Refunds on Trump tariffs to begin

NEW YORK — A refund system for businesses that paid tariffs which the U.S. Supreme Court eventually struck down is scheduled to launch on Monday. U.S. Customs and Border Protection said importers and their brokers will be able to begin claiming refunds online beginning at 8 a.m.

It’s the first step in a complicated process that also might eventually lead to refunds for consumers who were billed for some or all of the tariffs on products shipped to them from outside the United States. In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court ruled in late February that President Donald Trump usurped Congress’ taxation authority when he set double-digit import tax rates on products from almost every other country.

25 animal welfare activists arrested

MADISON, Wis. — Authorities say around 25 protesters were arrested as about 1,000 animal welfare activists tried to enter a beagle breeding and research facility in Wisconsin.

The protest on Saturday was the second attempt in two months to take beagles from Ridglan Farms. Officers fired rubber bullets and pepper spray to disperse the crowd. The Dane County sheriff’s office reported a calmer protest on Sunday with around 200 people. Protesters previously took 30 dogs in March. Ridglan denies mistreating animals.

Woman arrested on arms trafficking

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Federal prosecutors say a 44-year-old Los Angeles woman was arrested Saturday night at Los Angeles International Airport on suspicion of helping Iran traffic weapons to Sudan, which is in its fourth year of a bloody civil war.

First U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said Sunday on social media that the woman will face charges that she brokered the sale of “drones, bombs, bomb fuses, and millions of rounds of ammunition” between Iran and the Sudanese Armed Forces. She is an Iranian national who became a lawful permanent resident of the United States in 2016. The defendant is scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles on Monday.

Center-left coalition heads to victory

SOFIA, Bulgaria — An exit poll Sunday in Bulgaria suggested the center-left Progressive Bulgaria coalition led by ex-President Rumen Radev will win the country’s parliamentary elections.

The poll by Trend research group shows Radev’s coalition earning 39.2% support, edging out the center-right GERB party of its veteran leader, Boyko Borissov, which is expected to capture 15.1% in Sunday’s vote.

Despite the huge gap between the two groups, the predicted percentage would not be enough for Radev to form a one-party government, and he will face the uphill task of looking out for partners to govern.

The Associated Press