National News at a Glance

Unintended Effect of U.S. Tax Cuts: A Cash Windfall for Many States

The federal tax overhaul cut taxes for millions of American families and businesses. But the law also had an unintended effect: raising the state-tax bite in nearly every state that has an income tax. Now, governors and state legislators are contending with how to adjust their own tax codes to shield their residents from paying more or whether to apply any of the revenue windfall to other priorities. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which President Donald Trump signed into law in December, cut federal tax rates but also made changes that mean more income will be subject to taxation.

Oklahoma Passes Adoption Law That LGBT Groups Call Discriminatory

Gov. Mary Fallin of Oklahoma, a Republican, signed a bill Friday that gay rights groups said would allow private adoption agencies to discriminate against LGBT couples on religious grounds when placing children. The law would allow the agencies to choose not to place children in certain homes if it “would violate the agency’s written religious or moral convictions or policies.” Critics of the law, which also applies to private agencies working in foster care, said it was unconstitutional and harmful to children. Supporters said it would ultimately help children by protecting the agencies that work to place them.

Movement Afoot to Give Former Inmates the Right to Vote

A growing national movement is pushing to politically empower formerly incarcerated people by encouraging them to vote if they are eligible and pushing to restore their rights if they are not. Most states curb the voting rights of former felons; an estimated 6 million people nationwide are barred from voting because of felony convictions. But a number of states are considering whether to get rid of the disenfranchisement laws. In Florida, where 10 percent of adults can’t vote because of a felony conviction, a ballot initiative in November would automatically restore voting rights after a prison sentence has been completed.

Lava Overran a Neighborhood in Hawaii

The Kilauea volcano on Hawaii’s Big Island unleashed havoc when the earth split open, lava spewed hundreds of feet into the air and molten rock swallowed streets in a residential neighborhood. In the days since the eruptions began, 1,700 people have been evacuated, and many homes have been consumed by fire. Since eruptions in the Leilani Estates neighborhood began May 3, the flows of lava have destroyed 36 structures as of Friday — at least 26 of them homes — and covered 117 acres. The fissures across the neighborhood have also been emitting dangerous sulfur dioxide gases, local authorities said.

Women Rally in Cannes to Highlight Gender Inequality

Eighty-two women working in the film industry swarmed the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday to denounce gender inequality in their field. Why 82? Because in the 71 festival competitions since 1946, only 82 movies by female directors have been in contention for prizes. This compares with a total of 1,645 films by male directors. Only one movie by a female director, “The Piano Teacher” by Jane Campion, has ever won the festival’s top prize, the Palme d’Or. The 82 women appeared on the red carpet for the premiere of “Girls of the Sun” by Eva Husson.