US News Roundup: Missouri's only abortion clinic; Georgia business and abortion law

New Mexico town gets death threats after halting crowd-funded border wall

A New Mexico mayor on Thursday said he and his staff received multiple death threats after they briefly halted construction of a crowd-funded, private border wall by a group that then urged supporters to tell the city to "stop playing games," and alleged it was tied to drug cartels. Sunland Park Mayor Javier Perea said his email and voicemail were clogged with thousands of messages, some calling him racist slurs and others threatening to "come down and shoot us all."

Missouri's only abortion clinic faces closure at midnight

Missouri could become the only U.S. state without a legal abortion provider on Friday as its only abortion clinic could lose its license to perform the procedure unless a St. Louis judge intervenes. The legal battle in St. Louis comes a week after Missouri Governor Mike Parson, a Republican, signed a bill banning abortion beginning in the eighth week of pregnancy, making Missouri one of eight U.S. states that have passed anti-abortion legislation this year.

Major Hollywood studios may reconsider Georgia business over abortion law

The producer of the hit television series "The Walking Dead" and other major Hollywood film and TV studios said on Thursday they would reconsider locating productions in Georgia if a new state law restricting abortions takes effect. WarnerMedia, CBS Corp, Viacom Inc, NBCUniversal and "Walking Dead" producer AMC Networks Inc weighed in a day after Walt Disney Co's chief executive, Bob Iger, told Reuters that many people will not want to work in Georgia if the law is implemented, making it "very difficult" for the company to film there.

More asylum seekers sue Trump administration over prolonged U.S. detention

A group of detained asylum seekers sued the U.S. government on Thursday claiming immigration officials in five southern states are systematically denying them parole. In the second lawsuit of its kind filed against the Trump administration, legal advocacy groups representing 12 plaintiffs are seeking class action status on behalf of hundreds of asylum seekers being held in detention centres in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee. In addition to Central American migrants, the plaintiffs include a member of a Cameroonian opposition party and Cuban and Venezuelan political dissidents.

U.S. measles cases in 2019 highest since 1992

The United States recorded 971 cases of measles in the first five months of 2019, surpassing the total for any year since 1992, which was before the disease was declared eradicated in the country, federal officials said on Thursday. The United States declared measles eradicated from the country in 2000, but officials with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned on Thursday that the country risks losing its measles elimination status.

Alabama executes 46-year-old man convicted of killing minister in 1991

Alabama on Thursday executed a 46-year-old man convicted of killing a minister and wounding his wife with a sword and dagger while robbing their home three days before Christmas in 1991, the state's department of corrections said. Christopher Price was executed by lethal injection and pronounced dead at 7:31 p.m. (0031 GMT) local time at the William C. Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore, a spokesman for the Alabama Department of Corrections said.

Navy SEAL charged with war crimes freed from base confinement in San Diego

A Navy SEAL platoon leader court-martialed on war crimes charges was released by a military judge from base confinement in San Diego on Thursday, less than two weeks before he is due to go on trial. The Navy captain presiding over the case ordered Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher freed from custody at the end of a five-hour pre-trial hearing on several defence motions based on accusations of prosecutorial misconduct.

Attorney General Barr says Mueller 'could've reached a decision' on obstruction

U.S. Attorney General William Barr said Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who led a probe into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, could have reached a decision on whether President Donald Trump obstructed justice, but chose not to. Mueller said this week that he could not indict Trump because of a Justice Department policy that prohibits indicting a sitting president, and was not even willing to conclude if a crime was committed out of fairness to the president.

Eight contestants tie in national spelling bee, each receives $50,000 cash prize

Eight young super spellers all tie, and all are crowned co-champions for the Scripps National Spelling Bee. After a marathon session stretching into early Friday, each winner will receive a $50,000 prize and a trophy in the three-day event that started with 562-word whizzes from across the nation, U.S. territories and six other countries.

U.S. judge rejects Trump administration move to start wall construction

A federal judge rejected on Thursday an effort by the Trump administration to begin construction on a wall on the border with Mexico while it appeals a ruling that found funding for the wall was likely not authorized by Congress. U.S. District Court Judge Haywood Gilliam in Oakland, California said in a written order the government was unlikely to prevail on the merits of its appeal, and therefore failed to justify a stay of a preliminary injunction issued last Friday.