Happening Today: William Barr, Julian Assange, Measles, Lori Loughlin, Donald Glover

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William Barr Says 'I Think Spying Did Occur' Against Trump Campaign

Attorney General William Barr declared he thinks "spying did occur" against Donald Trump's presidential campaign, suggesting the origins of the Russia investigation may have been mishandled in remarks that aligned him with the president at a time when Barr's independence is under scrutiny. Barr, appearing before a Senate panel, did not say what "spying" may have taken place but seemed to be alluding to a surveillance warrant the FBI obtained on a former Trump associate. He later said he wasn't sure there had been improper surveillance but wanted to make sure proper procedures were followed. Still, his remarks give a boost to Trump and his supporters who insist his 2016 campaign was unfairly targeted by the FBI. Barr was testifying for a second day at congressional budget hearings that were dominated by questions about special counsel Robert Mueller's Trump-Russia investigation. His statements further inflamed Democrats already frustrated by Barr's handling of the Mueller report, including his release of a four-page summary letter last month that they say paints the special counsel's findings in an overly favorable way for the president. The attorney general said he expects to release a redacted version of Mueller's report on Russian interference in the campaign next week. In an interview, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she didn't trust Barr and suggested his statements undermined his credibility as America's chief law enforcement officer.

WikiLeaks Founder Arrested at Ecuador Embassy in London

Police in London arrested WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange at the Ecuadorean embassy Thursday for failing to surrender to the court in 2012, shortly after the South American nation revoked his asylum. Ecuador's president Lenin Moreno said a tweet that his government withdrew Assange's status for repeated violations of international conventions. Moreno described it as a "sovereign decision" due to "repeated violations to international conventions and daily-life." Assange took refuge in the embassy in London in 2012 and has been holed up inside ever since. "Today I announce that the discourteous and aggressive behavior of Mr. Julian Assange, the hostile and threatening declarations of its allied organization, against Ecuador, and especially the transgression of international treaties, have led the situation to a point where the asylum of Mr. Assange is unsustainable and no longer viable," Moreno said in a video statement released on Twitter.

How Measles Is Making a Return in New York and Elsewhere

New York City declared a public health emergency and ordered mandatory vaccinations for measles in a part of Brooklyn that is home to a large Orthodox Jewish community. The city took the unusual step amid a surge of 285 measles cases in the city since September, most in one densely packed neighborhood where people now have to get vaccines or risk a $1,000 fine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported there have been 465 cases so far this year, two-thirds of them in New York state. That compares to 372 cases in the U.S. for all of last year. Besides New York, there have been outbreaks this year in Washington state, California. Michigan and New Jersey. The disease was declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000, which means it was not being spread domestically. But cases have been rising in recent years, in part the result of misinformation that makes some parents balk at a crucial vaccine. Most of the reported illnesses are in children. The CDC says roughly 80% of the U.S. cases are age 19 or younger.

Lori Loughlin 'Freaking Out' About Possible Jail Time, Source Says

Whatever happened to the woman who once declared her family wasn't interesting enough for prime-time TV? "We've been asked to do a reality show a couple times," Lori Loughlin revealed during an interview on E!'s Daily Pop last year, adding they had turned each one down flat because "we're not that exciting." Everywhere you look, everywhere you go people have been talking about the 54-year-old Hallmark actress since March 12, the day a bombshell FBI affidavit revealed she and Giannulli, 55, were caught up in the aptly named Varsity Blues college admissions scandal. According to an affidavit, they had allegedly paid some $500,000 in bribes to get both Bella and Olivia into the University of Southern California by falsely claiming they were crew team recruits. It was announced the married couple of nearly 22 years -- already charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud -- were among 16 parents involved in the scandal who had been charged in a second superseding indictment with conspiring to commit fraud and money laundering. They now face a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison. "Lori is finally realizing just how serious this is," says the source, noting the former child model is beating herself up for not accepting the initial deal. "She is seeing the light that she will do jail time and is freaking out."

Donald Glover, Rihanna Film to Hit Amazon This Weekend

Donald Glover and Rihanna's secretive new film "Guava Island" is coming to Amazon Prime Video this weekend. Glover tweeted it'd be available to stream for free starting Saturday at 12:01 am. According to Vanity Fair, it will be available to watch for free for 18 hours. The film is described as a tropical thriller about a local musician who wants to throw a festival. It was shot on location in Cuba and "Black Panther" breakout Letitia Wright co-stars. Glover's frequent collaborator Hiro Murai, who has directed several episodes of "Atlanta" and the acclaimed "This Is America" music video, directed "Guava Island." The actor-singer also tweeted the film will be shown following his performance on Saturday at the Coachella music festival in Southern California.