NEWS: Sri Lankan authorities reportedly had extensive knowledge of the whereabouts and plans of the perpetrators of the April 21 bombings that killed roughly 300 people, prompting questions of why more wasn't done to stop the attacks.
MUSIC: Dan Nailen reviews John Mellencamp's April 20 concert in Spokane, stating that even at age 67, the singer-songwriter is still "kind of a punk."
IN OTHER NEWS...
Erin Schaff/The New York Times
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) speaks at a weekly news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Feb. 28, 2019. The House voted Thursday to extend the time allotted for the FBI to conduct background checks for gun purchasers flagged by the national instant check system, the second major gun control bill to clear the chamber this week after two decades of inaction.
With the full release of the redacted Mueller report on whether President Donald Trump obstructed justice and colluded with Russia during the 2016 election, many national Democrats are calling for impeachment. However, House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D — California) has reportedly told her colleagues to keep impeachment on the back burner while also slamming the report's findings on Trump as “highly unethical and unscrupulous behavior." (New York Times)
Surveying citizenship
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear extended arguments today in a controversial case on whether the Trump administration can legally add a question about citizenship to the 2020 census. Critics argue that the addition of the question may harm the survey's accuracy because undocumented immigrants will not participate. (New York Times)
Denouncing Shea
In the wake of the bombshell report from the Guardian that state Rep. Matt Shea (R — Spokane Valley) participated in a group chat with right-wing figures about plans to spy on and violently attack his liberal opponents, state Democrats — including Gov. Jay Inslee — have publicly rebuked him, calling for his expulsion from the Republican caucus. (Seattle Times)
No deal
The Spokane City Council didn't authorize a land deal with the Union Gospel Mission, citing the religious organization's controversial policies such as not hiring LGBTQ employees are preventing transgender people from staying at its shelter. (Spokesman-Review)
