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

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1. U.S., Mexico fail to reach deal averting tariffs, but keep talking
2. Biden drops support of Hyde Amendment in key reversal
3. West Point training accident leaves 1 person dead, more than 20 injured
4. Trump signs delayed $19.1 billion disaster relief bill
5. Theresa May steps down as Conservative Party leader
6. House panel unveils proposal to enforce subpoenas
7. New Orleans music legend Dr. John dies at 77
8. NYPD commissioner apologizes for 1969 Stonewall Inn raid
9. Women's World Cup kicks off with U.S., France favored to win
10. R. Kelly pleads not guilty on new sexual assault charges

published 7 June 2019

1. U.S., Mexico fail to reach deal averting tariffs, but keep talking

U.S. and Mexican officials failed Thursday to reach a deal to avert or at least delay tariffs President Trump has threatened to impose Monday unless Mexico shows significant progress curbing the surge of Central American migrants coming over the U.S.-Mexico border. Vice President Mike Pence said the Trump administration was "encouraged" by Mexico's latest proposals in the second day of talks. Mexico said it would send 6,000 members of its national guard to its southern border with Guatemala to block undocumented migrants heading north. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Trump's plan "has not changed" and he was "still moving forward with tariffs at this time." The last-minute talks resume Friday, the deadline Trump has set for Mexico to satisfy his demands or face a 5 percent tax on all of its goods entering the U.S.

Former Vice President Joe Biden, the frontrunner in a crowded field of Democratic presidential candidates, announced on Thursday night that he supports repealing the Hyde Amendment, a four-decade-old ban on using federal money for most abortions. Biden's campaign had said a day earlier that he still supported the measure, putting him at odds with the other leading 2020 Democratic candidates. Biden criticized Republican governors for "denying health care" to vulnerable Americans by refusing Medicaid expansion. "I can't justify leaving millions of women without access to the care they need and the ability to exercise their constitutionally-protected right," he said. "If I believe health care is a right, as I do, I can no longer support an amendment that makes that right dependent on someone's ZIP code."

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A tactical vehicle carrying West Point cadets overturned during summer training on Thursday, killing one cadet and injuring about 20. None of the survivors' injuries were life-threatening, according to an official with the hospital at the military school. The crash occurred on a dirt road in a wooded area. "It is not common for these vehicles to turn over. It is very rough terrain," said West Point's superintendent, Lt. Gen. Darryl A. Williams. "You can see the hills we have here." Officials did not immediately release the name of the cadet who was killed.

President Trump on Thursday signed a long-delayed $19.1 billion disaster aid bill that includes money for Puerto Rico that Trump long opposed, but none of the funding he wanted for the U.S.-Mexico border. "Just signed Disaster Aid Bill to help Americans who have been hit by recent catastrophic storms," Trump tweeted. "So important for our GREAT American farmers and ranchers." Trump has faced criticism for not spending more to help Puerto Rico recover from Hurricane Maria. He said the U.S. Caribbean territory should be happy with him now. The bill provides relief for areas hit by hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, wildfires, and other disasters. A handful of House Republicans, unhappy about the cost and exclusion of border money, delayed the final vote three times before the House passed the measure Monday.

Theresa May steps down as leader of the U.K.'s Conservative Party on Friday, after her leadership crumbled over her failure to get lawmakers to approve her plan for the country's exit from the European Union. May, who announced her resignation two weeks ago, will continue to serve as prime minister until the party picks her successor. Party rules set a Monday deadline for nominations. Eleven Conservative members of Parliament are vying for the position, although party leaders have set rules designed to weed out those with no chance, to avoid dragging out the process.

The House Rules Committee on Thursday unveiled a resolution seeking to authorize court action to enforce congressional subpoenas being defied by Attorney General William Barr and former White House Counsel Don McGahn over Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report on Russian election interference. Barr has released a redacted version of the report, but refused to comply with a House Judiciary Committee subpoena to hand over the full report and supporting material. The Judiciary Committee voted May 8 to recommend that the full House hold Barr in contempt. The White House has since asserted executive privilege over the material.

New Orleans music legend Dr. John, born Malcolm John Rebennack Jr., died of a heart attack Thursday. He was 77. The six-time Grammy winner's eclectic music brought together the varied cultural influences of his home town. He grew up playing piano, switched to guitar, then returned to piano after he was shot in the finger in 1960. After serving prison time on drug charges, he moved to Los Angeles and became a studio musician, adopting the Dr. John persona in solo work in the late 1960s. His albums Gris-Gris and Dr. John's Gumbo appear on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 best albums. Rebennack, whose best-known single was "Right Place Wrong Time," was inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in 2011.

New York City's police commissioner, James P. O'Neill, issued an official apology for the 1969 police raid on the Stonewall Inn, a turning point for the gay rights movement. Police in the city had long refused to address the violent crackdown, fueling distrust between law enforcement and gay-rights supporters. O'Neill tried to begin to make amends, saying, "The actions taken by the NYPD were wrong — plain and simple." City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, who is gay and had called for the apology, said O'Neill's remarks were "really moving." Richard Saenz, an attorney at civil rights organization Lambda Legal, said O'Neill's remarks would have to be followed by actions. "The history of police violence and criminalization of LGBTQ people sadly continues to this day," he said.

The first match of the FIFA Women's World Cup in Paris is slated for Friday at 3 p.m. ET, with the home team playing South Korea. France is highly anticipated to win that match, and FiveThirtyEight lists the team as the most likely to win the whole cup at 20 percent. Still, the U.S. women are ranked No. 1 on FIFA's list, giving them highest betting odds, 7-4, to win it all. Germany and England could also sneak into the top spot, with 11-2 and 7-1 odds, respectively. Off the field, the U.S. women's team is still waging their lawsuit against the U.S. Soccer Federation for alleged gender discrimination. FIFA will award $4 million to this year's winning team compared to the $38 million France's men's team got when it won last year's World Cup.

R&B singer R. Kelly pleaded not guilty Thursday to 11 new charges, including four counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault, felonies that carry sentences of up to 30 years in prison. Prosecutors say Kelly forced or threatened the accuser to perform sex acts when she was underage. The new indictment includes eight counts that allegedly occurred in January 2010, and three others between May 2009 and the end of January 2010. The Grammy award-winning singer has denied he did anything wrong. His lawyer said the charges are just part of the same case he already faced. Kelly is scheduled for a status hearing June 26.

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Harold Maass is a contributing editor at The Week. He has been writing for The Week since the 2001 debut of the U.S. print edition and served as editor of TheWeek.com when it launched in 2008. Harold started his career as a newspaper reporter in South Florida and Haiti. He has previously worked for a variety of news outlets, including The Miami Herald, ABC News and Fox News, and for several years wrote a daily roundup of financial news for The Week and Yahoo Finance.