White House aide Conway says she was sex-assault victim

White House aide Conway says she was sex-assault victim

WASHINGTON

White House counselor Kellyanne Conway said she was once a victim of sexual assault Sunday, but said women’s shared outrage over such misconduct shouldn’t affect Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination.

Conway made the comments on CNN’s “State of the Union” while defending Kavanaugh against sexual misconduct allegations. She argued that his opponents were wrongly politicizing his nomination and turning it into a “meeting of the #MeToo movement.” Conway said the news media and others often treat victims differently “based on their politics.”

“I feel very empathetic, frankly, for victims of sexual assault, sexual harassment and rape. I’m a victim of sexual assault,” Conway said. But she added: “I don’t expect Judge Kavanaugh or Jake Tapper or (Republican Sen.) Jeff Flake or anybody to be held responsible for that. You have to be responsible for your own conduct.”

More than 800 dead in Indonesia quake and tsunami

PALU, Indonesia

Rescuers struggled Sunday to reach victims in several large coastal towns in Indonesia that were hit by an earthquake and tsunami, and authorities feared that the toll of more than 800 confirmed dead would rise.

With the area largely cut off by damaged roads and downed communications lines, military and commercial aircraft were delivering some aid and supplies to the hard-hit city of Palu on the island of Sulawesi, and others in the region.

But there was a desperate need for heavy equipment to reach possible survivors buried in collapsed buildings, including an eight-story hotel in Palu where voices were heard in the rubble.

At least 832 people were confirmed killed by the quake and tsunami that struck Friday evening, Indonesia’s disaster agency said, with nearly all of those from Palu.

California is 1st state to require women on corporate boards

SACRAMENTO, Calif.

California has become the first state to require publicly traded companies to include women on their boards of directors.

Gov. Jerry Brown approved the legislation Sunday that forces changes at California-based corporations by 2020. Some European countries already require corporate boards to include women.

A fourth of publicly held corporations with headquarters in California don’t have any women on their boards of directors.

Trudeau calls meeting as Canada, US near trade deal

TORONTO

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called a meeting with his Cabinet late Sunday after Canada and the U.S. made substantial progress in free trade talks.

Two senior government officials confirmed the meeting. One of the officials said the discussions between Canada and the U.S. were ongoing, but progress was being made. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

Trudeau arrived at his office Sunday night but did not comment as he walked by reporters ahead of the unusual late meeting with his ministers.

David MacNaughton, Canada’s ambassador to Washington, said earlier that the U.S. and Canada had made a lot of progress, but there was no deal yet.

Associated Press