We’ve got big breaking news this morning: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been arrested in London at the Ecuadorian Embassy, where he’s spent years in asylum. Follow live updates here.
Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and Out the Door. (You can also get “5 Things You Need to Know Today” delivered to your inbox daily.
1. Sudan
Sudan’s President is under house arrest after stepping down. Omar al-Bashir, who had been in power for three decades, was ousted after thousands took to the streets in recent months to rise up against him. The protests started as a demonstration against the mounting cost of living in the country but escalated into a push for Bashir’s removal, with mass rallies and sit-ins outside the presidential compound and army headquarters. A photo of a 22-year-old activist chanting from atop a car this week went viral. As word got out that Bashir had been forced out, people flooded the streets of the capital, Khartoum, in celebration. Keep up with the latest updates here.
2. Louisiana church fires
A suspect has been arrested in the fires that destroyed three historically black churches. The suspect is a 21-year-old man from St. Landry Parish, two sources tell CNN. It’s believed he’ll be identified during a news conference later this morning. The congregants of these churches have dealt with the torching of their places of worship in different ways. One group linked arms and prayed as their church burned. A pastor at a church near two that burned slept in his house of worship to protect it from possible arsonists.
3. William Barr
Democrats are feeling some kind of way about Attorney General William Barr — and that feeling would be anger. Barr outraged congressional Democrats after he suggested Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign was spied on and said he’ll investigate the FBI’s actions that led to the Russia probe. Barr didn’t offer any evidence to back up his shocking statement. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi fumed that Barr was “going off the rails,” and other Dems accused Barr of floating the spying claim just to make Trump happy. Republicans were thrilled at the news, defending Barr as “an honorable man” and saying it was about time someone looked into how the whole Russia investigation began.
4. Brexit
Once again, Brexit is delayed. This time, it’s being put off until Halloween, after the European Union agreed to give the United Kingdom until October 31 to figure out how it will leave the trading bloc. EU leaders seemed to be growing weary of the whole thing (we feel their pain) and were unconvinced by Prime Minister Theresa May’s promise that the UK could get its act together by her proposed exit date at the end of June. Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, had a stark warning for the Brits: “Please do not waste this time.”
5. Weather
The late, great Prince once recorded a song called, “Sometimes It Snows in April.” Well, that time is now in the Midwest, where a big spring storm is dumping heavy snow and producing blizzard conditions. At least 12 states are under storm warnings, but the brunt of it will be felt today in the Dakotas and Minnesota. South Dakota could get hit with 30 inches of snow as the storm makes its way into Canada. Of course, getting around will be a nightmare for the 1.6 million people in the storm’s path, with travel almost impossible in Nebraska until tomorrow morning. All this snowfall, of course, could lead to more flooding in the region.
