Happening Today: Mueller Report, Timmothy Pitzen, Boeing, Seizures, Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus

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Barr Didn't Do Justice to Mueller Report, Officials Say

Investigators for special counsel Robert Mueller have told associates Attorney General William Barr inadequately characterized the findings of their inquiry, which they say could be worse for President Trump than Barr suggested, The New York Times reports. The officials didn't elaborate, The Times reported, but it said some members of Mueller's team thought that Barr should have included more of their material in the four-page summary he released March 24. His summary stated that Mueller found no proof that Trump criminally colluded with Russia and that he reached no conclusion about whether Trump obstructed justice. NBC News hasn't independently verified The Times report, which cited "government officials and others familiar with their simmering frustrations."

14-Year-Old Says He Is Illinois Boy Who Went Missing in 2011

An Aurora, Illinois, boy who disappeared in 2011 when he was 6 years old has apparently escaped two kidnappers who held him for the past seven years, according to an Ohio police report. A 14-year-old claiming to be Timmothy Pitzen escaped an unknown Red Roof Inn, the police report reports, and "kept running across a bridge" into Kentucky. "Timothy [sic] described the two kidnappers as two male, whites, body-builder type build," the police report states. "One had black curly hair, Mt. Dew shirt and jeans & has a spider web tattoo on his neck. The other was short in stature and had a snake tattoo on his arms." The kidnappers' vehicle, according to the report, was described by Timmothy to officers as a newer model Ford SUV with unknown Wisconsin plates and a second row. The Ford is white with yellow transfer paint and a dent on the left back bumper, the report states. The boy's disappearance has remained a mystery since Amy Fry-Pitzen took her son out of school and traveled to multiple Midwest water parks before she was found dead of an apparent suicide in a Rockford motel room on May 14, 2011. A note left behind in the motel room said that Timmothy was safe and in someone's care, but the boy was never found.

Preliminary Report Says Ethiopia Crew Followed Boeing Rules

The Ethiopian Airlines crew of the jet that crashed last month performed all the procedures recommended by Boeing but could not control the jet, states the preliminary report of the data from plane. The doomed flight experienced "nose dive conditions," according to the investigation announced by Ethiopia's Minister of Transport Dagmawit Moges. The preliminary report recommends the flight control system should be reviewed by Boeing and that aviation authorities should verify the system before the aircraft is released to operation. Boeing declined to comment pending its review of the preliminary report. The Boeing 737 Max 8 jet crashed on March 10 shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa, killing all 157 on board. It was the second crash of a 737 Max within five months, following a Lion Air crash in Indonesia. Following the Ethiopian disaster, the Max jets have been grounded worldwide pending a software fix that Boeing is rolling out, which must still receive approval from the Federal Aviation Administration and other regulators.

US Investigates Seizure Risk With Electronic Cigarettes

U.S. health officials are investigating whether electronic cigarettes may trigger seizures in some people who use the nicotine-vaping devices. The Food and Drug Administration said it has reviewed 35 reports of seizures among e-cigarettes users, mainly in young people. Regulators stressed it's not yet clear whether vaping is responsible. But they said they're concerned and encouraged the public to report information about the issue. These cases warrant "investigation into whether there is in fact a connection," FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said in a statement. Gottlieb is stepping down after nearly two years heading the agency. Cases go back to 2010 and were reported to the FDA or poison control centers around the country. Regulators said they detected an uptick in reports beginning mid-2018. While they represent a tiny fraction of Americans who have used e-cigarettes, many safety issues with foods, supplements and other consumer products can go unrecognized because reporting is voluntary.

'Me Time': Britney Spears Focuses on Self-Care During Work Hiatus

Britney Spears says she's decided to focus on self-care as she goes through a rough stretch. Spears posted an image on Instagram with the words, "Fall in love with taking care of yourself. Mind. Body. Spirit." In the caption she wrote that everyone needs "a little 'me time,'" followed by a smile emoji. People magazine reports citing an unnamed source that worries for her father and the need to help take care of him after a life-threatening colon rupture last year have continued to take a toll on the pop star. In January, Spears announced that she was putting her planned Las Vegas residency — and the rest of her career — on hold for the sake of her father.

Photos of Miley Cyrus Raise Concern About Joshua Trees

Social media photos showing Miley Cyrus posing in a Joshua tree have drawn criticism from people concerned about protecting the iconic desert species. The photos posted this week on Instagram were captioned "Looking down at all the petty drama like...." and "Monkey Bizzzzznassssss" but gave no specific location. The Desert Sun newspaper says other photos posted in the past two weeks appear to show the singer near electricity-producing windmills in the Palm Springs area of California. Joshua trees are protected in Joshua Tree National Park and the Mojave National Preserve as well as under some city and county ordinances. National Park spokesman George Land expressed concern that the singer's many followers might copy her actions.