Happening Today: Military Plane Crash, Trump in Paris, Stress, Kid Rock, Neil Patrick Harris

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Military Plane Was at Cruising Altitude Before Deadly Crash

The military transport plane that slammed into soybean fields in the Mississippi Delta, killing 15 Marines and a Navy sailor, appears to have developed problems while high in the air, a Marine general said. "Indications are something went wrong at cruise altitude," Brig. Gen. Bradley S. James told reporters in Itta Bena, Mississippi. That squares with comments from witnesses interviewed by The Associated Press who said they saw the plane descend from high altitude with an engine smoking. The crash of the KC-130 killed nine Marines from Newburgh, New York, and six Marines and a Navy Corpsman from Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, James said. He said there is a "large debris pattern," including two main impact areas separated by a mile, with a four-lane highway in between them. Mississippi Public Safety Commissioner Marshall Fisher repeated earlier warnings that people in the crash area shouldn't pick up any debris, which could include weapons, ammunition and evidence valuable to determining why the plane crashed.

Trump Lands in Paris; Counter-Terrorism on Table With Macron

President Trump and his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, are looking to set aside differences on trade and climate change and find common ground as they meet ahead of Bastille Day celebrations in Paris. Trump arrived in the French capital after an overnight flight from Washington and hours before his meeting with Macron to tackle potential solutions to the crisis in Syria and broader counter-terrorism strategies. Trump's decision last month to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris climate accord sparked outrage across Europe and anti-Trump protests are planned while he is in Paris. Macron, a staunch advocate of research to combat global warming, has beckoned "all responsible citizens," including American scientists and researchers, to bring their fight against climate change to France. The leaders plan to hold a news conference after their talks, and Trump may face tough questions about emails revealing that his eldest son welcomed the prospect of receiving Russian government support in last year's presidential campaign against Hillary Clinton.

How Severe, Ongoing Stress Can Affect a Child's Brain

A quiet, unsmiling little girl with big brown eyes crawls inside a carpeted cubicle, hugs a stuffed teddy bear tight, and turns her head away from the noisy classroom. The safe spaces, quiet times and breathing exercises for her and the other preschoolers at the Verner Center for Early Learning are designed to help kids cope with intense stress so they can learn. But experts hope there's an even bigger benefit — protecting young bodies and brains from stress so persistent that it becomes toxic. It's no secret that growing up in tough circumstances can be hard on kids and lead to behavior and learning problems. But researchers are discovering something different. Many believe that ongoing stress during early childhood — from grinding poverty, neglect, parents' substance abuse and other adversity — can smolder beneath the skin, harming kids' brains and other body systems. And research suggests that can lead to some of the major causes of death and disease in adulthood, including heart attacks and diabetes. Mounting research on potential biological dangers of toxic stress is prompting a new public health approach to identifying and treating the effects of poverty, neglect, abuse and other adversity.

Senate Consumer Choice Idea Could Raise Premiums for Sick

A health care proposal from Senate conservatives would let insurers sell skimpy policies provided they also offer a comprehensive plan. It's being billed as pro-consumer, allowing freedom of choice and potential savings for many. But critics including the insurance industry say it would split the sick and the healthy, leading to unsustainably high premiums for people with medical problems and pre-existing conditions, who may get priced out of the market unless taxpayers bail them out. Senate Republican leaders trying to resolve differences between moderates and conservatives ahead of a health care showdown are taking a close look at the proposal from Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Mike Lee, R-Utah, dubbed the Consumer Freedom Amendment. No final text has been made public, but the concept has been endorsed by Vice President Mike Pence.

Kid Rock Hints at Potential U.S. Senate Run

Kid Rock is hinting that he may run for U.S. Senate in Michigan. The musician, who was born Robert Ritchie and lives in suburban Detroit, said on social media that a website teasing his Senate candidacy is real. He said he will make a "major announcement in the near future." The website links to "Kid Rock for US Senate" merchandise on a website for his music label, Warner Bros. Records. Kid Rock endorsed Donald Trump in 2016 and Mitt Romney in 2012. Kid Rock's potential candidacy is news to Michigan Republicans. Party officials say they have not heard from him.

Neil Patrick Harris Blasts James Woods for “Ignorant, Classless” Tweet About “Gender Creative” Boy

"How I Met Your Mother" star Neil Patrick Harris came to the defense of a young boy after he was insulted on Twitter by actor James Woods over the weekend. Woods, known for taking conservative political stances, targeted a boy labeled "gender creative" by his parents. The family posted a picture from the Orange County, California, pride parade holding signs reading "I love my gender creative son!" and "My son wears dresses & makeup … Get over it!!" The image apparently offended Woods. "This is sweet. Wait until this poor kid grows up, realizes what you've done, and stuff both of you dismembered into a freezer in the garage, " he wrote on Twitter. Harris blasted the transphobic comments on Twitter, calling Woods "ignorant and classless," and noting that he knew the family of the boy.