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Happening Today: Impeachment, Sri Lanka, Luke Walton, Measles, Luke Perry, ‘Game of Thrones'

What to Know

  • A House chairman subpoenaed Don McGahn as Dems moved to deepen their investigation of Trump while bottling up talk of impeaching him
  • Outbreaks in New York state continue to drive up the number of U.S. measles cases, which are approaching levels not seen in 25 years
  • A moment 'Riverdale' fans have been dreading is upon them. Luke Perry's final episode airs April 24 on The CW

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Dem Leaders Stress More Trump Probes, Downplay Impeachment

A House chairman subpoenaed former White House Counsel Don McGahn as Democratic leaders moved to deepen their investigation of President Trump while bottling up talk among their rank-and-file of impeaching him. Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler was one of six powerful committee leaders making their case on a conference call with other House Democrats late in the day that they are effectively investigating Trump-related matters ranging from potential obstruction to his personal and business taxes. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi urged divided Democrats to focus on fact-finding rather than the prospect of any impeachment proceedings after the damning details of special counsel Robert Mueller's report. Nadler and the other chairmen made clear they believe Trump did obstruct justice, according to people on the call who weren't authorized to discuss it by name. McGahn would be a star witness for any such case because he refused Trump's demand to set Mueller's firing in motion, according to the report.

Sri Lanka Security Brief Warned of Attacks on Churches

The warning in the April 11 letter was plain: A local group was planning a suicide terror attack against churches in Sri Lanka. Priyalal Disanayaka, the deputy inspector general of police, signed the letter addressed to the directors of four Sri Lankan security agencies. He identified Mohammed Zaharan as the leader of "National Thawheek Jaman" and said state intelligence showed Zaharan's group was planning a suicide attack in the country. Disanayaka asked the four security directors to "pay extra attention" to the places and VIPs in their care. The intelligence report attached to his letter, which has circulated widely on social media, was written in both the local Sinhala language and English. It called the group National Towheed Jamaar and said was led by Zahran Hashmi, and was targeting "some important churches" in a suicide terrorist attack that was planned to take place "shortly." The report named six individuals likely to be involved in the plot. The variance on the names wasn't explained. The letter bears the seal of the ministerial security division.

NBA Coach Luke Walton Sued for Sexual Assault

A female sports reporter has accused new Sacramento Kings coach Luke Walton of sexual assault in a lawsuit. Kelli Tennant is suing Walton, according to documents obtained by NBC News from Los Angeles County Superior Court. Tennant claims she went to Walton's hotel room to discuss a book she was writing when Walton pinned her to the bed, forcibly kissed her and groped her. The alleged incident happened before Walton became coach of the Los Angeles Lakers in 2016 and while Tennant worked for Sportsnet LA, the Lakers television rights holder. Tennant did not initially report the alleged assault, and shortly thereafter had to interact with Walton on a constant basis after he was hired by the Lakers in April of 2016. Tennant said that Walton would often greet her with an aggressive hug or kiss and make inappropriate comments, despite her telling him his advances were unwanted.

New York Outbreaks Drive US Measles Count Up to 626

Outbreaks in New York state continue to drive up the number of U.S. measles cases, which are approaching levels not seen in 25 years. Health officials say 71 more cases were reported last week, with 68 of them from New York. That brings this year's total to 626. That is already the most since 2014, when 667 were reported for the whole year. The most before that was 963 cases in 1994. Twenty-two states have reported cases, but the vast majority have been in New York — mainly in New York City and in nearby Rockland County. Most of the New York cases have been unvaccinated people in Orthodox Jewish communities. Meanwhile, health officials in New Jersey are warning of potential measles exposure at a restaurant in Marlboro Township.

Blankets, Bed-Sharing Common in Accidental Baby Suffocations

Accidental suffocation is a leading cause of injury deaths in U.S. infants and common scenarios involve blankets, bed-sharing with parents and other unsafe sleep practices, an analysis of government data found. These deaths "are entirely preventable. That's the most important point," said Dr. Fern Hauck, a co-author and University of Virginia expert in infant deaths. Among 250 suffocation deaths, roughly 70 percent involved blankets, pillows or other soft bedding that blocked infants' airways. Half of these soft bedding-related deaths occurred in an adult bed where most babies were sleeping on their stomachs. Almost 20 percent suffocated when someone in the bed accidentally moved against or on top of them, and about 12 percent died when their faces were wedged against a wall or mattress.

Luke Perry's Final 'Riverdale' Episode Set to Air

A moment "Riverdale" fans have been dreading is upon them. Luke Perry's final episode airs April 24 on The CW. "Riverdale" creator Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa tweeted the news along with a picture of Perry in character as Fred Andrews. "This week's Riverdale is the last episode Luke filmed. As always, Fred's imparting words of wisdom to Archie. A beautiful, true moment between a father and his son," Aguirre-Sacasa said. "Wish these scenes could go on forever..." In the episode titled "Chapter Fifty-Four: Fear the Reaper," Jellybean (Trinity Likins) goes missing, prompting Jughead (Cole Sprouse), Gladys (Gina Gershon) and FP (Skeet Ulrich) to follow a series of clues to get her home. Meanwhile, Archie (KJ Apa) deals with the fallout from his latest boxing match. The show creator has taken to Twitter to pay tribute to Perry since the actor passed away unexpectedly following a stroke in March.

Life After Thrones: What to Watch After GoT Series Finale

The summer of our discontent rapidly approaches as HBO’s “Game of Thrones” begins its march toward its final episode. There’ll be much gnashing of teeth and blood-thirsty battles, both onscreen and on the couch, as viewers face the prospect of a future lacking Jon Snow, Daenerys Targaryen, Tyrion Lannister, Arya Stark and the remaining inhabitants of Westeros. Sure, we could all wait for creator and author George R.R. Martin’s next book in the series, “The Winds of Winter,” but a release date is yet to be announced and the book-publishing business moves at a far slower rate than digital appetites are accustomed to. Rather than spend the next six weeks quietly fretting about what shows will fill a dragon-sized hole in your viewing schedule, here we present a few replacements to consider. While some pack the emotional and cliff-hanger punches of “GoT,” all contain characters worth investing time on, and deliver fully-realized worlds worth exploring. All, bar one, are available to stream immediately.

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