British PM contenders; DOD to help with abortions; Spacey wins lawsuit

Contenders to be the next British prime minister wasted little time drumming up support; the Pentagon will help out troops who seek abortions; and Kevin Spacey won a lawsuit that accused him of sexual abuse. These stories highlight the Daily Rundown for Friday, Oct. 21, 2022.

British prime minister candidates drum up support – Several British lawmakers, including former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, were trying to scoop up support Friday ahead of a short contest to replace Liz Truss as the nation’s leader. Truss resigned from the position Thursday, less than four months after Johnson did the same.

Other contenders include former British Treasury chief Rishi Sunak and House of Commons leader Penny Mordaunt. Nominations for a new leader will close on Monday afternoon, with candidates needing the signatures of 100 of the nation’s 357 Conservative lawmakers. The new leader is due to be selected by Oct. 28.

Pentagon to help troops seeking abortion –  Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin issued an order Thursday saying the department will provide travel funds and support for troops and their dependents who seek abortions but are based in states where they are now illegal.  The military will also increase privacy protections for those seeking care.

“The recent Supreme Court ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization has impacted access to reproductive health care with readiness, recruiting, and retention implications for the force,” Austin said in the order. “Since the Supreme Court’s decision, we have heard concerns from many of our Service members and their families about the complexity and the uncertainty that they now face in accessing reproductive health care, including abortion services.”

Spacey wins sex abuse lawsuit – A jury ruled Thursday that actor Kevin Spacey was not liable for the alleged sexual abuse of then-14-year-old Anthony Rapp back in 1986. Jurors at a federal court in New York deliberated for a little more than an hour before deciding that Rapp hadn’t proven his allegations.

“This was a highly intelligent, highly educated jury,” Spacey attorney Jennifer Keller said after the verdict came in. “I think 11 of the 12 were college grads. Most had graduate degrees. They’re very, very bright people. They could see right through this.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.