Trump Sues Banks; Japan’s New Emperor; ISIS Leader Appears in Video

Plus, why NASA is pretending an asteroid is on its way to smack Earth. [NPR] by Jill Hudson First Up [Venezuelan opposition leader and self-proclaimed acting president Juan Guaido is pictured under a national flag during a gathering with supporters after members of the Bolivarian National Guard joined his campaign to oust President Nicolas Maduro, in Caracas on April 30.]( Federico Parra/AFP/Getty Images Here's what we're following today. In a video posted on social media, Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó declared he was starting "the final phase of Operation Freedom." It is [his boldest move yet]( to oust President Nicolás Maduro. President Trump filed a federal lawsuit late Monday against Deutsche Bank and Capital One in an attempt to block the financial institutions from responding to congressional subpoenas. House Democrats are trying to get access to [Trump's personal financial records](. Former Vice President Joe Biden kicked off his presidential campaign on Monday. A key labor union hosted [the Pennsylvania rally](. John Singleton, the pioneering director of Boyz n the Hood, has died in Los Angeles after a stroke at age 51. The 1991 film earned him [two Oscar nods]( and a spot in history as the youngest person and first African American nominated for best director. The FBI says it stopped a planned terrorist attack on a white supremacist rally by a U.S. Army veteran in the Los Angeles area. The man discussed online his desire to [avenge the New Zealand mosque attacks]( according to an affidavit. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein is resigning, effective May 11. Rosenstein has been on something of a farewell tour recently, giving speeches defending his legacy and [his decision to appoint Robert Mueller]( as a special counsel to run the Russia investigation. The leader of ISIS has apparently released a video acknowledging defeat of ISIS in Baghouz, Syria. For five years, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi [hadn’t been seen publicly](. But on Monday, ISIS released a 12-minute video of Baghdadi, an indication that he’s neither dead nor disabled. --------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Listen Melinda Gates on marriage, parenting and why she made Bill drive the kids to school. [Melinda Gates at a panel discussion in New York in February. She is the author of a new book, The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World.]( John Lamparski/Getty Images In her new book, The Moment Of Lift, the co-founder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation calls on readers to support women everywhere as a means to lift up society. (Listening time, 6:53) [▶ LISTEN]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Digging Deeper Japan’s Emperor Akihito steps down after 30 years. [Japan's Emperor Akihito, with Empress Michiko, waves to well-wishers in the central Japanese prefecture of Mie on April 18. Emperor Akihito takes part in a series of rituals ahead of his abdication.]( Kazuhiro Ngoi/AFP/Getty Images Akihito ascended the Chrysanthemum Throne in 1989, succeeding his father, Emperor Hirohito. On Tuesday, [he abdicated and stepped down]( handing over the throne to his son, Crown Prince Naruhito, and ending the Hesei postwar period. Japan's defeat in World War II transformed young Akihito into a pacifist. He has often broken with royal tradition: He is the first Japanese emperor to have married a commoner. Akihito has said that he wishes to be cremated after his death — a break with centuries-old traditions of burials in imperial mausoleums. And he has alluded to his own Korean ancestry, to the dismay of Japanese nationalists. Both abroad and at home, he has expressed deep remorse for Japan's wartime actions. --------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Listen NASA is pretending an asteroid is on its way to smack Earth. [NASA Is Pretending An Asteroid Is On Its Way To Smack The Earth]( Landsat/Copernicus/Google Earth/Dept. of State Geographer A fictitious asteroid is the focus of a realistic exercise, as experts at the Planetary Defense Conference run through how the Earth would respond to news of a looming asteroid strike. (Listening time, 4:00) [▶ LISTEN]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Before You Go Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC - NPR editor Malaka Gharib makes light of herself in [her high-spirited graphical memoir]( I Was Their American Dream. - A new study says [teen suicide spiked after the 2017 debut]( of Netflix's 13 Reasons Why. - [Woodstock 50]( the ambitious, three-day 50th anniversary music festival, has been canceled by its investors. - A [rare, one-horned Indian rhino]( (who’s a real cutie pie) has been born in captivity at Zoo Miami. --------------------------------------------------------------- What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: [dailynewsletter@npr.org](mailto:dailynewsletter@npr.org?subject=Newsletter%20Feedback) Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can [sign up here](. Looking for more great content? 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