Opening statements will begin in Hunter Biden’s gun trial. Triple-digit heat moves through the Southwest. And court documents allege that a former small-town mayor accused of three murders was enraged by his wife’s revelation of a sexual assault.
Here’s what you need to know today.
Selected by a jury, Hunter Biden The process begins with opening statements
Opening statements will begin this morning in the federal criminal trial of Hunter Biden, who faces three charges related to gun possession while on narcotics.
Prosecutors from Special Counsel David Weiss’ office will present their case against him President Joe Biden“Mr. Biden’s son, arguing that Hunter Biden declared on a federally required form that he was not illegally using or addicted to illegal drugs, “when in fact that statement was false and fictitious.”
Hunter Biden has pleaded not guilty.
The opening statements come a day after the trial in Wilmington, Delaware, which opened with jury selection. After answering questions from attorneys, six men and six women, as well as four alternates, were selected and sworn in. The group included an Obama voter, gun owners and people who have experienced addiction firsthand. A powerful quorum of allies and family members were also on hand to show their support, including First Lady Jill Biden, Hunter Biden’s half-sister, Ashley; and Kevin Morris, the entertainment lawyer helping pay Hunter Biden’s legal fees. Read more takeaways from Day 1 of the trial, the first family’s long history and deep roots in Delaware loomed large in jury selection.
After opening statements from both sides, testimony will begin with the prosecution’s first witness, an FBI special agent who will introduce evidence including text messages and excerpts from Hunter Biden’s book and audiobook. Here’s what else you can expect.
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The world’s biggest election looks surprisingly close as Modi’s hopes of a landslide in India fade
Early vote counting suggests Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will win a rare third term today, entering a new decade as leader of the world’s most populous country, at a time when India is moving closer to the US. and is gaining influence worldwide. Modi enjoys broad support both at home and among the large Indian diaspora in the US and elsewhere, with voters rewarding a leader they see as responsible for India’s rapidly growing economy and increasing confidence on the world stage.
His Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party and allied parties appeared to have won almost 300 of the 543 seats in parliament, according to initial results, giving them a simple majority. But the opposition fared better than expected in an election where exit polls had suggested Modi’s alliance would win in a landslide.
But critics say Modi has also eroded human rights in India, the world’s largest democracy, and stoked religious tensions, especially against India’s Muslim minority. Modi and other BJP candidates accused of hate speech and other inflammatory rhetoric during the campaign. India also struggles to create enough jobs for its 1.4 billion people, despite being the fastest growing major economy in the world.
Heat waves are gripping the US
An extreme heat wave has settled in Texas, and more pre-summer heat awaits in the Southwest during the first significant heat event of the season. Temperatures across Texas will reach as high as 115 degrees, especially in Abilene, San Antonio and Brownsville, and severe storms are expected in the Panhandle.
The National Weather Service is predicting a heat wave across Arizona and parts of California through Thursday, with temperatures possibly reaching 113 degrees in Phoenix and 108 degrees in California’s Central Valley. The high temperatures also pose a fire hazard. As of last night, the Corral Fire near San Francisco, which had grown to more than 40,000 acres, was about 75% contained. Here’s what you need to know about this week’s forecast.
This summer’s heat will also likely be costly. According to new forecasts, the average cost of keeping a U.S. home cool from June to September is expected to be $719, the highest in a decade and a steep increase from the 2021 average of $573. If temperatures remain record break, the average cost may be even higher.
President Biden expected to sign an executive action to temporarily close the border
President Joe Biden is expected to sign an executive action today that would temporarily close the southern border — and which could take effect immediately.
The executive order is expected to rely on a provision in the U.S. Code that gives the president the authority to “suspend the entry” of certain migrants when the number of attempted border crossings is too high. For the executive action, that number is 2,500 people, and the border would reopen if the number falls below 1,500, according to three people familiar with the discussion.
According to Department of Homeland Security officials, there are currently an average of more than 4,000 daily encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border, suggesting a shutdown could take effect immediately.
A critical consideration before the expected action by the Biden administration was cooperation with the government of Andrés Manuel López Obrador, the outgoing Mexican president who Claudia Sheinbaumwho won this week’s elections. Here’s what else you need to know.
More about the presidential elections in Mexico:
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Sheinbaum is not only Mexico’s first female president; she is also the country’s first Jewish president. In a country with one of the largest Catholic populations, that is significantsaid one scholar.
The ex-mayor reportedly “left the house in anger” before the fatal shooting
A former small-town mayor accused of a triple murder in South Dakota became enraged after his wife told him a neighbor had sexually assaulted her, new court documents show. Jay Ostrem, the former mayor of Centerville, about 40 miles south of Sioux Falls, was arrested last week in the deaths of three men who were found dead with apparent gunshot wounds. Now, an affidavit of probable cause claims Ostrem’s wife told him shortly before the shooting that a man she had been drinking with forcibly kissed her and exposed himself, prompting Ostrem to “leave the house in a rage.”
One of the victims called 911 to report that his brother had been shot and killed by “a man from across the street,” the document said. Then the caller said he had also been shot.
Politics in short
Today’s primaries: Sen. Bob Menendez’s bribery and corruption trial looms over today’s key primaries in New Jersey, including a House race involving his son. Here’s what you need to know – plus other races to watch in Iowa, Montana, New Mexico and South Dakota.
Fauci fights back: Dr. Anthony Fauci has fended off attacks from Republican politicians during a fiery House subcommittee hearing in which several members asked about Covid conspiracy theories.
Aftermath of the Trump verdict: The addresses and telephone numbers of Michael Cohen’s relatives were posted on a doxxing website. Meanwhile, multiple short polls released in recent days show what Americans think of the verdict. And President Biden said last night at a campaign event that Trump is a “convicted criminal” who “got it” after the 2020 election.
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Personnel choice: The worrying effect of drinking and sleeping during a flight
As someone who took a long flight a few days ago, I was reminded of how taxing a plane ride can be (not to mention navigating a busy airport). New research suggests that if you’re someone who likes to order a drink mid-flight and then take a nap, an extra layer of stress is added to your body. It turns out that the lower air pressure at higher altitudes can change the oxygen saturation in your blood and your heart rate. The results were so surprising that one of the study’s co-authors warned: “Please don’t drink alcohol while on a plane.” Elizabeth Robinson, newsletter editor
NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified
Did you know that you should clean your dishwasher regularly? Here’s how to do it. And if you don’t have a dishwasher (but want one), a countertop dishwasher may be your best choice. These are the best.
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This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
