Saturday, May 26, 2018
Exit polls suggest Irish voters repeal ban on abortion
DUBLIN
Ireland appeared to move away from its conservative Roman Catholic roots and embrace a more liberal viewpoint Friday as two major exit polls predicted voters had repealed a constitutional ban on abortion.
The RTE television and Irish Times exit polls are only predictions, with official tallies due this afternoon, but both exit polls suggested an overwhelming victory for abortion-rights activists seeking a “yes” vote to change the constitution.
Veteran arrested in mail-bomb case
BEAUMONT, Texas
A 40-year-old military veteran was arrested in connection with two explosive devices found in southeast Texas in recent weeks, federal prosecutors said Friday.
Investigators with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the FBI said in a news conference that they had linked the devices and postcards with cryptic messages referring to the bombs that were sent to the Beaumont Police Department to Jonathan Matthew Torres.
Investigators found mousetraps, screws and other components of the devices and postal materials while executing a search warrant Thursday at Torres’ Beaumont home. After the search, Torres was taken into federal custody without incident.
Palin’s son seeks to bar media in assault proceedings
ANCHORAGE, Alaska
The eldest son of former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin is seeking to bar the media from covering court hearings after he was accused of assaulting his father last year at the family home in Alaska.
A lawyer for Track Palin, 29, filed a motion Friday to prohibit or limit media access to proceedings in Veterans Court, including a hearing scheduled to take place Tuesday.
Palin’s attorney, Patrick Bergt, said the motion was filed on grounds to ensure the case does not become a distraction to other veterans in the system. Veterans Court is part of Alaska’s therapeutic court system.
No new charges against woman who lied about trooper
WAXAHACHIE, Texas
New charges won’t be filed against a woman who accused a Texas trooper of sexual assault during a traffic stop.
In a Friday statement, Ellis County District Attorney Patrick Wilson says the woman made her allegations to a jailer and her attorney and not to a sworn peace officer, meaning no false report was filed.
The woman’s attorney, Lee Merritt, apologized Wednesday after the release of body camera video appeared to contradict her claims.
First named tropical system chugs toward Gulf
MIAMI
A storm moving slowly through the Caribbean Sea is threatening to bring heavy rainfall, mudslides and flash floods to parts of Mexico, Cuba, Florida and the U.S. Gulf Coast this weekend.
Subtropical Storm Alberto – the first named storm of the 2018 hurricane season – was roiling parts of coastal Mexico and Cuba with rip currents and dangerous surf Friday. Both countries issued tropical storm watches for portions of their coastlines, with rain totals in some isolated areas of up to 25 inches.
Associated Press