedial classes have become a hidden cost of collegeOne in four students have to enroll in remedial classes their first year of college, costing their families nearly $1.5 billion.

U.S. strikes al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria for the second time in a weekIt is the second strike against the terror group in less than 72 hours.

Isaac Newton spent a lot of time on junk ‘science,’ and this manuscript proves itReminder: The father of physics was super into alchemy.

Why Iceland’s citizens are outraged about the prime minister’s moneyTens of thousands of protesters filled the streets after journalists published the details of an unusual financial arrangement.

Ancient exploding stars hurled radioactive debris at Earth — and it’s still hereEarly humans may have watched explosions as bright as the moon for weeks.

MIT researchers are now 3D printing robots that can walk on their ownMIT researchers unlock the power of 3D printing with robots made of solids and liquids.

One man’s wild idea for saving rhinos: Airlifting them to AustraliaThe hope is that a population of rhino refugees can breed in peace down under, far from the sights of poachers in Africa.

Federal Reserve uncertain when it will raise interest rates again, documents showThe first rate hike was clear. The second one? Not so much.

How Mexico could call Donald Trump’s bluffLet’s play out Trump’s plan to make Mexico pay for the wall.

Police officer ‘acted like a cunning criminal’ and ‘earned every day of this prison sentence’Former East Cleveland Police Sgt. Torris Moore targeted suspected drug dealers, stealing money that was seized during illegal searches, according to federal prosecutors.

The DEA will decide whether to change course on marijuana by JulyAs more states legalize marijuana for medical and recreational use, federal law is becoming increasingly out of step with reality.

Pope Francis blessed the eyes of a 5-year-old girl who is losing her vision to a genetic disease“She was totally big-eyed and it was a very powerful moment for her.”

FBI: It’s ‘simply too early’ to say whether anything valuable is on the San Bernardino iPhoneThe FBI says it may never reveal what investigators found on the phone.

‘It was a monster’: Hunters kill enormous 800-pound alligator that was feasting on farm cattleThe Florida hunters said it was “the largest gator we have ever killed in the wild!”

Rebounding oil prices calm global marketsInvestors wait and watch for any signals from Fed minutes

Chesapeake Bay osprey are having a huge rebound after the removal of this deadly poisonAfter DDT nearly wiped them out in the 1970s, fish hawks are back in the Chesapeake Bay in a big way.

Standardized testing blunders just keep on comingYou might think that given the hundreds of millions of dollars that go into test development administration, some of this stuff would be checked out in advance.

These islands just proposed creating the biggest marine reserve on Earth

State Department seeks to restrict questions in lawsuit over Clinton email battleThe agency argued FBI probe should be off-limits and Clinton aides’ testimony limited in Judicial Watch suit.

Tesla’s Model 3 orders are through the roof. Here’s what that means for the planet.It will take more than Tesla alone to green the global transportation sector.

San Francisco just became the first U.S. city to offer parents fully paid leaveWhile some parents have expressed relief, small business owners have complained

Justice Department sues to block Halliburton-Baker Hughes mergerThe oilfield services companies vowed to “vigorously contest” the antitrust action.

The American diet at age 1: Bananas, apples, fries, brownies and few veggiesThe first few months of a child’s life are a glorious — and healthful — time for eating. Why is that that by the time millions of us are adults, we are subsisting on diets full of saturated fats and processed sugars?

The government just made it harder to buy a tiger in AmericaAnd that could help endangered tigers around the world.

The surprising thing that got the biggest share of online shopping dollars in 2015This was the first year that the computer hardware category did not earn the online shopping crown.

Parents called 911 to help suicidal daughter — and ‘police ended up putting a bullet in her’“We were afraid she was going to hurt herself,” the mother of Melissa Boarts said. Instead, police in Auburn, Ala., shot and killed her.

Banned chemical still used in hospital IVs is linked to attention deficit disorderPhthalates are known to disrupt hormones and have already been implicated in autism.

After Paris attacks, he shot at a mosque. This month, he prayed with the Muslims there.He tearfully asked for their forgiveness. They easily gave it.

The most controversial marijuana champion in the nation’s capital is a fugitive named KushgodAfter his conviction last month, Kushgod, a.ka. Nicholas Paul Cunningham, knows police are watching him.

The $90 billion question: Do we need government-supplied daycare?There’s no easy answer.

Pfizer and Allergan call off their $160 billion merger after U.S. move to block inversionsPfizer agrees to pay Allergan $150 million for failed transaction.

Who gets divorced in America, in 7 chartsThe groups that are most likely to get divorced in America

Pfizer and Allergan call off $160 billion mergerUnder intense pressure from the U.S. over “insidious” tax loopholes, the two companies called off their record merger. This is a developing story. It will be updated.

With one change, this school doubled the number of kids eating school breakfastElementary school in Virginia saw a 117 percent increase in students who eat school breakfasts.

Donald Trump, Black Lives Matter, cosmology – all signs religion is alive and well to Krista TippettThe host of the most popular religion radio show and podcast in America has a new book, “Being Wise.”

Wall Street has been helping the Federal Reserve – but that may not lastMaybe investors have gone a little too far.

Listen to Krista Tippett read the introduction of her new bookTippett believes we can see Americans’ true interest in spirituality in everything from Black Lives Matter to Donald Trump.

New Horizons sniffs out the space weather around PlutoIt may have found the seeds of anomalous cosmic rays, which pose a threat to astronauts.

How many students are refusing to take Common Core tests this year?Early indications from New York — the largest opt-out state — suggest even more than last year, when some 20 percent of students refused.

Warmer today, gusty windsWe’re a little bit warmer today than yesterday, but those gusty winds are still in place which might make it feel a little cooler.

Investigating the asteroid that killed the dinosaursThe asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago left a massive crater off the coast of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. Scientists are finally drilling into the Chicxulub crater to see what secrets it holds.

How Bernie Sanders won Wisconsin, in less than 60 secondsHow Bernie Sanders won Wisconsin, in less than 60 seconds

After Wisconsin win, Cruz looks for GOP’s trustAfter winning the April 5 Wisconsin primary, Ted Cruz appeared to reach out to the GOP establishment – and ask for its trust.

California authorities raid home of anti-Planned Parenthood videographerInvestigators seized laptop, hard drives, activist said

Cruz gets a big victory, and anti-Trump forces are emboldenedA contested convention becomes more probable after the Wisconsin primary.

Trump shows new vulnerabilities — and has only himself to blameThe weeks leading to Wisconsin proved crucial. Can the candidate get back on track?

How Ted Cruz won Wisconsin, in 60 secondsHow Ted Cruz won the Wisconsin GOP primary, in 60 seconds

Sanders wins in Wisconsin, keeping alive his improbable bid for the nominationThe senator from Vermont has won in six of the past seven states holding nominating contests.

Cruz, Sanders predict wins over Clinton after WisconsinWisconsin presidential primary voters shunned front-runners from both the Democratic and Republican parties on April 5. Here are key moments from the victory speeches of Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).

Ted Cruz declares Wisconsin ‘a turning point’ in the GOP campaignDominant primary win over Trump shows that the Texan can extend his appeal beyond rural states.

The graying of HIV: 1 in 6 new U.S. cases are people older than 50For older Americans, the infection has unique medical and social implications.

Executions in the U.S. were down last year. But the country still put more inmates to death than most other nations.The U.S. remains a global leader in capital punishment.

In foreign bribery cases, leniency offered to companies that turn over employeesFirms that voluntarily report wrongdoing could get reduced sentences or avoid prosecution.

Delays. Backlogs. Confusing applications. Obama’s latest student loan plan is having growing pains.People are having a difficult time enrolling in the government’s most generous student loan repayment plan as the companies hired to manage the process contend with a backlog of applications.

Former U-Va. student ‘Jackie’ to sit for deposition in Rolling Stone lawsuitFederal judge compels “Jackie” to take part in deposition for Rolling Stone lawsuit on Thursday.

Federal trial for accused Charleston church gunman delayed again as death penalty decision loomsThe trial was postponed for a second time this year as authorities await the attorney general’s decision on the death penalty.

WhatsApp, the messaging service, announces full encryption on all platformsThe development is a boon for privacy advocates, but bemoaned by law enforcement.

The ‘tremendously complex’ decision facing Disney’s boardThe company’s presumed heir apparent, Thomas Staggs, is stepping down, prompting an even bigger succession challenge for the media giant

Teachers union touts victory in evaluation fightIn a first success for the union, teacher wins reversal of firing decision because a principal didn’t follow D.C. Public Schools protocols. But it’s a relatively minor victory that doesn’t affect the overall evaluation system.

Financial digest: Wednesday, April 6, 2016U.S. women will see a $430,000 pay gap over the course of their careers, report finds.

For some, getting ahead financially simply means not falling behindIt’s National Financial Literacy Month — a good time to build a cushion and pay down debt.

Va. delegate: Naming a law school for Scalia is a polarizing mistakeA Virginia delegate writes that George Mason University should not name its law school after the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, because his views were too alienating.

State Department names Paris attack suspect a global terroristThe designation freezes any U.S. assets of Salah Abdeslam and bars Americans from dealing with him.

Like Scalia, the law school at George Mason U. has a maverick streak, dean saysThe dean and a professor at the just-renamed Antonin Scalia School of Law at George Mason University defend the decision to honor the late Supreme Court Justice

Genetically engineered pig hearts survive a record-breaking two years inside baboonsGenetically modified pig hearts might make it into human chests one day.

Rare Sumatran rhino, once believed to be extinct, dies just weeks after being discoveredThe animal was the first wild Sumatran rhino that humans in Indonesian Borneo had made contact with in 40 years.

Obama criticizes companies that leave U.S. for lower taxesGovernment rules announced Monday could imperil Pfizer’s $160 billion “inversion” deal.

12 times Trump’s town hall with Sean Hannity felt like a rallyDonald Trump appeared at a town hall event on Fox News on April 4 – but it felt a lot more like a rally than a question-and-answer session.

How the U.S. became one of the world’s biggest tax havensAmericans don’t need to go to Panama – they have a thriving offshore industry at home.

Our dangerous obsession with Harvard, Stanford and other elite universitiesFocusing on a small number of private schools in the media, the halls of Congress or statehouses, and especially in guidance offices in high schools, is dangerous for our future.

Israeli-made kamikaze drone spotted in Nagorno-Karabakh conflictIt apparently ran into a bus full of Armenian volunteers.