New York City is ramping up security Tuesday when former President Donald Trump is expected to be booked and arraigned on charges arising from hush money payments during his 2016 campaign. Also in the news: Finland is set to become the 31st member of NATO and Connecticut men's basketball has scored the NCAA national title. |
Now, here we go with Tuesday's top headlines. |
New York adds police presence, steel barriers ahead of Trump arraignment |
New York City is bracing for Donald Trump's Tuesday arraignment with a massive police presence as the eyes of the world focus on a Manhattan courthouse. |
Trump is the first current or former U.S. president to ever be criminally charged, and his supporters have tried to delegitimize the process and promised protests. |
• | A Manhattan grand jury indicted Trump on nearly 30 unspecified charges on April 30, following an investigation by District Attorney Alvin Bragg into hush money payments made to two women who said Trump had sex with them. | • | The indictments are sealed, but the Associated Press reported they contain at least one felony. | • | Legal analysts expect defense attorneys to act quickly – and loudly – in pursuing a wave of legal challenges. | • | A #MeToo ripple effect: The indictment is the most tangible accountability Trump has faced so far related to his relationships with women, even if the charges experts have been expecting will be related to finance and accounting. | | Former President Donald Trump arrives at Trump Tower in New York on April 3, 2023. Bryan Woolston/AP |
Midwest, South brace for more tornadoes | Almost 50 million Americans are at risk of being affected by severe storms and potential tornadoes Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center. Cities such as Chicago; Kansas City, Missouri; Tulsa, Oklahoma; St. Louis, Missouri and Des Moines, Iowa, are all in the risk area. The prediction center also said "dangerous nighttime tornadoes" are possible Tuesday evening into Wednesday morning. Nighttime tornadoes are twice as likely to be deadly as daytime tornadoes. Many cities and towns are still recovering from a surge of severe storms that resulted in dozens of confirmed or suspected tornadoes in at least eight states and 32 deaths. Read more | Finland will become the 31st member of the world's largest military alliance on Tuesday, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg announced Monday. At a news conference in Brussels, Stoltenberg reiterated NATO's position that eventually "Ukraine will become a member of the alliance." Turkey, the last country to ratify Finland's membership, will hand over official documents to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday, Stoltenberg said, adding that he expects Sweden will also win approval in the coming weeks. Both nations sought expedited membership after Russia invaded Ukraine more than a year ago. Read more | An empty flagpole stands between the national flags of France and Estonia outside NATO headquarters in Brussels, Monday, April 3, 2023. Finland awaits an official green light to become the 31st member. Virginia Mayo, AP |
Florida's 6-week abortion ban isn't law — yet | Florida House Republicans and Gov. Ron DeSantis are expected to approve a bill that bans most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, a measure that has faced sharp criticism and protests. But even with the governor's signature, the ban has another hurdle to clear. It all depends on how the Florida Supreme Court rules in a lawsuit challenging last year's 15-week ban and whether the court will overturn decades of precedent that a right to privacy in the state constitution applies to abortion. That decision isn't expected until after the lawmaking session ends in May. Read more | Sen. Lauren Book, seated right, along with Democratic Chairwoman Nikki Fried, seated left, and about a dozen activists who were protesting Florida's six-week abortion ban, are arrested outside the Tallahassee City Hall building, Monday, April 3, 2023, in Tallahassee, Florida. Alicia Devine, AP |
Connecticut completes historic NCAA tournament run | A suffocating defense and another big game from forward Adama Sanogo lifted No. 4 Connecticut past No. 5 San Diego State 76-59 Monday night to win the fifth national championship in its program history. The victory in Houston completes an epic and historic run through this NCAA men's basketball tournament and supports the Huskies' case for being viewed as the most successful Division I program of the past 25 years. Read more | Connecticut players celebrate after defeating San Diego State in the national championship game of the 2023 NCAA men's tournament at NRG Stadium. Troy Taormina, USA TODAY Sports |
Photo of the day: Montana freight train derailment dumps cases of Coors Light and Blue Moon beer |
A freight train carrying beer derailed in Montana, officials said, the latest of a string of rail accidents in the United States. Officials said about 25 cars derailed and there was no threat to the public and no hazardous material was released. Sunday's crash is one of a number of incidents over the past two months since a fiery Ohio derailment on Feb. 3. Read more and click here for more photos from the scene. | Montana Rail Link employees look across the river at rail cars which were derailed near Quinn's Hot Springs, west St. Regis, Mont., Sunday, April 2, 2023. Ben Allan Smith, The Missoulian via AP |
Associated Press contributed reporting. | | | |
No comments:
Post a Comment