5 things you need to know Tuesday
Criminal case against Bill Cosby resumes
Bill Cosby's preliminary hearing on felony sexual assault charges gets underway Tuesday in suburban Philadelphia with the possibility of a courtroom confrontation between Cosby and his accuser, Andrea Constand. The hearing, delayed since January, is supposed to decide whether or not Cosby, 79, should be tried on charges that he drugged and sexually touched Constand, now 43, at his home in 2004. If the judge decides the prosecution has established reasonable cause to believe a crime was committed, a trial date will be set.
Ethics trial begins for Alabama House Speaker
In a case that could turn Alabama's political world upside down, the criminal trial of Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard on felony ethics charges starts Tuesday. Prosecutors say Hubbard illegally used his public offices — first as Alabama Republican Party chairman, then as House speaker — to secure consulting clients and business investments. If convicted, Hubbard faces up to 20 years in prison, a $30,000 fine and removal from office. The trial may also pull in dozens of other political figures, including Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley and former governor Bob Riley.
Obama continues historic visit to Vietnam
President Obama continues his visit to Vietnam on Tuesday, a day after he made history by lifting a decades-long American arms embargo. Obama will start the day in Hanoi, meeting with members of Vietnamese civil society, then head to Ho Chi Minh City, the nation's commercial center formerly known as Saigon. There he will tour the famous Jade Pagoda and speak at an event on entrepreneurship and opportunity for the Vietnamese people, the White House announced.
Appeals court looks at Texas' tough voter ID law
The New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is set to re-examine the constitutionality of Texas' tough voter ID law. A federal judge in Corpus Christi declared the law unconstitutional in October 2014, likening it to a poll tax and last year, a three-judge panel of the 5th Circuit Court found that the law violated parts of the federal Voting Rights Act. The U.S. Supreme Court has so far refused to block the nation's strictest ID law, but that may change depending on Tuesday's ruling.
NFL poised to change instant-replay rules
NFL owners meeting in Charlotte will consider a major rewriting of the league's instant-replay rules. Atlanta Falcons president Rich McKay, chairman of the NFL’s rule-making competition committee, told USA TODAY the owners will weigh a version of the rules that list what types of plays cannot be reviewed, rather than what plays are reviewable. The move would simplify the rule book and allow more types of plays to be reviewed, although McKay said penalties would still be excluded, and the number of coaches challenges won't change.
Bonus: 'Thelma & Louise' turns 25
It's been a quarter-century since Thelma & Louise soared over the Grand Canyon in a dusty blue Thunderbird. The iconic film about two women on the run starring Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis opened on May 24, 1991, and was quickly hailed as a feminist triumph. It went on to be nominated for six Academy Awards and influenced a generation of women. But originally, Thelma & Louise was simply a buddy film, said Geena Davis. "Nobody had any idea that it would strike a nerve the way it did."
And the essentials:
Weather: More severe thunderstorms are forecast for the Plains on Tuesday while most of the East sees clear skies.
Stocks: U.S. stock futures were higher Tuesday.
TV Tonight: Wondering what to watch tonight? TV critic Robert Bianco looks at Flash finale and Night Manager.
Be inspired:Plumber tracks down owner of long-lost ring.
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Contributing: The Associated Press