Donald Trump becomes the first former president to be convicted of a crime. A third person in the US has been infected with bird flu. And neighbors in California are shocked by the arrest of an 81-year-old in ‘serial slingshot’ shootings.
Here’s what you need to know today.
Donald Trump guilty of all 34 felony charges
A New York jury has found Donald Trump guilty of all 34 counts of falsifying corporate records – the first time a former US president has been convicted of a crime. The charges stemmed from a hush money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels in the final weeks of the 2016 presidential election.
The verdict came after 9½ hours of deliberation, which began on Wednesday. What seemed like a sleepy day in the Manhattan courtroom took a historic turn after the jury announced yesterday afternoon that it had reached a verdict. As the jury foreman read aloud the verdict for each count, Trump sat just a few feet away.
“This was a shame,” Trump told reporters minutes later. “This was rigged by a conflicted judge who was corrupt.” His campaign team immediately began fundraising for the news, characterizing Trump as a “political prisoner.”
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President Joe Biden also weighed in on the moment’s impact on the November election, posting a statement on
Perhaps the biggest question right now whether Trump will suffer politically from this belief. Many political experts say it’s too early to tell, but Trump and his allies are already pronounce the verdict.
A few other questions also came up. Will Trump go to jail? (It depends.) Can he still run for president? (The Constitution makes the answer to this question clear.) And will he be able to vote? (Experts say it’s likely he won’t be disenfranchised.)
Trump’s sentencing is scheduled for July 11, four days before the Republican National Convention. He faces penalties ranging from a fine to four years in prison.
Read the full story here.
More coverage of the Trump ruling:
Ukraine may attack inside Russia with American weapons
Biden secretly authorized Ukraine to use U.S. weapons to strike inside Russia, two U.S. officials said. The decision is a turnaround that Kiev’s allies hope will help turn the tide of the war. But the US has placed limits on the use of these weapons: they can only be used to attack the area around the northeastern city of Kharkiv. The aim is to ensure that Ukrainian forces can attack the Russian army as it attacks or prepares for an attack, the officials said. Long-range attacks within Russia would not be allowed.
Russia launched a new offensive in the Kharkiv region weeks ago, and Kiev fears a new invasion of neighboring Sumy. The decision comes at a time when pressure is increasing from other Western leaders, as well as from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to call on the US to change its position.
Expert calls out missing cell phone records in Idaho stabbing case
A cellphone analyst expected to be a witness in the trial of Idaho stabbing suspect Bryan Kohberger said he was stymied, blaming law enforcement’s disorganized data collection and administration in the case. Analyst Sy Ray said at a pre-trial hearing yesterday that his review of the evidence so far shows that not all of the cell phone data obtained by the FBI and police from Kohberger’s phone around the time of the murders of four University of Idaho students have been mapped around the time of the 2022 murders of four University of Idaho students. Currently, the “missing” and “inaccurate” data is “absolutely in favor of the defense at this point,” he said. Ray has experience as an expert witness in trials, but so does his expertise previously examined.
Yesterday’s hearing was part of an effort by Kohberger’s team to ask the judge to force prosecutors to turn over certain evidence in the case.
Third person infected in bird flu outbreak shows new symptoms
The third human case of bird flu linked to sick dairy cows has been discovered, the CDC reported. In the first two cases, the patient’s only sign of illness was pink eye or conjunctivitis. But this latest case is different because the patient also had upper respiratory symptoms, including sore throat, coughing and congestion. There is no evidence that the virus spreads from person to person, but the risk increases with respiratory symptoms, the CDC said.
As many as 67 herds of dairy cows in nine states have been affected by the current bird flu outbreak, but the risk to the general public remains low. This case is the second discovered in Michigan. Here’s what else you need to know.
Neighborhoods surprised by suspected ‘serial catapult shooter’
An 81-year-old California man arrested last week — and accused of being a “serial slingshot shooter” who terrorized his Southern California neighborhood for more than a decade — died suddenly this week of heart disease, medical officials said. Meanwhile, neighbors in the town of Asuza said they were shocked that Prince King, the old man they knew as ‘Wick’ and ‘Gran Torino’, was in trouble with the police.
“Most of us didn’t believe it was him even when they arrested him,” said a neighbor. But now the community is wondering if King was responsible for the damage in their neighborhood. According to a criminal complaint, King was accused of breaking windows at six homes, as well as a car windshield and a garage window. He pleaded not guilty during a court hearing on Tuesday. He died the next day.
Politics in brief
Roberts’ refusal: Chief Justice John Roberts declined to meet with Democratic senators to discuss the ethics of the Supreme Court following reports that controversial flags were raised at Justice Samuel Alito’s home.
Consequences of financial aid: The Education Department said it is conducting a “full review.” from the Federal Student Aid Office after months of delays and errors with this year’s FAFSA form failed implementation.
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Personnel choice: How William Hung feels twenty years after his ‘American Idol’ audition
‘American Idol’ contestant William Hung became one of the first viral sensations after he confidently stepped in front of the judges and performed a mock rendition of Ricky Martin’s ‘She Bangs’ for his 2004 audition. Hung, one of the rare Asian faces on American TV, was an unlikely pioneer. But many mocked his appearance and accent, and some Asian Americans saw him as a source of shame. This year marks the 20th anniversary of his episode and I spoke with Hung about his reflections since the show. He says he still doesn’t regret it.— Kimmy Yam, NBC Asian America reporter
NBC Select: Online shopping, simplified
Small point-and-shoot cameras are having a serious moment right now. Here are six great options tried and tested by NBC Select editors. Or if you want to take wider aerial photos and videos, a drone may be the best choice. Consider these models for novice pilots.
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This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
