National News at a Glance

Barbara Bush, Wife of 41st President and Mother of 43rd, Dies at 92

Barbara Bush, the widely admired wife of one president and the fiercely loyal mother of another, died Tuesday evening at her home in Houston. She was 92. Jim McGrath, a family spokesman, announced the death in a statement posted to Twitter. On Sunday, the office of her husband, former President George H.W. Bush, issued a statement saying that after consulting her family and her doctors, Barbara Bush had “decided not to seek additional medical treatment and will instead focus on comfort care.” The Bushes had celebrated their 73rd wedding anniversary in January, making them the longest-married couple in presidential history.

IRS Website Crashes on Tax Day as Millions Tried to File Returns

Millions of taxpayers who waited until Tuesday to file their 2017 tax returns and make payments through the Internal Revenue Service’s website were thwarted by a systemwide computer failure that advised last-minute filers to “come back on Dec. 31, 9999.” The website malfunction, which began early Tuesday morning and was not resolved until early evening, crippled a crucial part of the agency’s website that allows taxpayers to file returns electronically and make their tax payments directly through their bank accounts. The IRS said in a statement that taxpayers would be given an additional day to file their returns.

Sanctions Flap Erupts Into Open Conflict Between Haley and White House

President Donald Trump was watching television Sunday when he saw Nikki Haley, his ambassador to the United Nations, announce that he would impose fresh sanctions on Russia. The president grew angry, according to an official informed about the moment. As far as he was concerned, he had decided no such thing. The rift erupted into open conflict Tuesday when a White House official blamed Haley’s statement on “momentary confusion.” That prompted her to fire back, saying she did not “get confused.” The public disagreement embarrassed Haley and reinforced questions about Trump’s foreign policy — and who speaks for his administration.

A Southwest Airlines Engine Explodes, Killing a Passenger

One person was killed on a Southwest Airlines flight from New York to Dallas when an engine exploded in midair on Tuesday, shattering a window that passengers said partially sucked a woman outside of the aircraft. The explosion, which one passenger said happened about a half-hour into the flight, prompted a desperate effort among flight attendants and passengers to save the woman. “I think, like most passengers, I thought I was going to die,” the passenger, Matt Tranchin, 34, said. On Tuesday night, an official with the New Mexico Broadcasters Association identified the deceased victim as Jennifer Riordan, of Albuquerque.

New Felony Claim Plunges Missouri’s Governor Into Deeper Jeopardy

In January, Gov. Eric Greitens of Missouri admitted to an extramarital affair with his former hairdresser. In February, he was indicted on a felony invasion-of-privacy charge. On Tuesday, the state attorney general plunged the governor even more deeply into political and legal jeopardy, saying Greitens may have committed a felony in using a charity’s donor list for political fundraising. Josh Hawley, the Republican attorney general of Missouri, said his office had evidence that Greitens had illegally obtained a donor list from The Mission Continues, a veterans charity the governor founded. Hawley referred the matter to the St. Louis circuit attorney.

Justice Gorsuch Joins Supreme Court’s Liberals to Strike Down Deportation Law

The Supreme Court on Tuesday struck down a law that allowed the government to deport some immigrants who commit serious crimes, saying it was unconstitutionally vague. The decision will limit the Trump administration’s efforts to deport people convicted of some kinds of crimes. The vote was 5-4, with Justice Neil Gorsuch joining the court’s four more liberal members to form a bare majority, which was a first. Gorsuch wrote that the law crossed a constitutional line. “Vague laws,” he wrote in a concurring opinion, “invite arbitrary power.” Immigration advocates said the ruling could spare thousands of people from deportation.

Sessions Tries to Put New Pressure on Drug Companies in Opioid Crisis

Attorney General Jeff Sessions proposed regulations Tuesday that could limit the amount of opioid pain medication that drug companies can produce and force them to account for illegitimate prescriptions. The regulations would change how the Drug Enforcement Administration sets production quotas for drug companies. Those companies would have to work with states, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other agencies to justify the number of pills they send to medical providers. “If DEA believes that a company’s opioids are being diverted for misuse, then they will reduce the amount of opioids that company can make,” Sessions said.

Trial Judge Rules to Admit Cosby Testimony About Quaaludes

Judge Steven T. O’Neill, who is presiding at Bill Cosby’s sexual assault retrial, ruled Tuesday that jurors could hear the defendant’s previous statements about obtaining quaaludes, powerful sedatives, as part of his efforts to have sex with women. Prosecutors say Cosby’s statement about the quaaludes bolsters their contention that he drugged women, including Andrea Constand, whom he is charged with molesting in 2004 after giving her three blue pills. She has testified they incapacitated her. Cosby’s defense team had tried to block the introduction of his statement from a 2005 deposition in a civil suit that Constand filed against him.