10 things you need to know today: May 7, 2019

1. Mnuchin rejects Democrats' demand for Trump tax returns

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin notified House Democrats on Monday that he would not turn over President Trump's tax returns. He said the Ways and Means Committee's request for the documents "lacks a legitimate legislative purpose." Under a 1924 law, Ways and Means Chair Richard Neal (D-Mass.) is one of just a few lawmakers with the authority to request the president's tax returns. In his letter to Neal, Mnuchin said he spoke with Justice Department officials who concluded the Trump administration could not legally provide the returns because doing so could amount to a violation of privacy. The Justice Department has not released any legal justification. House Democrats have said they are on strong legal ground, and that they expect to file a lawsuit to continue pressing for the release of Trump's returns.

The Washington Post

2. Myanmar releases 2 Reuters journalists after 511 days in prison

Myanmar on Tuesday released two Reuters journalists from prison after they spent 511 days in detention. U Wa Lone, 33, and U Kyaw Soe Oo, 29, were arrested in December 2017 and charged with violating the colonial-era Official Secrets Act for receiving police documents while investigating the massacre of 10 Rohingya Muslim villagers. The men were convicted, and sentenced to seven years in September. The case touched off global condemnation of Myanmar's government and its de facto civilian leader, Nobel laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. In April, the journalists' work was honored with a Pulitzer Prize for international reporting, journalism's highest honor. The men were released along with more than 6,000 other prisoners under a presidential pardon coinciding with the traditional new year.

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The New York Times

3. Ex-prosecutors: Trump would face felony obstruction charges if he weren't president

More than 500 former federal prosecutors signed an open letter published Monday on Medium saying that President Trump would have been indicted for obstruction of justice based on evidence described in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report if he were not president. The ex-prosecutors, who served in both Republican and Democratic administrations, said in the letter that Trump's conduct laid out in the report "would, in the case of any other person not covered by the Office of Legal Counsel policy against indicting a sitting president, result in multiple felony charges for obstruction of justice." The letter said there were "potential defenses" for Trump but arguing that a prosecutor could not have secured an indictment based on the evidence "runs counter to logic and our experience."

NBC News

4. Barr misses House Democrats' deadline for unredacted Mueller report

Attorney General William Barr missed a Monday deadline to give the House Judiciary Committee an unredacted version of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report, and members of the panel's Democratic majority said they would vote Wednesday on whether to issue a contempt citation against Barr. The committee's chairman, Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), said Barr's failure to comply with the requests for Mueller's full report on Russian election interference, along with supporting evidence, left Congress "with no choice but to initiate contempt proceedings." Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.), the Judiciary Committee's top Republican, said Nadler's decision on contempt is "illogical and disingenuous" because the Justice Department is still negotiating with the committee.

Politico The Washington Post

5. Michael Cohen starts 3-year prison sentence

Michael Cohen, President Trump's former lawyer and fixer, reported to an upstate New York prison on Monday to begin serving a three-year sentence for crimes that included campaign finance violations related to hush-money payments he made on Trump's behalf. Cohen, who has been disbarred, was originally supposed to start his sentence in March, but a judge granted a two-month delay to give Cohen time to recover from surgery. As he left his Manhattan apartment, Cohen took a parting shot at Trump, saying he hoped that when he rejoined his family, the country would be in a place without "xenophobia, injustice, and lies at the helm of our country." Cohen, who has already testified to Congress, said he looked "forward to the day that I can share the truth."

The Associated Press

6. Spokesman: Mueller leaving Justice Department 'within the coming days'

Peter Carr, a spokesman for Special Counsel Robert Mueller's office, said Monday that Mueller would be "concluding his service within the coming days." Mueller's departure from the Justice Department could simplify negotiations to have him testify to Congress about his report on Russian election interference and whether President Trump obstructed justice. House Democrats are pushing to have Mueller testify on May 15, but Trump tweeted Sunday that Mueller "should not testify" because he his report showed "NO COLLUSION" and "NO OBSTRUCTION." Attorney General William Barr, who in theory could block Mueller or any Justice Department employee from testifying, has said he is willing to let Mueller appear before Congress. "If they tell him not to go and he wants to go," said Randall Eliason, a George Washington University law professor, "he can quit and then go."

The Hill

7. Sri Lanka says all bombing suspects dead or arrested

Every suspect directly linked to April's Easter Sunday attacks in Sri Lanka is either dead or arrested, Sri Lanka's acting police chief Chandana Wickramaratne announced on Monday. In an audio statement circulated by the Sri Lankan defense ministry, the police chief also said security forces confiscated bomb-making materials that were intended for use in future attacks by the militants. The news comes after Sri Lanka instituted emergency powers which gave sweeping authority to the police and military as they tracked down suspects. Sri Lankan authorities believe the Easter Sunday attacks were carried out by two little-known local Islamist groups, National Tawheed Jamath and Jamathei Millathu. The Islamic State claimed responsibility.

Reuters

8. China stays in trade talks with Trump tariffs looming

China confirmed Monday that it will send a delegation to the U.S. for trade talks this week. The status of the negotiations was thrown into doubt on Sunday when President Trump tweeted a threat to impose new 25 percent tariffs on another $200 billion worth of Chinese imports this week. The Treasury Department confirmed Monday that the new levies would be imposed Friday. It accused Beijing of reneging on commitments toward a deal. China said Vice Premier Liu He would lead a scaled-down team on Thursday and Friday. The news renewed hope for a deal, as Liu has authority to make final decisions on behalf of President Xi Jinping. Stocks plunged after Trump's comments but recovered much of the lost ground by Monday's close.

CNBC

9. Private jet crashes in Mexico, killing at least 13

A private jet crashed between Las Vegas and the northern Mexican city of Monterrey, killing at least 13 people, authorities said Monday. The wreckage was found in a remote mountain area using aerial surveillance, the Coahuila, Mexico, state government said in a statement. The flight plan listed 13 people on the plane, although some media reported there was a 14th person on board. Rescuers did not find any survivors. Mexican media reported that the people on the plane had flown to Las Vegas for a Saturday boxing match between Saul "Canelo" Alvarez of Mexico and Daniel Jacobs of the U.S. The plane reportedly lost contact with air traffic controllers on Sunday after the pilot started descending to avoid bad weather.

Reuters

10. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry welcome a baby boy

Meghan Markle gave birth to a baby boy weighing 7 pounds, 3 ounces early Monday morning, the Sussex royals announced via an Instagram post. The baby is the first child of the Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, who married last year. Harry has since told reporters that the baby "is absolutely to die for." The announcement comes shortly after Buckingham Palace announced that Markle went into labor early Monday. The couple announced Markle's pregnancy in October but kept the baby's sex and due date secret. They recently said Markle would not make an appearance with the baby outside St. Mary's Hospital. The baby is seventh in line for the British throne, but it's uncertain if he will get a royal title.

The New York Times Reuters