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President Trump will meet Tuesday with the man who will be the next king of Saudi Arabia. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will stop in Washington on his two-week U. S. tour. The two are expected to discuss the kingdom’s approach to its archenemy Iran, its efforts to end its reliance on oil and its moves to improve women’s rights, including ending a ban on women driving. Salman, 32, is the son of King Salman, 82. The king named him next in line for the throne in June, replacing the monarch’s nephew, who was implicated in a corruption purge. Here are 5 things you need to know about the prince.
The vernal (aka spring) equinox, which marks the moment that astronomical spring begins, is on Tuesday. For the folks down under in the Southern Hemisphere, it will be the first day of autumn. But if you’re hoping for a sunny spring day, the weather won’t be cooperating in a large chunk of the country. A winter storm will pound the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, possibly evolving into yet another nor’easter. Severe storms and a few tornadoes are expected to rattle the South and heavy rain will drench the West Coast. If the weather’s got you down, stay in for some spring cleaning or venture out and grab a free frozen treat at Dairy Queen or Rita’s Italian Ice.
Illinois Rep. Dan Lipinski, a conservative-leaning Democrat, fights for his political life on Tuesday in a race that could be an early ideological battleground for Democrats as they map their strategy to loosen the Republicans’ grip on the House and Senate. The pro-life Lipinski is facing a primary challenge from Marie Newman, a well-funded, first-time candidate. She has received the backing of Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., plus left-leaning abortion rights groups and alumni of President Obama’s campaigns. The Illinois race comes a week after a Pennsylvania special election in which moderate Democrat Conor Lamb appears to have narrowly defeated Republican Rick Saccone for a House seat in a deeply conservative district.
Melania Trump is hosting executives from major online and social media companies to discuss cyberbullying on Tuesday, more than a year after saying that would be her issue as first lady. Amazon, Snap, Facebook, Google and Twitter are among the companies that are expected to attend the meeting, which will also cover Internet safety. The mother of a 12-year-old son, the first lady has made child well-being her focus in the White House. Tuesday’s meeting marks her first public event on cyberbullying, a choice some observers have questioned given that her husband often berates people on Twitter.
A California law requiring pregnancy centers that oppose abortion to post information about state-funded abortion services is the latest in a flurry of high court cases concerning «compelled speech.» On Tuesday, the Supreme Court will hear a challenge brought by the National Institute of Family and Life Advocates, which operates pregnancy centers nationwide, including about 130 in California. The group says California’s law forces them to promote a medical procedure they oppose. California, backed by abortion rights groups, claims such centers deceive and misinform clients by posing as medical clinics and running ads intended to attract women in search of traditional abortion and contraception services.
Contributing: Associated Press
