These are the headlines you Need2Know: * **Vatican Responds to Allegations of Abuse in Catholic Church:** The Vatican responded Thursday to a Pennsylvania grand jury report on sex abuse by priests ー and subsequent cover-ups. In a statement, the Vatican said Pope Francis was "on the victims' side," and the Church “must learn hard lessons from its past.” The devastating report released this week concluded that 300 priests may have abused thousands of children over seven decades. For more, [click here](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/vatican-condemns-sex-abuse-described-in-pennsylvania-grand-jury-report-2018-08-16/). * **Deliberation Continues in Manafort Trial:** The jury will convene Friday for the second day of deliberation in the trial of President Trump's former campaign chair, Paul Manafort. The jury took a recess after submitting four questions to U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III, including one asking him to define “reasonable doubt." Even if Manafort is acquitted of the charges, he will face another trial later this year. For more, [click here](https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/jury-begins-deliberations-in-paul-manaforts-tax--and-bank-fraud-trial/2018/08/16/d2b0f486-a170-11e8-8e87-c869fe70a721_story.html?utm_term=.08842ccc3912). * **Rest in Peace, Queen of Soul:** Aretha Franklin died Thursday from pancreatic cancer. The Queen of Soul, a Grammy-award winning singer and civil-rights activist whose most popular hits include “Respect” and “A Natural Woman,” was 76. Read Rolling Stone's obituary for Franklin [here](https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/aretha-franklin-queen-of-soul-dead-at-76-119453/). * **Trump Goes After Big Pharma** The President called Thursday for the Justice Department to pursue lawsuits against drug companies for deceitful marketing of opioids. The Centers for Disease Control reported on Wednesday that 72,000 Americans died of drug overdoses last year ー a 10 percent increase from 2016. For more, [click here](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/08/16/donald-trump-opioid-makers-could-face-federal-lawsuit/1008957002/). Cheddar's Jill Wagner gets into the latest. Subscribe to the Need2Know newsletter [here](https://theneed2know.com).

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Musk slams Trump’s big tax bill as senators race to meet deadline
President Donald Trump wants his “big, beautiful” bill of tax breaks and spending cuts on his desk to be singed into law by Independence Day. And he’s pushing the slow-rolling Senate to make it happen sooner rather than later. Trump met with Senate Majority Leader John Thune at the White House early this week and has been dialing senators for one-on-one chats, using both the carrot and stick to encourage them to act. But it’s still a long road ahead for the bill. Senators want to make changes to protect Medicaid and to make sure some tax breaks become permanent. Elon Musk called the whole bill a "disgusting abomination.”
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