National emergency declaration, Jussie Smollett attack, 'Lorena': 5 things to know Friday
Trump expected to declare national emergency for border wall funding
President Donald Trump is expected to sign a funding bill to avoid a government shutdown Friday and then declare a national emergency to receive more funding for his proposed wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. The move comes after Congress approved legislation on Thursday that would devote $1.375 billion for a 55-mile border barrier, far less than the $5.7 billion Trump demanded. But experts said Trump's move would create a legal morass that could take until the middle of next year to resolve — it would let Trump sidestep Democratic opposition to more wall funding. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer called Trump's decision a "gross abuse of the power of the presidency."
Pence to visit Auschwitz memorial in Poland
Vice President Pence is scheduled to visit the site of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in Poland on Friday as he continues a European trip he has used to push the White House's aggressive anti-Iran message. Speaking in Warsaw on Thursday at a U.S.-sponsored meeting on the Mideast, Pence demanded that European countries withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal, which the U.S. has already abandoned. Pence blasted Iran's "authoritarian regime," which he said "endlessly spews hatred against Israel, our most cherished ally." After his Auschwitz visit, Pence heads to Munich for a security conference.
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Jussie Smollett recounts violent attack as police, FOX dispute report it was staged
The second half of Jussie Smollet's interview with "Good Morning America" anchor Robin Roberts aired on "Nightline" early Friday as rumors arose around the "Empire" star's claim that two men attacked him last month in Chicago. During the interview, Smollett, 36, recounted details of the attack, which he said included racist and homophobic slurs, and also said those doubting him "don't even want to see this is the truth." On Thursday, FOX Entertainment and 20th Century FOX Television, which produces the Chicago-based family drama, dismissed a report that said Smollett staged the attack because he was being written out of the show. In addition, Chicago Police disputed the report, which cited multiple anonymous sources, adding: the “supposed CPD sources are uninformed and inaccurate.”
Judge to weigh fight over citizenship question on census
The Trump administration will try to persuade a U.S. judge Friday to let it add a citizenship question to the 2020 U.S. census for the first time in nearly 70 years, a move that opponents say would lead to an undercount of immigrants and Latinos. Lawsuits by California and numerous cities in the state say asking people whether they are citizens of the U.S. is politically motivated and would discourage immigrants and Latinos from participating in the population count. Judge Richard Seeborg, who is not expected to issue a ruling immediately after closing arguments, has heard nearly a week of testimony last month in the lawsuits.
Lorena Bobbitt tells her story on Amazon
"Lorena," a docu-series premiering on Amazon on Friday, takes a deep dive into why Lorena Bobbitt sliced off her husband's penis on a June night in 1993. Lorena, 48, who has reverted to Gallo, her maiden name, says the #MeToo and Time's Up movements made her want to tell her story again. "I wanted to show society how important it is to know what happened in the eyes of the victims," she said. "It was really traumatizing." John Bobbitt was also interviewed, a move Lorena supported. "He has to be (in it)! He's part of domestic violence. I want the world to see how he actually is."
Contributing: Associated Press