UAW lets GM deal expire; strike possible

The United Auto Workers union is letting its contract with General Motors expire just before midnight Saturday, increasing the likelihood of a strike as early as Sunday night.

Citing significant differences with the company on wages, health care and other issues, union Vice President Terry Dittes told local union officials in a letter that a decision on whether to strike will be made Sunday.

The union said in a letter to GM that union members will report for regular shifts Sunday.

Mr. Dittes said in the letter to union officials that they will be working until the deadline in an effort to reach an agreement, but he said they’re also far apart on many issues.

“We still have many outstanding issues remaining, including significant differences between the parties on wages, health care benefits, temporary employees, job security and profit sharing,” wrote Mr. Dittes, the union’s leader in the GM negotiations.

No decision on a strike will be made until after the union executive board meets and local presidents meet Sunday morning, the letter said.

Dinner with the president

President Donald Trump planned to have dinner Saturday with the parents of an American college student who died in 2017 shortly after being freed from captivity in North Korea.

An administration official said Mr. Trump was to host the parents of Otto Warmbier, who was convicted of trying to steal a propaganda poster while in the North Korea capital and spent 17 months in prison. He died at age 22 just days after being returned to the United States in a vegetative state.

Warmbier’s parents, Fred and Cindy Warmbier, of suburban Cincinnati, say that their son was tortured in prison and that they were angered by Mr. Trump’s comments this spring that he took North Korean leader Kim Jong Un “at his word” that he was unaware of any mistreatment.

Mr. Trump later tweeted, “Of course I hold North Korea responsible for Otto’s mistreatment and death.” The tweet made no mention of Mr. Kim.

Bolton differed on Iran

John Bolton’s departure as national security adviser stemmed from a disagreement Monday over a suggestion from President Donald Trump that the United States might lift some sanctions on Iran as a negotiation tool, a person close to Mr. Bolton said Saturday.

Mr. Bolton submitted a letter of resignation Tuesday morning, although Mr. Trump tweeted that he had fired his top in-house national security aide. Mr. Trump cited multiple policy differences with Mr. Bolton and later claimed Mr. Bolton had “set us back” in negotiations with North Korea. Mr. Trump did not mention disagreement over Iran sanctions, and the direct link between the president’s alleged interest in easing sanctions and his break with Mr. Bolton has not been previously reported.

Mr. Bolton was a main architect of the administration’s “maximum pressure” campaign of escalating economic sanctions and threats of retaliation for Iran’s alleged support for terrorism.

Remains found at home

More than 2,000 medically preserved fetal remains have been found at the Illinois home of a former Indiana abortion clinic doctor who died last week, authorities said.

The Will County Sheriff’s Office said late Friday that an attorney for Dr. Ulrich Klopfer’s family contacted the coroner’s office Thursday.

Authorities found 2,246 preserved fetal remains, but there’s no evidence medical procedures were performed at the home.