April 17 U.S. and Global News

The Trump hush money trial is making progress in jury selection, with seven jurors selected so far and five more needed plus six alternates. Despite a day off today, it is anticipated that the process could be completed by Friday with opening arguments on Monday. During yesterday’s session, Donald Trump appeared to fall asleep multiple times and was admonished by the judge for potentially intimidating jurors.

In other news, the U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative justices indicated during oral arguments that they may rule against the Justice Department in charging about 350 individuals involved in the Jan. 6 Capitol assault with obstruction of an official government proceeding. This could potentially overturn convictions on that charge, impacting cases like the one against Donald Trump by Special Counsel Jack Smith.

Meanwhile, Israel’s war cabinet delayed its meeting to discuss how to respond to Iran’s recent missile and drone attack on Israel. President Biden and other western leaders have urged Israel not to retaliate, emphasizing the successful interception of most Iranian missiles and drones. The attack was in retaliation for an Israeli airstrike on an Iranian consulate building in Damascus, Syria.

Additionally, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy signed legislation requiring all Ukrainian men between 18 and 60 to register for the draft, as the conflict with Russia continues with no end in sight. The law does not specify how many additional men will be called up, removing language allowing for discharge after a certain length of service.

Lastly, Baseball Hall of Famer Whitey Herzog passed away at age 92. Herzog managed the St. Louis Cardinals to three pennant wins and a World Series title in 1982, also managing other teams during his career. His family cited recent illness as the cause of his passing.