AP News in Brief at 11:04 p.m. EDT

Trump says he could meet North Korea’s Kim at DMZ

OSAKA, Japan (AP) — Eyeing a history-making photo opportunity, President Donald Trump on Saturday issued a Twitter invitation to North Korea’s Kim Jong Un to join him for a hand shake during a visit by Trump to the demilitarized zone with South Korea.

The invitation, while long rumoured in diplomatic circles, still struck as an impulsive display of showmanship by a president bent on obtaining a legacy-defining nuclear accord. Presidential visits to the DMZ are traditionally treated as carefully guarded secrets for security reasons, for one. And White House officials couldn’t immediately say whether Kim had agreed to meet with Trump. The president himself claimed he wasn’t even sure Kim was in North Korea to accept the invitation.

“All I did is put out a feeler, if you’d like to meet,” Trump said later of the message to Kim. He added, somewhat implausibly, that “I just thought of it this morning.”

Trump is scheduled to fly to South Korea later Saturday after he concludes meetings at the Group of 20 summit in Osaka, Japan, including with the president of China. He told reporters during a breakfast with Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that he would be visiting the heavily fortified area between the two Koreas.

“We’re going there,” the president said.

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Trump, Xi to talk trade as economic titans jockey for edge

OSAKA, Japan (AP) — A trade war between two economic titans will face a critical junction Saturday, when President Donald Trump meets China’s Xi Jinping at a moment when both sides are signalling a desire to de-escalate the year-long conflict, yet seem unwilling to compromise.

The meeting, which will take place on the sidelines of the international Group of 20 summit in Japan, was the centerpiece of four days of diplomacy for Trump, whose re-election chances have been put at risk by the trade war that has both hurt American farmers and battered global markets. Tensions have only risen in recent weeks after negotiations collapsed last month, as the two sides levied intensifying eye-for-an-eye punishments.

Trump struck a cautiously optimistic tone on the eve of his high-stakes meeting with Xi.

“At a minimum, it’ll be productive,” Trump said Friday. “We’ll see what happens tomorrow. It’ll be a very exciting day I’m sure. It’s going to come out hopefully well for both countries.”

The meeting with Xi is one of three Trump is holding Saturday with world leaders displaying authoritarian tendencies.

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Like old pals, Trump, Putin make light of election meddling

OSAKA, Japan (AP) — Smiling together on a global stage, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin cheerfully dismissed Russian interference in U.S. elections, shared their contempt for the world’s news media and generally flaunted their personal bond on Friday.

That was one day after the Russian leader praised the president of the United States for his nationalist world views and vigorously declared the days of the West’s liberals are dying if not already dead.

For some time, Trump has defied the once-entrenched Republican distrust if not outright hatred of the powerful nation at the heart of the former Soviet Union. But Friday’s joint appearance seemed to go even further.

As the two leaders sat down for their first meeting in nearly a year, a reporter asked Trump if he would warn Putin not to meddle in America’s upcoming 2020 election.

“Of course,” the president replied. Then he turned to Putin and facetiously said, “Don’t meddle in the election.” He playfully repeated the request while pointing at Putin, who laughed.

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US judge blocks Indiana 2nd trimester abortion procedure ban

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A federal judge blocked an Indiana law that would ban a second-trimester abortion procedure on Friday, just days before the law was set to come into force.

The order putting the Indiana law on hold was released hours after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to revive a similar law in Alabama that sought to ban dilation and evacuation abortions.

The law passed by Indiana’s Republican-dominated Legislature this spring calls the procedure “dismemberment abortion.” It was set to become effective on July 1.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana sued on behalf of two doctors who perform dilation and evacuation abortions. Under the law, a doctor who performs the procedure could face a felony charge, punishable by up to six years in prison.

Indiana’s attorneys maintained the state had a valid role in limiting types of abortion procedures, citing a 2007 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that upheld a federal law banning the method.

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Life sentence for killing at Charlottesville protest

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — An avowed white supremacist who deliberately drove his car into a crowd of counterprotesters, killing a young woman and injuring dozens, apologized to his victims Friday before being sentenced to life in prison on federal hate crime charges.

James Alex Fields Jr., of Maumee, Ohio, had pleaded guilty in March to 29 of 30 hate crimes in connection with the 2017 attack that killed Heather Heyer and injured more than two dozen others.

Prosecutors and Fields’ lawyers agreed that federal sentencing guidelines called for a life sentence. But his attorneys asked U.S. District Judge Michael Urbanski to consider a sentence of “less than life,” hoping he would take into account Fields’ troubled childhood and mental health issues.

Just before Urbanski announced his sentence, the 22-year-old Fields, accompanied by one of his lawyers, walked to a podium in the courtroom and apologized.

“Every day I think about how things could have gone differently and how I regret my actions,” he said. “I’m sorry.”

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Biden defends past civil rights record after Harris attack

CHICAGO (AP) — Joe Biden strongly defended his civil rights record on Friday, pledging to be a “president who stands against racism” and defiantly dismissing any suggestions otherwise.

Speaking to the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow PUSH Coalition, the white former vice-president was working to repair the damage from a blistering attack from California Sen. Kamala Harris, the lone black woman in the 2020 presidential race. During Thursday’s presidential debate , Harris criticized Biden for recently highlighting his decades-old work with segregationist senators and his opposition to public school busing during the 1970s — creating a dramatic and deeply personal breakout moment.

“I heard, and I listened to, and I respect Sen. Harris,” Biden said. “But we all know that 30 seconds to 60 seconds on a campaign debate exchange can’t do justice to a lifetime commitment to civil rights.”

Biden has surged to the top of the Democratic pack arguing that he’s best positioned to defeat President Donald Trump because he can build a broad coalition of support. Appearances such as the one with Jackson — his onetime rival in the 1988 Democratic presidential primary — will signal whether Harris’ attack will chip into his support among African Americans. He acknowledged the critical role of black voters and labour unions on Friday, saying, “Y’all are the ones that brung me to the dance.”

Biden pushed back against some of Harris’ specific criticisms, including her argument that he once opposed busing. He said he was more opposed to federal intervention in busing than the practice itself.

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Thousands gather at Stonewall 50 years after LGBTQ uprising

NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of people converged Friday on the Stonewall Inn for the 50th anniversary of the rebellion that catalyzed a movement for LGBTQ liberation, marking the milestone with celebrity performances, speeches and personal reflections.

People from New York and afar came to take photos and share in the legacy of the gay bar where patrons resisted a police raid, sparking protests and longer-term organizing that made the cause considerably more visible.

“Fifty years ago, people stood up for their rights, and look where we’re at now. We’ve got flags all over the city,” said Richard Walker, 58, an airline worker from New York. “I’m getting goosebumps just really thinking about it.”

With the modern incarnation of the Stonewall Inn as the focal point, the day’s celebrations included music, speeches and an evening rally. Lady Gaga, Whoopi Goldberg, Alicia Keys, drag performers and other artists at the advocacy organization Pride Live’s Stonewall Day Concert addressed a crowd that stretched for blocks on a nearly 90-degree afternoon.

“This community has fought and continued to fight a war of acceptance, a war of tolerance,” Lady Gaga said. “You are the definition of courage.”

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Supreme Court to rule on Trump bid to end ‘dreamers’ program

WASHINGTON (AP) — Adding a high-stakes immigration case to its election-year agenda, the Supreme Court said Friday it will decide whether President Donald Trump can terminate an Obama-era program shielding young migrants from deportation.

The justices’ order sets up legal arguments for late fall or early winter, with a decision likely by June 2020 as Trump campaigns for re-election. The president ordered an end to the program known as DACA in 2017, sparking protests and a congressional effort to salvage it.

That effort failed, but federal courts in California, New York, Virginia and Washington, D.C., have blocked him from ending it immediately. A federal judge in Texas has declared the program is illegal, but refused to order it halted .

The program — Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals — protects about 700,000 people, known as dreamers, who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children or came with families that overstayed visas.

The DACA protections seem certain to remain in effect at least until the high court issues its decision.

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Top immigration official: Border crossings dropping

YUMA, Ariz. (AP) — The acting secretary of Homeland Security said Friday that he expected 25% fewer migrants to cross the border this month, as officials in Yuma unveiled the newest temporary facility meant to detain children and families.

That number of illegal crossings would still be too high, but it was a start, Kevin McAleenan said, crediting Mexico with a concentrated effort to stop Central Americans before they arrived even to Mexico — a push prompted by threats of tariffs from President Donald Trump.

The president has seen numbers of migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border skyrocket under his term despite his hardline policies and tough talk. More than 100,000 people, mostly families from Central America, have crossed the border each month over the past few months. Trump sees the monthly border numbers as a benchmark for success, and in the past when he felt numbers were too high, he threatened to shut down the border.

McAleenan dismissed the idea that a projected decrease in June was due in part to hot summer months, traditionally a time fewer people cross.

“These initiatives are making an impact,” he said.

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Rapinoe scores twice to lead US past France 2-1 in World Cup

PARIS (AP) — Controversy didn’t drive Megan Rapinoe, the big moment did.

Rapinoe turned turmoil into triumph Friday night, scoring twice in the much-anticipated clash with host France to send the defending champion United States into the semifinals of the Women’s World Cup with a 2-1 victory.

Two days earlier, Rapinoe had been called out on social media by President Donald Trump after video surfaced of her saying she wouldn’t visit the White House if the United States won the tournament, and the critics pounced. Rapinoe shrugged them off by facing the crowd with her arms raised in celebration after both her goals.

“I don’t really get energized by haters or all that, I feel there are so many more people that love me,” she said with a laugh. “I’m more energized by that.”

Now the top-ranked Americans are headed to Lyon to face No. 3 England in a semifinal match Tuesday.