attorney

Happening Today: Mueller Report, Lymphoma, Felicity Huffman, Allison Mack

What to Know

  • William Barr is facing members of Congress for the first time since taking office — and amid speculation over his review of Mueller's report
  • An experimental cancer “vaccine” showed promising results in a small clinical trial of patients with lymphoma, according to a study
  • Felicity Huffman has agreed to plead guilty in the sweeping college admissions cheating scam that has ensnared wealthy parents

Get the top headlines of the day in your morning briefing from NBC 4 New York, Monday through Friday. Sign up for our newsletter here.

As Mueller Release Nears, White House Renews Attacks

President Trump took a victory lap after special counsel Robert Mueller concluded his Russia investigation. It may have been premature. The scramble to frame the investigation's findings in the best political light is sure to be renewed in coming days when Mueller's report is expected to be released in redacted form. Now that the American public will get a look at details beyond the four-page investigation summary written by Attorney General William Barr, some Trump allies are concerned the president was too quick to declare complete triumph and they're pushing the White House to launch a pre-emptive attack. Trump seems to be of the same mind. With the goal to discredit what's coming, Trump and his allies have unleashed a series of broadsides against Mueller's team and the Democrats pushing for full release of the final report. No longer is the president agreeing that Mueller acted honorably, as he did the day after the special counsel's conclusions were released. Instead, he's joining his allies in trying to undermine the integrity of the investigators and the credibility of their probe.

William Barr Faces Congress as He Readies Mueller Report for Release

Attorney General William Barr is facing members of Congress for the first time since taking office — and amid intense speculation over his review of special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia report. Barr isn't coming to Congress to talk about the report, but lawmakers are expected to ask about it anyway as they anxiously wait to see it in the coming days. The topic of the House appropriations subcommittee hearing is the Justice Department's budget, and Barr's prepared remarks sent to the committee focused on funding requests for immigration enforcement and to combat violent crime and opioid addiction, not mentioning Mueller's report at all. Mueller sent his final report to Barr on March 22, ending his almost two-year investigation into potential ties between the Trump campaign and Russia. Barr released a four-page letter summarizing the report two days later and said he would release a redacted version of the full report by mid-April, "if not sooner."

Cancer ‘Vaccine’ Shows Promise in Human Trial

An experimental cancer “vaccine” showed promising results in a small clinical trial of patients with lymphoma, according to a study published in the journal Nature Medicine. Researchers at New York’s Mount Sinai Hospital tested the treatment in 11 patients with lymphoma. Their results were successful enough to warrant another clinical trial in March on lymphoma patients as well as breast and head-and-neck cancer. Researchers said some patients in the initial human trial went into full remission for months or even years. The treatment “has broad implications for multiple types of cancer,” said lead author, Dr. Joshua Brody, director of the lymphoma immunotherapy program. “This method could also increase the success of other immunotherapies such as checkpoint blockade.” They refer to it as a vaccine because it causes a person’s immune system to fight the disease, though it’s not preventive like the flu shot.

Felicity Huffman, Others to Plead Guilty in College Admissions Scandal

Actress Felicity Huffman has agreed to plead guilty in the sweeping college admissions cheating scam that has ensnared wealthy parents and athletic coaches at some of the nation's most selective universities, federal authorities said. The "Desperate Housewives" star and 12 other prominent parents will admit to charges in the scheme, which authorities say involved rigging standardized test scores and bribing coaches at such prestigious schools as Yale and Georgetown. Huffman was accused of paying a consultant, Rick Singer, $15,000 disguised as a charitable donation to boost her daughter's SAT score. Authorities say the 56-year-old actress also discussed going through with the same plan for her younger daughter, but she ultimately decided not to. She said her daughter knew "absolutely nothing" about her actions. Other parents charged in the scheme include prominent figures in law, finance, fashion, the food and beverage industry and other fields. It's the biggest college admissions scandal ever prosecuted by the U.S. Justice Department, embroiling elite universities across the country and laying bare the lengths to which status-seeking parents will go to secure their children a coveted spot.

'I Was Wrong:' Allison Mack Pleads Guilty in New York Sex Slave Case

"Smallville" actress Allison Mack pleaded guilty to racketeering and related conspiracy charges in Brooklyn federal court for her role in an alleged sex-cult and trafficking group called NXIVM based in upstate New York. Mack, 36, wept as she admitted her crimes and apologized to the women who prosecutors say were exploited by NXIVM and its founder, Keith Raniere. She faces 20 years on each count when she is sentenced in September. The plea marked a turnaround for Mack, who along with Raneire, Seagram heiress Clare Bronfman, daughter of the late billionaire philanthropist and liquor company founder, and a fourth co-defendant had previously pleaded not guilty. Mack, whose plea means she avoids a high-profile trial, said nothing to reporters who shouted questions at her and her attorney when they left court. Prosecutors have said NXIVM formed a secret society of women who were branded with Raniere's initials and forced to have sex with him.

Contact Us