Nebraska Department of Transportation

April 15, 2024 (Lincoln, Neb.) — The Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT), the Associated General Contractors (AGC) Nebraska chapter, and partner contractors across the state are recognizing Work Zone Awareness Week, which occurs nationally from April 15-19. This national effort, sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), emphasizes simple actions everyone can take.

“The safety of NDOT’s people and our fellow contractors who are out in work zones, as well as Nebraskans and our state’s guests traveling through, is not a coincidence. Maintaining the quality of life we have in Nebraska requires a lot of commitment, intention and cooperation," says Vicki Kramer, NDOT Director. "We all must prioritize their safety by avoiding phone use while driving, slowing down, and remaining watchful when driving through work zones in Nebraska. This is everyone’s responsibility.”

Governor Pillen signed a proclamation declaring this week as Work Zone Awareness Week to serve as a reminder for everyone to drive safely this construction season and remain vigilant.

“One of our biggest concerns when it comes to the contractors working hard to build our state’s infrastructure is distracted driving. When you see orange cones and signs, please slow down and pay attention. Our goal at the end of the day is to get all construction workers and members of the travelling public home safe to their families, said Katie Wilson, AGC Executive Director.

NDOT and AGC encourage all motorists to slow down, be alert, and give construction workers the space they need to work. Together, we can create a safer environment for those who are at the highest risk in work zones.

Nebraska Department of TransportationApril 15, 2024 (Lincoln, Neb.) — The Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT), the Associated General Contractors (AGC) Nebraska chapter, and partner contractors across the state are recognizing Work Zone Awareness Week, which occurs nationally from April 15-19. This national effort, sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), emphasizes simple actions everyone can take.“The safety of NDOT’s people and our fellow contractors who are out in work zones, as well as Nebraskans and our state’s guests traveling through, is not a coincidence. Maintaining the quality of life we have in Nebraska requires a lot of commitment, intention and cooperation," says Vicki Kramer, NDOT Director. "We all must prioritize their safety by avoiding phone use while driving, slowing down, and remaining watchful when driving through work zones in Nebraska. This is everyone’s responsibility.”Governor Pillen signed a proclamation declaring this week as Work Zone Awareness Week to serve as a reminder for everyone to drive safely this construction season and remain vigilant.“One of our biggest concerns when it comes to the contractors working hard to build our state’s infrastructure is distracted driving. When you see orange cones and signs, please slow down and pay attention. Our goal at the end of the day is to get all construction workers and members of the travelling public home safe to their families, said Katie Wilson, AGC Executive Director.NDOT and AGC encourage all motorists to slow down, be alert, and give construction workers the space they need to work. Together, we can create a safer environment for those who are at the highest risk in work zones.

NDOT, AGC, and Partner Contractors Across the State Recognize Work Zone Awareness Week

Lincoln, April 16, 2024- Selection is underway for consumers served by Black Hills Energy’s Choice Gas Program. The selection period for residential/commercial Choice customers in the Black Hills area runs through April 24.

The Choice Gas Program, administered by Black Hills Energy allows residential, commercial,and ag customers residing in certain areas of the state to choose a third-party supplier to providetheir natural gas.

“Each choice customer has an opportunity to choose their natural gas supplier,” said NicholeMulcahy, Director PSC Natural Gas Department. “If they make a choice, they could see a benefitby receiving a lower price for their natural gas. Customers who don’t make a selection, areassigned a default supplier and rate, which may result in them paying more.”

Consumers in the areas served by the program, should have received information from providersto help them make an informed choice on which company they would like to be their supplier.Those unsure if they are in an area served by the Choice Gas Program, are encouraged to contactBlack Hills Energy at 1-877-245-3506.Mulcahy said, “We urge all customers to review their options and take the time to make achoice.”

Information for Nebraska Choice Gas customers can be found on the Black Hills Energy website&lt;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.blackhillsenergy.com/services/choice-gas-program/nebraska-choice-gas-%0bcustomers" target="_blank">https://www.blackhillsenergy.com/services/choice-gas-program/nebraska-choice-gas-customers</a>&nbsp;&gt;.&nbsp; Additional information on the Choice Gas Program can be found on the&nbsp;<a href="https://psc.nebraska.gov/natural-gas/consumer-choice-program" target="_blank">Consumer Choice Program</a>&nbsp;page of the PSC website.

Public Service CommissionLincoln, April 16, 2024- Selection is underway for consumers served by Black Hills Energy’s Choice Gas Program. The selection period for residential/commercial Choice customers in the Black Hills area runs through April 24.The Choice Gas Program, administered by Black Hills Energy allows residential, commercial,and ag customers residing in certain areas of the state to choose a third-party supplier to providetheir natural gas.“Each choice customer has an opportunity to choose their natural gas supplier,” said NicholeMulcahy, Director PSC Natural Gas Department. “If they make a choice, they could see a benefitby receiving a lower price for their natural gas. Customers who don’t make a selection, areassigned a default supplier and rate, which may result in them paying more.”Consumers in the areas served by the program, should have received information from providersto help them make an informed choice on which company they would like to be their supplier.Those unsure if they are in an area served by the Choice Gas Program, are encouraged to contactBlack Hills Energy at 1-877-245-3506.Mulcahy said, “We urge all customers to review their options and take the time to make achoice.”Information for Nebraska Choice Gas customers can be found on the Black Hills Energy website&lt;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.blackhillsenergy.com/services/choice-gas-program/nebraska-choice-gas-%0bcustomers" target="_blank">https://www.blackhillsenergy.com/services/choice-gas-program/nebraska-choice-gas-customers</a>&nbsp;&gt;.&nbsp; Additional information on the Choice Gas Program can be found on the&nbsp;<a href="https://psc.nebraska.gov/natural-gas/consumer-choice-program" target="_blank">Consumer Choice Program</a>&nbsp;page of the PSC website.

PSC REMINDS CHOICE GAS CUSTOMERS TO CHOOSE A PROVIDER

Attorney General Mike Hilgers&nbsp;

LINCOLN—In the concluding days of the 2024 Session, Attorney General Mike Hilgers thanks the sponsoring Senators and Legislature for strengthening protections for vulnerable Nebraskans who have been exploited.

"I am grateful for the Legislature’s unanimous vote in favor of our office's priority bills to protect Nebraskans. I am especially grateful to Senator Bosn and Senator Armendariz for their leadership in successfully carrying these bills. As a result, our office will be better able to protect Nebraskans from financial exploitation and stand up for survivors of sex trafficking, abuse, and assault,” stated Attorney General Hilgers.&nbsp;

Senator Carolyn Bosn sponsored and prioritized LB934 to strengthen the Attorney General's ability to protect Nebraskans who have been financially exploited. Nebraskans who get scammed or otherwise deceived deserve the best opportunity to get their money back. This bill allows the Attorney General to impound or freeze stolen money or assets, increasing the likelihood that consumers get made whole. The bill also harmonizes Nebraska’s two main consumer protection statutes and allows for consumer claims to be heard by juries.&nbsp;

Senator Christy Armendariz sponsored LB1096 to combat the proliferation of child exploitation, human trafficking, and sexual assault content online, with the primary goal of standing up for survivors. LB1096 allows the Attorney General to hold online actors and platforms accountable for purveying sexual abuse content, including content that exploits children and trafficking survivors. The bill is a continuation of the ongoing partnership between the Legislature, the Attorney General, and the Nebraska Human Trafficking Task Force.

On March 19, the Legislature amended LB1096 into LB934. On April 10, 2024, this combined priority bill passed 46-0. Governor Jim Pillen signed LB 934 into law on&nbsp;April 15, 2024. Because the bill has an Emergency Clause, the law goes into effect on the day of the Governor's signature.

Nebraskans can report financial exploitation and exploitative content directly to the Consumer Affairs Response Team in the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office at 402-471-2682.

Attorney General Mike Hilgers&nbsp;LINCOLN—In the concluding days of the 2024 Session, Attorney General Mike Hilgers thanks the sponsoring Senators and Legislature for strengthening protections for vulnerable Nebraskans who have been exploited."I am grateful for the Legislature’s unanimous vote in favor of our office's priority bills to protect Nebraskans. I am especially grateful to Senator Bosn and Senator Armendariz for their leadership in successfully carrying these bills. As a result, our office will be better able to protect Nebraskans from financial exploitation and stand up for survivors of sex trafficking, abuse, and assault,” stated Attorney General Hilgers.&nbsp;Senator Carolyn Bosn sponsored and prioritized LB934 to strengthen the Attorney General's ability to protect Nebraskans who have been financially exploited. Nebraskans who get scammed or otherwise deceived deserve the best opportunity to get their money back. This bill allows the Attorney General to impound or freeze stolen money or assets, increasing the likelihood that consumers get made whole. The bill also harmonizes Nebraska’s two main consumer protection statutes and allows for consumer claims to be heard by juries.&nbsp;Senator Christy Armendariz sponsored LB1096 to combat the proliferation of child exploitation, human trafficking, and sexual assault content online, with the primary goal of standing up for survivors. LB1096 allows the Attorney General to hold online actors and platforms accountable for purveying sexual abuse content, including content that exploits children and trafficking survivors. The bill is a continuation of the ongoing partnership between the Legislature, the Attorney General, and the Nebraska Human Trafficking Task Force.On March 19, the Legislature amended LB1096 into LB934. On April 10, 2024, this combined priority bill passed 46-0. Governor Jim Pillen signed LB 934 into law on&nbsp;April 15, 2024. Because the bill has an Emergency Clause, the law goes into effect on the day of the Governor's signature.Nebraskans can report financial exploitation and exploitative content directly to the Consumer Affairs Response Team in the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office at 402-471-2682.

 Attorney General Hilgers Thanks the Legislature for Strengthening Protections for Vulnerable Nebraskans

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defiant and determined, House Speaker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">Mike Johnson</a>&nbsp;pushed back Tuesday against mounting Republican anger over his proposed U.S. aid package for Ukraine, Israel and other allies, and rejected a call to step aside or risk a vote to oust him from office.

“I am not resigning,” Johnson said after a testy morning meeting of fellow House Republicans at the Capitol

Johnson referred to himself as a “wartime speaker” of the House and indicated in his strongest self-defense yet he would press forward with a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-ukraine-house-speaker-42a2f281a5437beaa8af4c3345987637">U.S. national security aid package</a>, a situation that would force him to rely on Democrats to help pass it, over objections from his weakened majority.

“We are simply here trying to do our jobs,” Johnson said, calling the motion to oust him “absurd ... not helpful.”

Tuesday brought a definitive shift in tone from both the House Republicans and the speaker himself at a pivotal moment as the embattled leader tries, against the wishes of his majority, to marshal the votes needed to send the stalled national security aid for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-hamas-latest-04-16-2024-2d556f46e9dd08b68930f86777524b21">Israel</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-conscription-law-a8ccc48e6c15276c5b5035288ed016ee">Ukraine</a>&nbsp;and other overseas allies to passage.

Johnson appeared emboldened by his meeting late last week with Donald Trump when the Republican former president threw him a political lifeline with a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-speaker-johnson-maralago-congress-c6eaace204882df054795cf70a5fe60a">nod of support</a>&nbsp;after their private talk at Trump's Mar-A-Lago resort in Florida. At his own press conference Tuesday, Johnson spoke of the importance of ensuring Trump, who is now at his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/trump-trial-hush-money-updates-april-16">criminal trial</a>&nbsp;in New York, is re-elected to the White House.

Johnson also spoke over the weekend with President Joe Biden as well as other congressional leaders about the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-ukraine-aid-house-speaker-johnson-912a7419b00749fbc2f472df93f67bb1">emerging U.S. aid package</a>, which the speaker plans to move in separate votes for each section — with bills for Ukraine, Israel, the Indo-Pacific region. He spoke about it with Biden again late Monday.

It's a complicated approach that breaks apart the Senate's $95 billion aid package for separate votes, and then stitches it back together for the president's signature.

The approach will require the speaker to cobble together bipartisan majorities with different factions of House Republicans and Democrats on each measure. Additionally, Johnson is preparing a fourth measure that would include various Republican-preferred national security priorities, such as a plan to seize some Russian assets in U.S. banks to help fund Ukraine and another to turn the economic aid for Ukraine into loans.

The plan is not an automatic deal-breaker for Democrats in the House and Senate, with leaders refraining from comment until they see the actual text of the measure, due out later Tuesday.

House Republicans, however, were livid that Johnson will be leaving their top priority — efforts to impose more security at the U.S.-Mexico border — on the sidelines. Some predicted Johnson will not be able to push ahead with voting on the package this week, as planned..

Rep. Debbie Lesko, R-Ariz., called the morning meeting an “argument fest.”

She said Johnson was "most definitely'' losing support for the plan, but he seemed undeterred in trying to move forward despite “what the majority of the Conference” of Republicans wanted.

When the speaker said the House GOP's priority border security bill H.R. 2 would not be considered germane to the package, Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, a chief sponsor, said it's for the House to determine which provisions and amendments are relevant.

“Things are very unresolved,” Roy said.

Roy said said Republicans want “to be united. They just have to be able to figure out how to do it.”

The speaker faces a threat of ouster from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., the top Trump ally who has filed a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/speaker-johnson-motion-vacate-marjorie-taylor-greene-3461bd8b95e718e178132ac16f36562a">motion to vacate the speaker</a>&nbsp;from office in a snap vote — much the way Republicans ousted their former speaker, Kevin McCarthy, last fall..

While Greene has not said if or when she will force the issue, and has not found much support for her plan after last year's turmoil over McCarthy's exit, she drew at least one key supporter Tuesday.

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., rose in the meeting and suggested Johnson should step aside, pointing to the example of John Boehner, an even earlier House speaker who announced an early resignation in 2015 rather than risk a vote to oust him, according to Republicans in the room.

“Speaker Johnson must announce a resignation date and allow Republicans to elect a new Speaker to put America First and pass a Republican agenda,” Greene wrote on social media, thanking Massie for his support for her motion to vacate.

Johnson did not respond, according to Republicans in the room, but told the lawmakers they have a "binary" choice" before them.

The speaker explained they either try to pass the package as he is proposing or risk facing a discharge petition from Democrats that would force a vote on their preferred package — the Senate approved measure. But that would leave behind the extra Republican priorities.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defiant and determined, House Speaker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">Mike Johnson</a>&nbsp;pushed back Tuesday against mounting Republican anger over his proposed U.S. aid package for Ukraine, Israel and other allies, and rejected a call to step aside or risk a vote to oust him from office.“I am not resigning,” Johnson said after a testy morning meeting of fellow House Republicans at the Capitol<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerJohnson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SpeakerJohnson</a> on calls for his resignation and possible motion to vacate the chair: &quot;I am not resigning and it is in my view an absurd notion that someone would bring a vacate motion when we are simply here trying to do our jobs.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/R0fR3re7JQ">pic.twitter.com/R0fR3re7JQ</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1780248122024702030?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Johnson referred to himself as a “wartime speaker” of the House and indicated in his strongest self-defense yet he would press forward with a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-ukraine-house-speaker-42a2f281a5437beaa8af4c3345987637">U.S. national security aid package</a>, a situation that would force him to rely on Democrats to help pass it, over objections from his weakened majority.“We are simply here trying to do our jobs,” Johnson said, calling the motion to oust him “absurd ... not helpful.”Tuesday brought a definitive shift in tone from both the House Republicans and the speaker himself at a pivotal moment as the embattled leader tries, against the wishes of his majority, to marshal the votes needed to send the stalled national security aid for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-hamas-latest-04-16-2024-2d556f46e9dd08b68930f86777524b21">Israel</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-conscription-law-a8ccc48e6c15276c5b5035288ed016ee">Ukraine</a>&nbsp;and other overseas allies to passage.Johnson appeared emboldened by his meeting late last week with Donald Trump when the Republican former president threw him a political lifeline with a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-speaker-johnson-maralago-congress-c6eaace204882df054795cf70a5fe60a">nod of support</a>&nbsp;after their private talk at Trump's Mar-A-Lago resort in Florida. At his own press conference Tuesday, Johnson spoke of the importance of ensuring Trump, who is now at his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/trump-trial-hush-money-updates-april-16">criminal trial</a>&nbsp;in New York, is re-elected to the White House.Johnson also spoke over the weekend with President Joe Biden as well as other congressional leaders about the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-ukraine-aid-house-speaker-johnson-912a7419b00749fbc2f472df93f67bb1">emerging U.S. aid package</a>, which the speaker plans to move in separate votes for each section — with bills for Ukraine, Israel, the Indo-Pacific region. He spoke about it with Biden again late Monday.It's a complicated approach that breaks apart the Senate's $95 billion aid package for separate votes, and then stitches it back together for the president's signature.The approach will require the speaker to cobble together bipartisan majorities with different factions of House Republicans and Democrats on each measure. Additionally, Johnson is preparing a fourth measure that would include various Republican-preferred national security priorities, such as a plan to seize some Russian assets in U.S. banks to help fund Ukraine and another to turn the economic aid for Ukraine into loans.The plan is not an automatic deal-breaker for Democrats in the House and Senate, with leaders refraining from comment until they see the actual text of the measure, due out later Tuesday.House Republicans, however, were livid that Johnson will be leaving their top priority — efforts to impose more security at the U.S.-Mexico border — on the sidelines. Some predicted Johnson will not be able to push ahead with voting on the package this week, as planned..Rep. Debbie Lesko, R-Ariz., called the morning meeting an “argument fest.”She said Johnson was "most definitely'' losing support for the plan, but he seemed undeterred in trying to move forward despite “what the majority of the Conference” of Republicans wanted.When the speaker said the House GOP's priority border security bill H.R. 2 would not be considered germane to the package, Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, a chief sponsor, said it's for the House to determine which provisions and amendments are relevant.“Things are very unresolved,” Roy said.Roy said said Republicans want “to be united. They just have to be able to figure out how to do it.”The speaker faces a threat of ouster from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., the top Trump ally who has filed a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/speaker-johnson-motion-vacate-marjorie-taylor-greene-3461bd8b95e718e178132ac16f36562a">motion to vacate the speaker</a>&nbsp;from office in a snap vote — much the way Republicans ousted their former speaker, Kevin McCarthy, last fall..While Greene has not said if or when she will force the issue, and has not found much support for her plan after last year's turmoil over McCarthy's exit, she drew at least one key supporter Tuesday.Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., rose in the meeting and suggested Johnson should step aside, pointing to the example of John Boehner, an even earlier House speaker who announced an early resignation in 2015 rather than risk a vote to oust him, according to Republicans in the room.“Speaker Johnson must announce a resignation date and allow Republicans to elect a new Speaker to put America First and pass a Republican agenda,” Greene wrote on social media, thanking Massie for his support for her motion to vacate.Johnson did not respond, according to Republicans in the room, but told the lawmakers they have a "binary" choice" before them.The speaker explained they either try to pass the package as he is proposing or risk facing a discharge petition from Democrats that would force a vote on their preferred package — the Senate approved measure. But that would leave behind the extra Republican priorities.

🎥 House Speaker won't resign, wants a vote on aid for Ukraine, Israel

NEW YORK (AP) — The historic&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-hush-money-new-york-criminal-case-fbdff18df40920b75873b3a40317f5ee">hush-money</a>&nbsp;trial of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;got underway Monday with the arduous process of selecting a jury to hear the case charging the former president with falsifying business records in order to stifle stories about his sex life.

<a href="https://www.nycourts.gov/LegacyPDFS/press/PDFs/Letter-re-jury-selection-4-8-24.pdf">Click here to read </a>the jury selection questionnaire

The day ended without any jurors being chosen. The selection process was scheduled to resume Tuesday.

The first criminal trial of any former U.S. president began as Trump vies to reclaim the White House, creating a remarkable split-screen spectacle of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-biden-primary-georgia-washington-mississippi-hawaii-15bb0084ad656903ffef14cfae822abd">presumptive Republican nominee</a>&nbsp;spending his days as a criminal defendant while simultaneously campaigning for office. He's blended those roles over the last year by presenting himself to supporters, on the campaign trail and on social media, as a target of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-gag-order-hush-money-juan-merchan-f182e7d5c27967b86a59277fd24743e4">politically motivated prosecutions designed to derail his candidacy</a>.

“It’s a scam. It’s a political witch hunt. It continues, and it continues forever,” Trump said after exiting the courtroom, where he sat at the defense table with his lawyers.

After a norm-shattering presidency shadowed by years of investigations, the trial amounts to a reckoning for Trump, who faces four indictments charging him with crimes ranging from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-justice-department-indictment-classified-documents-miami-8315a5b23c18f27083ed64eef21efff3">hoarding classified documents</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indicted-jan-6-investigation-special-counsel-debb59bb7a4d9f93f7e2dace01feccdc">plotting to overturn an election</a>. Yet the political stakes are less clear because a conviction would not preclude him from becoming president and because the allegations in this case date back years and are seen as less grievous than the conduct behind the three other indictments.

The day began with pretrial arguments — including over a potential fine for Trump — before moving in the afternoon into jury selection, where the parties will decide who among them might be picked to determine the legal fate of the former, and potentially future, American president.

After the first members of the jury pool, 96 in all, were summoned into the courtroom, Trump craned his neck to look back at them, whispering to his lawyer as they entered the jury box.

“You are about to participate in a trial by jury. The system of trial by jury is one of the cornerstones of our judicial system,”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-hush-money-criminal-trial-judge-merchan-c227f5eab200cccffb19ed931b4dac92">Judge Juan Merchan told the jurors</a>. “The name of this case is the People of the State of New York vs. Donald Trump.”

Trump’s notoriety would make the process of picking 12 jurors and six alternates a near-herculean task in any year, but it’s likely to be especially challenging now, unfolding in a closely contested presidential election in the heavily Democratic city where Trump grew up and catapulted to celebrity status decades before winning the White House.

Underscoring the difficulty, only about a third of the 96 people in the first panel of potential jurors remained after the judge excused some members. More than half the group was excused after telling the judge they could not be fair and impartial. At least nine more were excused after raising their hands when Merchan asked if they could not serve for any other reason.

A female juror was excused after saying she had strong opinions about Trump. Earlier in the questionnaire, the woman, a Harlem resident, indicated she could be neutral in deciding the case. But when asked whether she had strong opinions about the former president, the woman answered matter-of-factly: “Yes.”

When Merchan asked her to repeat the response, she replied: “Yeah, I said yes.” She was dismissed.

Merchan has written that the key is “whether the prospective juror can assure us that they will set aside any personal feelings or biases and render a decision that is based on the evidence and the law.”

No matter the outcome, Trump is determined to benefit from the proceedings, casting the case, and his indictments elsewhere, as a broad “weaponization of law enforcement” by Democratic prosecutors and officials. He maintains they are orchestrating sham charges in hopes of impeding his presidential run.

He’s lambasted judges and prosecutors for years, a pattern of attacks that continued Monday as he entered court Monday after calling the case an “assault on America."

“This is political persecution. This is a persecution like never before,” he said.

Earlier Monday, the judge denied a defense request to recuse himself from the case after Trump's lawyers claimed he had a conflict of interest. He also said prosecutors could not play for the jury the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-access-hollywood-hush-money-new-york-2c52279a45ede2a111ff1fe447d2fdac">2005 “Access Hollywood” recording</a>&nbsp;in which Trump was captured discussing grabbing women sexually without their permission. However, prosecutors will be allowed to question witnesses about the recording, which became public in the final weeks of the 2016 campaign.

Prosecutors with the Manhattan district attorney's office also asked for Merchan to fine Trump $3,000 over social media posts they said violated the judge's gag order barring him from attacking witnesses. Last week, he used his Truth Social platform to call his&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=michael+cohen+apnews&amp;rlz=1C1GCEA_enUS1084US1084&amp;oq=michael+cohen+ap&amp;gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqCAgAEEUYJxg7MggIABBFGCcYOzIGCAEQRRg5MgcIAhAAGIAEMgcIAxAAGIAEMggIBBAAGBYYHjIGCAUQRRg8MgYIBhBFGDwyBggHEEUYPKgCALACAA&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">former lawyer Michael Cohen</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-michael-cohen-stormy-daniels-e40532d3bce7768e296fdaf9591ef05b">adult film actor Stormy Daniels</a>&nbsp;“two sleaze bags who have, with their lies and misrepresentations, cost our Country dearly!”

Trump lawyer Todd Blanche maintained Trump was simply responding to the witnesses' statements.

“It's not as if President Trump is going out and targeting individuals. He is responding to salacious, repeated vehement attacks by these witnesses,” Blanche said.

Merchan setting a hearing for next week on the request.

<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=eric+tucker+apnews+34+counts+sisak&amp;sca_esv=9cc8c3117245717b&amp;rlz=1C1GCEA_enUS1084US1084&amp;sxsrf=ACQVn0-xRhBNg7BxytGvKstnrKo_s1We3w%3A1713208166354&amp;ei=ZnsdZu6KFdWu5NoP5oWIkAI&amp;ved=0ahUKEwju1bnh9cSFAxVVF1kFHeYCAiIQ4dUDCBE&amp;uact=5&amp;oq=eric+tucker+apnews+34+counts+sisak&amp;gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiImVyaWMgdHVja2VyIGFwbmV3cyAzNCBjb3VudHMgc2lzYWsyBRAhGKABMgUQIRigATIFECEYoAEyBRAhGKABSI4kUABYmiFwAHgBkAEBmAGGAqAB5RyqAQcxOC4xNS4xuAEDyAEA-AEBmAIeoAKjGsICBBAjGCfCAhcQLhiABBiKBRiRAhixAxiDARjHARjRA8ICDhAuGIAEGIoFGJECGLEDwgIREC4YgAQYsQMYgwEYxwEY0QPCAg4QLhiABBiKBRixAxiDAcICCxAAGIAEGLEDGIMBwgILEC4YgAQYigUYkQLCAgsQABiABBiKBRiRAsICChAuGIAEGIoFGEPCAggQABiABBixA8ICChAuGIAEGBQYhwLCAggQLhiABBixA8ICDRAuGIAEGIoFGEMYsQPCAgoQABiABBiKBRhDwgILEC4YgAQYsQMYgwHCAhAQLhiABBiKBRhDGLEDGIMBwgIKEAAYgAQYFBiHAsICBRAuGIAEwgIFEAAYgATCAgYQABgWGB7CAggQABiABBiiBMICBBAhGBWYAwCSBwcxMi4xNy4xoAfe7wI&amp;sclient=gws-wiz-serp">Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts</a>&nbsp;of falsifying business records. Prosecutors say the alleged fraud was part of an effort to keep salacious — and, Trump says, bogus — stories about his sex life from emerging during his 2016 campaign.

The charges center on $130,000 in payments that Trump’s company made to Cohen. He paid that sum on Trump’s behalf to keep Daniels from going public, a month before the election, with her claims of a sexual encounter with the married mogul a decade earlier.

Prosecutors say the payments to Cohen were falsely logged as legal fees in order to cloak their actual purpose. Trump's lawyers say the disbursements indeed were legal expenses, not a cover-up.

After decades of fielding and initiating lawsuits, the businessman-turned-politician now faces a trial that could result in up to four years in prison if he’s convicted, though a no-jail sentence also would be possible.

Trump's attorneys lost a bid to get the hush-money case dismissed and have since repeatedly sought to delay it, prompting a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-hush-money-appeal-juan-merchan-43ce6ef13f3b7a2ea017a658e6b4e01b">flurry of last-minute appeals court hearings</a>&nbsp;last week.

Among other things, Trump's lawyers maintain that the jury pool in overwhelmingly Democratic Manhattan has been tainted by negative publicity about Trump and that the case should be moved elsewhere.

An appeals judge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-juan-merchan-hush-money-appeal-lawsuit-6abe221a7cb2ea670eb3ed1a7a134643">turned down an emergency request</a>&nbsp;to delay the trial while the change-of-venue request goes to a group of appellate judges, who are set to consider it in the coming weeks.

Manhattan prosecutors have countered that a lot of the publicity stems from Trump’s own comments and that questioning will tease out whether prospective jurors can put aside any preconceptions they may have. There’s no reason, prosecutors said, to think that 12 fair and impartial people can’t be found amid Manhattan’s roughly 1.4 million adult residents.

The prospective jurors will be known only by number, as the judge has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-hush-money-new-york-jury-9b36769997f86c6c172daf5b267c7dd8">ordered that their names be kept secret</a>&nbsp;from everyone except prosecutors, Trump and their legal teams. The 42 preapproved, sometimes multi-pronged queries include background basics but also reflect the uniqueness of the case.

They're being asked, among other questions, about hobbies and news habits, whether they hold strong beliefs about Trump that would prevent them being impartial and about attendance at Trump or anti-Trump rallies.

Based on the answers, the attorneys can ask a judge to eliminate people “for cause” if they meet certain criteria for being unable to serve or can't be unbiased. The lawyers also can use “peremptory challenges” to nix 10 potential jurors and two prospective alternates without giving a reason.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713221753266.png" alt="Page 11 of the 17 page letter&nbsp; from the court of New York" />
 <figcaption>Page 11 of the 17 page letter&nbsp; from the court of New York</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — The historic&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-hush-money-new-york-criminal-case-fbdff18df40920b75873b3a40317f5ee">hush-money</a>&nbsp;trial of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;got underway Monday with the arduous process of selecting a jury to hear the case charging the former president with falsifying business records in order to stifle stories about his sex life.<a href="https://www.nycourts.gov/LegacyPDFS/press/PDFs/Letter-re-jury-selection-4-8-24.pdf">Click here to read </a>the jury selection questionnaireThe day ended without any jurors being chosen. The selection process was scheduled to resume Tuesday.The first criminal trial of any former U.S. president began as Trump vies to reclaim the White House, creating a remarkable split-screen spectacle of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-biden-primary-georgia-washington-mississippi-hawaii-15bb0084ad656903ffef14cfae822abd">presumptive Republican nominee</a>&nbsp;spending his days as a criminal defendant while simultaneously campaigning for office. He's blended those roles over the last year by presenting himself to supporters, on the campaign trail and on social media, as a target of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-gag-order-hush-money-juan-merchan-f182e7d5c27967b86a59277fd24743e4">politically motivated prosecutions designed to derail his candidacy</a>.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Former President Trump remarks ahead of Hush Money Trial: &quot;This is political persecution this is a persecution like never before....it&#39;s an assault on America.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/gdPUMgl8KQ">pic.twitter.com/gdPUMgl8KQ</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1779869871066448377?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“It’s a scam. It’s a political witch hunt. It continues, and it continues forever,” Trump said after exiting the courtroom, where he sat at the defense table with his lawyers.After a norm-shattering presidency shadowed by years of investigations, the trial amounts to a reckoning for Trump, who faces four indictments charging him with crimes ranging from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-justice-department-indictment-classified-documents-miami-8315a5b23c18f27083ed64eef21efff3">hoarding classified documents</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indicted-jan-6-investigation-special-counsel-debb59bb7a4d9f93f7e2dace01feccdc">plotting to overturn an election</a>. Yet the political stakes are less clear because a conviction would not preclude him from becoming president and because the allegations in this case date back years and are seen as less grievous than the conduct behind the three other indictments.The day began with pretrial arguments — including over a potential fine for Trump — before moving in the afternoon into jury selection, where the parties will decide who among them might be picked to determine the legal fate of the former, and potentially future, American president.After the first members of the jury pool, 96 in all, were summoned into the courtroom, Trump craned his neck to look back at them, whispering to his lawyer as they entered the jury box.“You are about to participate in a trial by jury. The system of trial by jury is one of the cornerstones of our judicial system,”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-hush-money-criminal-trial-judge-merchan-c227f5eab200cccffb19ed931b4dac92">Judge Juan Merchan told the jurors</a>. “The name of this case is the People of the State of New York vs. Donald Trump.”Trump’s notoriety would make the process of picking 12 jurors and six alternates a near-herculean task in any year, but it’s likely to be especially challenging now, unfolding in a closely contested presidential election in the heavily Democratic city where Trump grew up and catapulted to celebrity status decades before winning the White House.Underscoring the difficulty, only about a third of the 96 people in the first panel of potential jurors remained after the judge excused some members. More than half the group was excused after telling the judge they could not be fair and impartial. At least nine more were excused after raising their hands when Merchan asked if they could not serve for any other reason.A female juror was excused after saying she had strong opinions about Trump. Earlier in the questionnaire, the woman, a Harlem resident, indicated she could be neutral in deciding the case. But when asked whether she had strong opinions about the former president, the woman answered matter-of-factly: “Yes.”When Merchan asked her to repeat the response, she replied: “Yeah, I said yes.” She was dismissed.Merchan has written that the key is “whether the prospective juror can assure us that they will set aside any personal feelings or biases and render a decision that is based on the evidence and the law.”No matter the outcome, Trump is determined to benefit from the proceedings, casting the case, and his indictments elsewhere, as a broad “weaponization of law enforcement” by Democratic prosecutors and officials. He maintains they are orchestrating sham charges in hopes of impeding his presidential run.He’s lambasted judges and prosecutors for years, a pattern of attacks that continued Monday as he entered court Monday after calling the case an “assault on America."“This is political persecution. This is a persecution like never before,” he said.Earlier Monday, the judge denied a defense request to recuse himself from the case after Trump's lawyers claimed he had a conflict of interest. He also said prosecutors could not play for the jury the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-access-hollywood-hush-money-new-york-2c52279a45ede2a111ff1fe447d2fdac">2005 “Access Hollywood” recording</a>&nbsp;in which Trump was captured discussing grabbing women sexually without their permission. However, prosecutors will be allowed to question witnesses about the recording, which became public in the final weeks of the 2016 campaign.Prosecutors with the Manhattan district attorney's office also asked for Merchan to fine Trump $3,000 over social media posts they said violated the judge's gag order barring him from attacking witnesses. Last week, he used his Truth Social platform to call his&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=michael+cohen+apnews&amp;rlz=1C1GCEA_enUS1084US1084&amp;oq=michael+cohen+ap&amp;gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqCAgAEEUYJxg7MggIABBFGCcYOzIGCAEQRRg5MgcIAhAAGIAEMgcIAxAAGIAEMggIBBAAGBYYHjIGCAUQRRg8MgYIBhBFGDwyBggHEEUYPKgCALACAA&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">former lawyer Michael Cohen</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-michael-cohen-stormy-daniels-e40532d3bce7768e296fdaf9591ef05b">adult film actor Stormy Daniels</a>&nbsp;“two sleaze bags who have, with their lies and misrepresentations, cost our Country dearly!”Trump lawyer Todd Blanche maintained Trump was simply responding to the witnesses' statements.“It's not as if President Trump is going out and targeting individuals. He is responding to salacious, repeated vehement attacks by these witnesses,” Blanche said.Merchan setting a hearing for next week on the request.<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=eric+tucker+apnews+34+counts+sisak&amp;sca_esv=9cc8c3117245717b&amp;rlz=1C1GCEA_enUS1084US1084&amp;sxsrf=ACQVn0-xRhBNg7BxytGvKstnrKo_s1We3w%3A1713208166354&amp;ei=ZnsdZu6KFdWu5NoP5oWIkAI&amp;ved=0ahUKEwju1bnh9cSFAxVVF1kFHeYCAiIQ4dUDCBE&amp;uact=5&amp;oq=eric+tucker+apnews+34+counts+sisak&amp;gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiImVyaWMgdHVja2VyIGFwbmV3cyAzNCBjb3VudHMgc2lzYWsyBRAhGKABMgUQIRigATIFECEYoAEyBRAhGKABSI4kUABYmiFwAHgBkAEBmAGGAqAB5RyqAQcxOC4xNS4xuAEDyAEA-AEBmAIeoAKjGsICBBAjGCfCAhcQLhiABBiKBRiRAhixAxiDARjHARjRA8ICDhAuGIAEGIoFGJECGLEDwgIREC4YgAQYsQMYgwEYxwEY0QPCAg4QLhiABBiKBRixAxiDAcICCxAAGIAEGLEDGIMBwgILEC4YgAQYigUYkQLCAgsQABiABBiKBRiRAsICChAuGIAEGIoFGEPCAggQABiABBixA8ICChAuGIAEGBQYhwLCAggQLhiABBixA8ICDRAuGIAEGIoFGEMYsQPCAgoQABiABBiKBRhDwgILEC4YgAQYsQMYgwHCAhAQLhiABBiKBRhDGLEDGIMBwgIKEAAYgAQYFBiHAsICBRAuGIAEwgIFEAAYgATCAgYQABgWGB7CAggQABiABBiiBMICBBAhGBWYAwCSBwcxMi4xNy4xoAfe7wI&amp;sclient=gws-wiz-serp">Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts</a>&nbsp;of falsifying business records. Prosecutors say the alleged fraud was part of an effort to keep salacious — and, Trump says, bogus — stories about his sex life from emerging during his 2016 campaign.The charges center on $130,000 in payments that Trump’s company made to Cohen. He paid that sum on Trump’s behalf to keep Daniels from going public, a month before the election, with her claims of a sexual encounter with the married mogul a decade earlier.Prosecutors say the payments to Cohen were falsely logged as legal fees in order to cloak their actual purpose. Trump's lawyers say the disbursements indeed were legal expenses, not a cover-up.After decades of fielding and initiating lawsuits, the businessman-turned-politician now faces a trial that could result in up to four years in prison if he’s convicted, though a no-jail sentence also would be possible.Trump's attorneys lost a bid to get the hush-money case dismissed and have since repeatedly sought to delay it, prompting a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-hush-money-appeal-juan-merchan-43ce6ef13f3b7a2ea017a658e6b4e01b">flurry of last-minute appeals court hearings</a>&nbsp;last week.Among other things, Trump's lawyers maintain that the jury pool in overwhelmingly Democratic Manhattan has been tainted by negative publicity about Trump and that the case should be moved elsewhere.An appeals judge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-juan-merchan-hush-money-appeal-lawsuit-6abe221a7cb2ea670eb3ed1a7a134643">turned down an emergency request</a>&nbsp;to delay the trial while the change-of-venue request goes to a group of appellate judges, who are set to consider it in the coming weeks.Manhattan prosecutors have countered that a lot of the publicity stems from Trump’s own comments and that questioning will tease out whether prospective jurors can put aside any preconceptions they may have. There’s no reason, prosecutors said, to think that 12 fair and impartial people can’t be found amid Manhattan’s roughly 1.4 million adult residents.The prospective jurors will be known only by number, as the judge has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-hush-money-new-york-jury-9b36769997f86c6c172daf5b267c7dd8">ordered that their names be kept secret</a>&nbsp;from everyone except prosecutors, Trump and their legal teams. The 42 preapproved, sometimes multi-pronged queries include background basics but also reflect the uniqueness of the case.They're being asked, among other questions, about hobbies and news habits, whether they hold strong beliefs about Trump that would prevent them being impartial and about attendance at Trump or anti-Trump rallies.Based on the answers, the attorneys can ask a judge to eliminate people “for cause” if they meet certain criteria for being unable to serve or can't be unbiased. The lawyers also can use “peremptory challenges” to nix 10 potential jurors and two prospective alternates without giving a reason._____

🎥Day 1 of historic Trump trial: Read the juror questionnaire

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A movie weapons supervisor was sentenced to 18 months in prison in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer by Alec Baldwin on the set of the Western film “Rust,” at a sentencing hearing Monday in a New Mexico state court.

Movie armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/closing-arguments-trial-baldwin-shooting-3fdc75c2510804065a19a9fa374cfefd">convicted in March</a>&nbsp;by a jury on a charge of involuntary manslaughter in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and has been held for more than a month at a county jail on the outskirts of Santa Fe.

Baldwin, the lead actor and co-producer for “Rust,” was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alec-baldwin-rust-shooting-movie-things-to-know-6c08979ccc0067660831ba66602334fd">pointing a gun at Hutchins</a>&nbsp;when the revolver went off, killing Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza.

Baldwin has pleaded not guilty to a charge of involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of Halyna Hutchins. He is scheduled for trial in July at a courthouse in Santa Fe.

The sentence against Gutierrez-Reed was delivered by New Mexico Judge Mary Marlowe Summer who is overseeing proceedings against Baldwin.

Prosecutors blamed Gutierrez-Reed for unwittingly bringing live ammunition onto the set of “Rust” where it was expressly prohibited and for failing to follow basic gun safety protocols. After a two-week trial, the jury deliberated for about three hours in reaching its verdict.

Gutierrez-Reed teared up Monday as Hutchins’ agent, Craig Mizrahi, spoke about the cinematographer’s creativity and described her as a rising star in Hollywood. He said it was a chain of events that led to Hutchins’ death and that had the armorer been doing her job, that chain would have been broken.

Friends and family, including Souza, told the court they were seeking justice for what had happened to the cinematographer. They said she was “a bright beam of light,” describing her as courageous, tenacious and compassionate.

Los Angeles-based attorney Gloria Allred read a statement by Hutchins’ mother, Olga Solovey, who said her life had been split in two and that time didn’t heal, rather it only prolonged her pain and suffering. A video of a tearful Solovey, who lives in Ukraine, also was played for the court.

“It’s the hardest thing to lose a child. There’s no words to describe,” Solovey said in her native language.

Defense attorneys for Gutierrez-Reed requested leniency in sentencing — including a possible conditional discharge that would avoid further jail time and leave an adjudication of guilt off her record if certain conditions are met.

Gutierrez-Reed was acquitted at trial of allegations she tampered with evidence in the “Rust” investigation. She also has pleaded not guilty to a separate felony charge that she allegedly carried a gun into a bar in Santa Fe where firearms are prohibited.

Defense attorneys have highlighted Gutierrez-Reed’s relatively young age “and the devastating effect a felony will have on her life going forward.”

They say the 26-year-old will forever be affected negatively by intense publicity associated with her prosecution in parallel with an A-list actor, and has suffered from anxiety, fear and depression as a result.

Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey urged the judge to impose the maximum prison sentence and designate Gutierrez-Reed as a “serious violent offender” to limit her eligibility for a sentence reduction later, describing the defendant’s behavior on the set of “Rust” as exceptionally reckless.

Morrissey told the judge Monday that she reviewed nearly 200 phone calls that Gutierrez-Reed had made from jail over the last month. She said she was hoping there would be a moment when the defendant would take responsibility for what happened or express genuine remorse.

“That moment has never come,” Morrissey said. “Ms. Gutierrez continues to refuse to accept responsibility for her role in the death of Halyna Hutchins.”

“Rust” assistant director and safety coordinator Dave Halls last year pleaded no contest to negligent handling of a firearm and completed a sentence of six months unsupervised probation. “Rust” props master Sarah Zachry, who shared some responsibilities over firearms on the set of “Rust,” signed an agreement with prosecutors to avoid prosecution in return with her cooperation.

Written testimonials in favor of leniency included letters from Gutierrez-Reed’s childhood friend and romantic partner Sean Kridelbaugh, who said Gutierrez-Reed cries constantly out of remorse in the shooting and that further incarceration would interfere with efforts to care for a relative with cancer. Other friends and former colleagues urged the judge to emphasize rehabilitation over punishment in the sentencing.

The pending firearms charge against Gutierrez-Reed stems from an incident at a bar in downtown Santa Fe, days before she was hired to work as the armorer on “Rust.” Prosecutors says investigations into the fatal shooting led to discovery of a selfie video in which Gutierrez-Reed filmed herself carrying a firearm into the bar, while defense attorneys allege vindictive prosecution.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713207206216.png" alt="Hannah Gutierrez-Reed-photo Santa Fe County Corrections" />
 <figcaption>Hannah Gutierrez-Reed-photo Santa Fe County Corrections</figcaption>
 </figure>SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A movie weapons supervisor was sentenced to 18 months in prison in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer by Alec Baldwin on the set of the Western film “Rust,” at a sentencing hearing Monday in a New Mexico state court.Movie armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/closing-arguments-trial-baldwin-shooting-3fdc75c2510804065a19a9fa374cfefd">convicted in March</a>&nbsp;by a jury on a charge of involuntary manslaughter in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and has been held for more than a month at a county jail on the outskirts of Santa Fe.Baldwin, the lead actor and co-producer for “Rust,” was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alec-baldwin-rust-shooting-movie-things-to-know-6c08979ccc0067660831ba66602334fd">pointing a gun at Hutchins</a>&nbsp;when the revolver went off, killing Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza.Baldwin has pleaded not guilty to a charge of involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of Halyna Hutchins. He is scheduled for trial in July at a courthouse in Santa Fe.The sentence against Gutierrez-Reed was delivered by New Mexico Judge Mary Marlowe Summer who is overseeing proceedings against Baldwin.Prosecutors blamed Gutierrez-Reed for unwittingly bringing live ammunition onto the set of “Rust” where it was expressly prohibited and for failing to follow basic gun safety protocols. After a two-week trial, the jury deliberated for about three hours in reaching its verdict.Gutierrez-Reed teared up Monday as Hutchins’ agent, Craig Mizrahi, spoke about the cinematographer’s creativity and described her as a rising star in Hollywood. He said it was a chain of events that led to Hutchins’ death and that had the armorer been doing her job, that chain would have been broken.Friends and family, including Souza, told the court they were seeking justice for what had happened to the cinematographer. They said she was “a bright beam of light,” describing her as courageous, tenacious and compassionate.Los Angeles-based attorney Gloria Allred read a statement by Hutchins’ mother, Olga Solovey, who said her life had been split in two and that time didn’t heal, rather it only prolonged her pain and suffering. A video of a tearful Solovey, who lives in Ukraine, also was played for the court.“It’s the hardest thing to lose a child. There’s no words to describe,” Solovey said in her native language.Defense attorneys for Gutierrez-Reed requested leniency in sentencing — including a possible conditional discharge that would avoid further jail time and leave an adjudication of guilt off her record if certain conditions are met.Gutierrez-Reed was acquitted at trial of allegations she tampered with evidence in the “Rust” investigation. She also has pleaded not guilty to a separate felony charge that she allegedly carried a gun into a bar in Santa Fe where firearms are prohibited.Defense attorneys have highlighted Gutierrez-Reed’s relatively young age “and the devastating effect a felony will have on her life going forward.”They say the 26-year-old will forever be affected negatively by intense publicity associated with her prosecution in parallel with an A-list actor, and has suffered from anxiety, fear and depression as a result.Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey urged the judge to impose the maximum prison sentence and designate Gutierrez-Reed as a “serious violent offender” to limit her eligibility for a sentence reduction later, describing the defendant’s behavior on the set of “Rust” as exceptionally reckless.Morrissey told the judge Monday that she reviewed nearly 200 phone calls that Gutierrez-Reed had made from jail over the last month. She said she was hoping there would be a moment when the defendant would take responsibility for what happened or express genuine remorse.“That moment has never come,” Morrissey said. “Ms. Gutierrez continues to refuse to accept responsibility for her role in the death of Halyna Hutchins.”“Rust” assistant director and safety coordinator Dave Halls last year pleaded no contest to negligent handling of a firearm and completed a sentence of six months unsupervised probation. “Rust” props master Sarah Zachry, who shared some responsibilities over firearms on the set of “Rust,” signed an agreement with prosecutors to avoid prosecution in return with her cooperation.Written testimonials in favor of leniency included letters from Gutierrez-Reed’s childhood friend and romantic partner Sean Kridelbaugh, who said Gutierrez-Reed cries constantly out of remorse in the shooting and that further incarceration would interfere with efforts to care for a relative with cancer. Other friends and former colleagues urged the judge to emphasize rehabilitation over punishment in the sentencing.The pending firearms charge against Gutierrez-Reed stems from an incident at a bar in downtown Santa Fe, days before she was hired to work as the armorer on “Rust.” Prosecutors says investigations into the fatal shooting led to discovery of a selfie video in which Gutierrez-Reed filmed herself carrying a firearm into the bar, while defense attorneys allege vindictive prosecution.

Gun supervisor sentenced for fatal shooting by Alec Baldwin on movie set

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska lawmakers passed a bill Thursday to restore the voting rights of those convicted of felonies upon the completion of their sentences, including prison and parole time.

The bill, introduced for years by Omaha state Sen. Justin Wayne, passed by a wide margin in the last year of Wayne's second term. He is barred by term limits from running this year for a third term.

Currently, a person who has been convicted of a felony must wait two years after completing all the terms of their conviction before regaining voting rights. Wayne's measure eliminates that waiting period, established in 2005 by the Legislature. Prior to the waiting period, a person convicted of a felony lost their right to vote indefinitely.

The passage of the bill “means everything for the thousands of people who have not been full participants in society," said TJ King, a Nebraska-based outreach specialist with the advocacy group Black and Pink who was unable to vote in the 2022 general election after coming off probation for drug and theft convictions three months earlier.

King said the bill's passage is the final layer in his ability to be civically engaged and “have a full voice and complete connection to the community."

For years, Wayne's effort to restore voting rights for felons faced opposition from several Republicans in the officially nonpartisan Nebraska Legislature. Opponents maintained that a two-year waiting period is reasonable and served as a deterrent to committing crime in the first place.

Until this year, Wayne's closest brush with success came in 2017, when his bill was passed by the Legislature but vetoed by then-Republican Gov. Pete Ricketts.

He prevailed by appealing to the practical sensibilities of law-and-order lawmakers.

“Studies have shown that if you allow people to engage in their community upon being released, the recidivism rate drops,” Wayne said during a public hearing for the bill last year. "We spend on average $42,000 a year on prisoners, of which we have around a 30 percent recidivism rate.

“One year, I brought in a little chart that says if we just cut it by 10 percent, we’re saving around $5 million a year.”

Republican Gov. Jim Pillen's office did not immediately respond to messages Thursday by The Associated Press asking whether he would sign the bill into law.

Restoring the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-felons-criminal-justice-elections-race-b394bb0347a42b1c3dc7c9b44d23fa7e">voting rights of former felons</a>&nbsp;has drawn national attention in recent years. In Florida, lawmakers weakened a 2018 voter-approved constitutional amendment to restore the voting rights of most convicted felons. Following that, an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-voting-rights-florida-presidential-bfbf3d7d4f5dea4fa2a11589e4235c71">election police unit</a>&nbsp;championed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis arrested 20 former felons. Several of them said they were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ron-desantis-voting-rights-florida-crime-arrests-31f2ed111f69f11950f745da9183f0cf">confused by the arrests</a>&nbsp;because they had been allowed to register to vote.

In Tennessee, lawmakers on Wednesday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tennessee-voting-rights-gun-rights-f8b2104bdce087e6d935b640aaf6f5e2">killed a bipartisan bill</a>&nbsp;for the year that would have let residents convicted of felonies apply to vote again without also restoring their gun rights.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska lawmakers passed a bill Thursday to restore the voting rights of those convicted of felonies upon the completion of their sentences, including prison and parole time.The bill, introduced for years by Omaha state Sen. Justin Wayne, passed by a wide margin in the last year of Wayne's second term. He is barred by term limits from running this year for a third term.Currently, a person who has been convicted of a felony must wait two years after completing all the terms of their conviction before regaining voting rights. Wayne's measure eliminates that waiting period, established in 2005 by the Legislature. Prior to the waiting period, a person convicted of a felony lost their right to vote indefinitely.The passage of the bill “means everything for the thousands of people who have not been full participants in society," said TJ King, a Nebraska-based outreach specialist with the advocacy group Black and Pink who was unable to vote in the 2022 general election after coming off probation for drug and theft convictions three months earlier.King said the bill's passage is the final layer in his ability to be civically engaged and “have a full voice and complete connection to the community."For years, Wayne's effort to restore voting rights for felons faced opposition from several Republicans in the officially nonpartisan Nebraska Legislature. Opponents maintained that a two-year waiting period is reasonable and served as a deterrent to committing crime in the first place.Until this year, Wayne's closest brush with success came in 2017, when his bill was passed by the Legislature but vetoed by then-Republican Gov. Pete Ricketts.He prevailed by appealing to the practical sensibilities of law-and-order lawmakers.“Studies have shown that if you allow people to engage in their community upon being released, the recidivism rate drops,” Wayne said during a public hearing for the bill last year. "We spend on average $42,000 a year on prisoners, of which we have around a 30 percent recidivism rate.“One year, I brought in a little chart that says if we just cut it by 10 percent, we’re saving around $5 million a year.”Republican Gov. Jim Pillen's office did not immediately respond to messages Thursday by The Associated Press asking whether he would sign the bill into law.Restoring the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-felons-criminal-justice-elections-race-b394bb0347a42b1c3dc7c9b44d23fa7e">voting rights of former felons</a>&nbsp;has drawn national attention in recent years. In Florida, lawmakers weakened a 2018 voter-approved constitutional amendment to restore the voting rights of most convicted felons. Following that, an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-voting-rights-florida-presidential-bfbf3d7d4f5dea4fa2a11589e4235c71">election police unit</a>&nbsp;championed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis arrested 20 former felons. Several of them said they were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ron-desantis-voting-rights-florida-crime-arrests-31f2ed111f69f11950f745da9183f0cf">confused by the arrests</a>&nbsp;because they had been allowed to register to vote.In Tennessee, lawmakers on Wednesday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tennessee-voting-rights-gun-rights-f8b2104bdce087e6d935b640aaf6f5e2">killed a bipartisan bill</a>&nbsp;for the year that would have let residents convicted of felonies apply to vote again without also restoring their gun rights.

Nebraska lawmakers pass a bill to restore voting rights to newly released felons

WASHINGTON —The United States found a creative way to get more weapons to Ukraine.

Earlier this month,&nbsp;the U.S. government transferred over 5,000 AK-47s, machine guns, sniper rifles, RPG-7s and over 500,000 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition to the Ukrainian armed forces, according to a statement the U.S. Central Command.

This constitutes enough materiel to equip one Ukraine BDE with small arms rifles and will "help Ukraine defend against Russia’s invasion."

The U.S. government obtained ownership of these munitions on December 1, 2023, through the Department of Justice’s civil forfeiture claims against Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). 

These munitions were originally seized by U.S. Central Command and partner naval forces from four separate transiting stateless vessels between 22 May 2021 to 15 Feb 2023. 

The munitions were being transferred from the IRGC to the Houthis in Yemen in violation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2216. U.S. CENTCOM is committed to working with our allies and partners to counter the flow of Iranian lethal aid in the region by all lawful means including U.S. and U.N. sanctions and through interdictions. 

"Iran’s support for armed groups threatens international and regional security, our forces, diplomatic personnel, and citizens in the region, as well as those of our partners. We will continue to do whatever we can to shed light on and stop Iran’s destabilizing activities.," according to the U.S. Central Command.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712664016584.png" alt="Photo U.S Central Command" />
 <figcaption>Photo U.S Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON —The United States found a creative way to get more weapons to Ukraine.Earlier this month,&nbsp;the U.S. government transferred over 5,000 AK-47s, machine guns, sniper rifles, RPG-7s and over 500,000 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition to the Ukrainian armed forces, according to a statement the U.S. Central Command.This constitutes enough materiel to equip one Ukraine BDE with small arms rifles and will "help Ukraine defend against Russia’s invasion."The U.S. government obtained ownership of these munitions on December 1, 2023, through the Department of Justice’s civil forfeiture claims against Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). These munitions were originally seized by U.S. Central Command and partner naval forces from four separate transiting stateless vessels between 22 May 2021 to 15 Feb 2023. The munitions were being transferred from the IRGC to the Houthis in Yemen in violation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2216. U.S. CENTCOM is committed to working with our allies and partners to counter the flow of Iranian lethal aid in the region by all lawful means including U.S. and U.N. sanctions and through interdictions. "Iran’s support for armed groups threatens international and regional security, our forces, diplomatic personnel, and citizens in the region, as well as those of our partners. We will continue to do whatever we can to shed light on and stop Iran’s destabilizing activities.," according to the U.S. Central Command.

U.S. transfers weapons seized from Iran-terrorists to Ukraine fighters

University of Nebraska Interim President Chris Kabourek announced today that he has named Charlie Bicak, a University of Nebraska at Kearney alum and longtime educator and administrator whose connections to UNK date back more than 60 years, as interim chancellor effective June 1. Bicak’s appointment is subject to approval by the Board of Regents.

Bicak most recently served as senior vice chancellor for academic and student affairs from 2009 to 2022. If confirmed, he will succeed current Chancellor Doug Kristensen, who is stepping down from the role after leading UNK for the past 22 years. Kristensen’s last day at the helm will be May 31.

“Charlie Bicak is the right person to keep UNK moving forward through this transition period,” Kabourek said. “He knows the campus and the community well, he is an outstanding champion for UNK’s mission to serve rural Nebraska, and he has the knowledge and relationships necessary to pick up where Chancellor Kristensen will leave off.

“I’m so grateful that Charlie and Marylin have agreed to answer this latest call to service to students and Nebraska. Under Charlie’s leadership, the campus will be in good hands while we take time to conduct a robust national search for a permanent chancellor.”

Bicak said: “I thank Interim President Kabourek for the opportunity to serve my alma mater in this way. UNK means so much to me and my family, and I will do whatever I can to support our students, faculty, staff and greater community as we continue to deliver the quality, affordable education and skilled workforce that rural Nebraska needs. The University of Nebraska at Kearney is an outstanding institution in which the best teaching, scholarship and service are witnessed on a daily basis. Marylin and I are humbled and excited to be part of the UNK community.”

A Kearney Catholic High School graduate, Bicak has deep ties to Kearney and UNK. His late father, Laddie, was a longtime faculty member at UNK. After working summers on the campus grounds crew, Bicak enrolled at UNK, then known as Kearney State College, in 1970, and played football for the Lopers for two years before earning his bachelor’s degree in biology education in 1974.

He taught at Westside Community Schools in Omaha, earned master’s and doctorate degrees and began his career in academic at California State University. He returned to UNK in 1992, teaching in the Department of Biology for the next 13 years including service as department chair and assistant to the dean. He received the Teaching Excellence Award from the Kearney Area Chamber of Commerce and the Leland Holdt/Security Mutual Life Distinguished Faculty Award, presented annually to a UNK teacher-scholar for outstanding achievements in education, research and service.

After serving as dean of the School of Natural Sciences at St. Edward’s University in Texas for four years, Bicak returned to UNK for good in 2009.

As senior vice chancellor, Bicak oversaw numerous initiatives at UNK, notably playing a key role in the successful partnership with the University of Nebraska Medical Center to expand healthcare education in rural Nebraska. UNK and UNMC opened the Health Science Education Complex in Kearney in 2015 and construction is underway on the Douglas A. Kristensen Rural Health Education Complex which will further expand UNMC programs on the UNK campus.

Bicak also developed a new general studies curriculum that has given students greater flexibility in earning their degree, expanded the Kearney Health Opportunities Program with UNMC, and launched the Kearney Law Opportunities Program, a partnership with the Nebraska College of Law that trains students for legal careers in rural communities. He also collaborated with the University of Nebraska at Omaha to bring a master’s program in social work to UNK.

Bicak retired from the senior vice chancellor’s role in 2022, but has remained engaged in bringing the rural health partnerships to fruition.

Bicak will serve as interim chancellor until a permanent successor is named.

A 13-member search committee is helping to guide the chancellor search, with assistance from executive search firm CarterBaldwin. The search firm and search committee will host public listening sessions on campus to gather input on what qualities and skills the University of Nebraska President’s Office should seek in the next UNK chancellor.

Kabourek said those listening sessions will likely take place in the fall to ensure maximum faculty and student participation.

Bicak added: “I would like to acknowledge the remarkable legacy of Chancellor Doug Kristensen. His commitment and relentless determination have set a standard for leadership that will endure. His unwavering dedication has made UNK a better place on a daily basis. I’m honored to follow in his footsteps and grateful for his friendship.”

By University of Nebraska SystemUniversity of Nebraska Interim President Chris Kabourek announced today that he has named Charlie Bicak, a University of Nebraska at Kearney alum and longtime educator and administrator whose connections to UNK date back more than 60 years, as interim chancellor effective June 1. Bicak’s appointment is subject to approval by the Board of Regents.Bicak most recently served as senior vice chancellor for academic and student affairs from 2009 to 2022. If confirmed, he will succeed current Chancellor Doug Kristensen, who is stepping down from the role after leading UNK for the past 22 years. Kristensen’s last day at the helm will be May 31.“Charlie Bicak is the right person to keep UNK moving forward through this transition period,” Kabourek said. “He knows the campus and the community well, he is an outstanding champion for UNK’s mission to serve rural Nebraska, and he has the knowledge and relationships necessary to pick up where Chancellor Kristensen will leave off.“I’m so grateful that Charlie and Marylin have agreed to answer this latest call to service to students and Nebraska. Under Charlie’s leadership, the campus will be in good hands while we take time to conduct a robust national search for a permanent chancellor.”Bicak said: “I thank Interim President Kabourek for the opportunity to serve my alma mater in this way. UNK means so much to me and my family, and I will do whatever I can to support our students, faculty, staff and greater community as we continue to deliver the quality, affordable education and skilled workforce that rural Nebraska needs. The University of Nebraska at Kearney is an outstanding institution in which the best teaching, scholarship and service are witnessed on a daily basis. Marylin and I are humbled and excited to be part of the UNK community.”A Kearney Catholic High School graduate, Bicak has deep ties to Kearney and UNK. His late father, Laddie, was a longtime faculty member at UNK. After working summers on the campus grounds crew, Bicak enrolled at UNK, then known as Kearney State College, in 1970, and played football for the Lopers for two years before earning his bachelor’s degree in biology education in 1974.He taught at Westside Community Schools in Omaha, earned master’s and doctorate degrees and began his career in academic at California State University. He returned to UNK in 1992, teaching in the Department of Biology for the next 13 years including service as department chair and assistant to the dean. He received the Teaching Excellence Award from the Kearney Area Chamber of Commerce and the Leland Holdt/Security Mutual Life Distinguished Faculty Award, presented annually to a UNK teacher-scholar for outstanding achievements in education, research and service.After serving as dean of the School of Natural Sciences at St. Edward’s University in Texas for four years, Bicak returned to UNK for good in 2009.As senior vice chancellor, Bicak oversaw numerous initiatives at UNK, notably playing a key role in the successful partnership with the University of Nebraska Medical Center to expand healthcare education in rural Nebraska. UNK and UNMC opened the Health Science Education Complex in Kearney in 2015 and construction is underway on the Douglas A. Kristensen Rural Health Education Complex which will further expand UNMC programs on the UNK campus.Bicak also developed a new general studies curriculum that has given students greater flexibility in earning their degree, expanded the Kearney Health Opportunities Program with UNMC, and launched the Kearney Law Opportunities Program, a partnership with the Nebraska College of Law that trains students for legal careers in rural communities. He also collaborated with the University of Nebraska at Omaha to bring a master’s program in social work to UNK.Bicak retired from the senior vice chancellor’s role in 2022, but has remained engaged in bringing the rural health partnerships to fruition.Bicak will serve as interim chancellor until a permanent successor is named.A 13-member search committee is helping to guide the chancellor search, with assistance from executive search firm CarterBaldwin. The search firm and search committee will host public listening sessions on campus to gather input on what qualities and skills the University of Nebraska President’s Office should seek in the next UNK chancellor.Kabourek said those listening sessions will likely take place in the fall to ensure maximum faculty and student participation.Bicak added: “I would like to acknowledge the remarkable legacy of Chancellor Doug Kristensen. His commitment and relentless determination have set a standard for leadership that will endure. His unwavering dedication has made UNK a better place on a daily basis. I’m honored to follow in his footsteps and grateful for his friendship.”

Charlie Bicak, named interim chancellor of UNK

NEW YORK (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;arrived Monday at a New York court for the start of jury selection in his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-gag-order-hush-money-juan-merchan-0a10c7ee0236f760ce50c05cafb163ef">hush money trial,</a>&nbsp;marking a singular moment in American history as the former president and current White House hopeful answers to criminal charges.

It’s the first criminal trial of any former U.S. commander-in-chief and the first of Trump’s four indictments to reach trial. Because he is also the presumptive nominee for this year’s Republican ticket, the trial will produce the head-spinning split-screen of a presidential candidate spending his days in court and, he has said, “campaigning during the night.”

At the outset of Monday's court proceedings,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-hush-money-criminal-trial-judge-merchan-c227f5eab200cccffb19ed931b4dac92">Judge Juan M. Merchan</a>&nbsp;denied a defense request to recuse himself from the case. Additional legal arguments and housekeeping matters were expected before the formal start of jury selection.

When it finally does begin, scores of people are due to be called into the courtroom to start the process of finding 12 jurors, plus six alternates. Trump's notoriety would make the process of picking a jury a near-herculean task in any year, but it's likely to be especially challenging now, unfolding in a closely contested presidential election in the city where Trump grew up and catapulted to celebrity status before winning the White House.

has written that the key is “whether the prospective juror can assure us that they will set aside any personal feelings or biases and render a decision that is based on the evidence and the law.”

The trial amounts to a historic courtroom reckoning for Trump, whose norm-shattering presidency was shadowed from start to finish by investigations and who now faces four separate indictments charging him with crimes ranging from hoarding classified documents to plotting to overturn an election.

Yet the political stakes are less clear given that a conviction would not preclude him from becoming president and because the allegations in this case have been known to the public for years and are seen as less grievous than the conduct behind the three other cases against him.

No matter the outcome, Trump is looking to benefit from the proceedings, presenting himself as the victim of politically motivated prosecutions designed to derail his candidacy. He's lambasted judges and prosecutors for years, a pattern of attacks that continued up to the moment he entered court on Monday, when he said: '“This is political persecution. This is a persecution like never before.”

Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.

Prosecutors say he was trying to conceal an alleged effort to keep salacious — and, he says, bogus — stories about his sex life from emerging during his 2016 campaign.

The charges center on $130,000 in payments that Trump’s company made to his then-lawyer, Michael Cohen. He had paid that sum on Trump’s behalf to keep porn actor Stormy Daniels from going public, a month before the election, with her claims of a sexual encounter with the married mogul a decade earlier.

Trump himself casts the case, and his indictments elsewhere, as a broad “weaponization of law enforcement” by Democratic prosecutors and officials. He maintains they are orchestrating sham charges in hopes of impeding his presidential run.

The trial of an ex-president and current candidate is a moment of extraordinary gravity for the American political system, as well as for Trump himself. Such a scenario would have once seemed unthinkable to many Americans, even for a president whose tenure left a trail of shattered norms, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-impeachment-vote-capitol-siege-0a6f2a348a6e43f27d5e1dc486027860">twice being impeached</a>&nbsp;and acquitted by the Senate.

The scene inside the courtroom may be greeted with a spectacle outside. When Trump was arraigned last year, police&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indictment-new-york-arrest-c82a52fbbe41e55f0e34f313b4e19afd">broke up small skirmishes</a>&nbsp;between his supporters and protesters near the courthouse in a tiny park, where a local Republican group has planned a pro-Trump rally Monday.

The process of choosing those 12, plus six alternates, will begin with scores of people filing into Merchan's courtroom. They will be known only by number, as he has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-hush-money-new-york-jury-9b36769997f86c6c172daf5b267c7dd8">ordered their names to be kept secret</a>&nbsp;from everyone except prosecutors, Trump and their legal teams.

After hearing some basics about the case and jury service, the prospective jurors will be asked to raise hands if they believe they cannot serve or be fair and impartial. Those who do so will be excused, according to Merchan's filing last week.

The rest will be eligible for questioning. The 42 preapproved, sometimes multi-pronged queries include background basics but also reflect the uniqueness of the case.

“Do you have any strong opinions or firmly held beliefs about former President Donald Trump, or the fact that he is a current candidate for president, that would interfere with your ability to be a fair and impartial juror?” asks one question.

Others ask about attendance at Trump or anti-Trump rallies, opinions on how he's being treated in the case, news sources and more — including any “political, moral, intellectual, or religious beliefs or opinions” that might “slant" a prospective juror's approach to the case.

Based on the answers, the attorneys can ask a judge to eliminate people “for cause” if they meet certain criteria for being unable to serve or be unbiased. The lawyers also can use “peremptory challenges” to nix 10 potential jurors and two prospective alternates without giving a reason.

“If you're going to strike everybody who's either a Republican or a Democrat,” the judge observed at a February hearing, “you're going to run out of peremptory challenges very quickly.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713189307641.png" alt="Former President Trump spoke to reporters ahead of jury selection in his hush money trial. Image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Former President Trump spoke to reporters ahead of jury selection in his hush money trial. Image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;arrived Monday at a New York court for the start of jury selection in his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-gag-order-hush-money-juan-merchan-0a10c7ee0236f760ce50c05cafb163ef">hush money trial,</a>&nbsp;marking a singular moment in American history as the former president and current White House hopeful answers to criminal charges.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Former President Trump remarks ahead of Hush Money Trial: &quot;This is political persecution this is a persecution like never before....it&#39;s an assault on America.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/gdPUMgl8KQ">pic.twitter.com/gdPUMgl8KQ</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1779869871066448377?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>It’s the first criminal trial of any former U.S. commander-in-chief and the first of Trump’s four indictments to reach trial. Because he is also the presumptive nominee for this year’s Republican ticket, the trial will produce the head-spinning split-screen of a presidential candidate spending his days in court and, he has said, “campaigning during the night.”At the outset of Monday's court proceedings,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-hush-money-criminal-trial-judge-merchan-c227f5eab200cccffb19ed931b4dac92">Judge Juan M. Merchan</a>&nbsp;denied a defense request to recuse himself from the case. Additional legal arguments and housekeeping matters were expected before the formal start of jury selection.When it finally does begin, scores of people are due to be called into the courtroom to start the process of finding 12 jurors, plus six alternates. Trump's notoriety would make the process of picking a jury a near-herculean task in any year, but it's likely to be especially challenging now, unfolding in a closely contested presidential election in the city where Trump grew up and catapulted to celebrity status before winning the White House.has written that the key is “whether the prospective juror can assure us that they will set aside any personal feelings or biases and render a decision that is based on the evidence and the law.”The trial amounts to a historic courtroom reckoning for Trump, whose norm-shattering presidency was shadowed from start to finish by investigations and who now faces four separate indictments charging him with crimes ranging from hoarding classified documents to plotting to overturn an election.Yet the political stakes are less clear given that a conviction would not preclude him from becoming president and because the allegations in this case have been known to the public for years and are seen as less grievous than the conduct behind the three other cases against him.No matter the outcome, Trump is looking to benefit from the proceedings, presenting himself as the victim of politically motivated prosecutions designed to derail his candidacy. He's lambasted judges and prosecutors for years, a pattern of attacks that continued up to the moment he entered court on Monday, when he said: '“This is political persecution. This is a persecution like never before.”Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.Prosecutors say he was trying to conceal an alleged effort to keep salacious — and, he says, bogus — stories about his sex life from emerging during his 2016 campaign.The charges center on $130,000 in payments that Trump’s company made to his then-lawyer, Michael Cohen. He had paid that sum on Trump’s behalf to keep porn actor Stormy Daniels from going public, a month before the election, with her claims of a sexual encounter with the married mogul a decade earlier.Prosecutors say the payments to Cohen were falsely logged as legal fees in order to cloak their actual purpose. Trump's lawyers say the disbursements indeed were legal expenses, not a cover-up.Trump himself casts the case, and his indictments elsewhere, as a broad “weaponization of law enforcement” by Democratic prosecutors and officials. He maintains they are orchestrating sham charges in hopes of impeding his presidential run.After decades of fielding and initiating lawsuits, the businessman-turned-politician now faces a trial that could result in up to four years in prison if he’s convicted, though a no-jail sentence also would be possible.The trial of an ex-president and current candidate is a moment of extraordinary gravity for the American political system, as well as for Trump himself. Such a scenario would have once seemed unthinkable to many Americans, even for a president whose tenure left a trail of shattered norms, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-impeachment-vote-capitol-siege-0a6f2a348a6e43f27d5e1dc486027860">twice being impeached</a>&nbsp;and acquitted by the Senate.The scene inside the courtroom may be greeted with a spectacle outside. When Trump was arraigned last year, police&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indictment-new-york-arrest-c82a52fbbe41e55f0e34f313b4e19afd">broke up small skirmishes</a>&nbsp;between his supporters and protesters near the courthouse in a tiny park, where a local Republican group has planned a pro-Trump rally Monday.Trump's attorneys lost a bid to get the hush-money case dismissed and have since repeatedly sought to delay it, prompting a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-hush-money-appeal-juan-merchan-43ce6ef13f3b7a2ea017a658e6b4e01b">flurry of last-minute appeals court hearings</a>&nbsp;last week.Among other things, Trump's lawyers maintain that the jury pool in overwhelmingly Democratic Manhattan has been tainted by negative publicity about Trump and that the case should be moved elsewhere.An appeals judge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-juan-merchan-hush-money-appeal-lawsuit-6abe221a7cb2ea670eb3ed1a7a134643">turned down an emergency request</a>&nbsp;to delay the trial while the change-of-venue request goes to a group of appellate judges, who are set to consider it in the coming weeks.Manhattan prosecutors have countered that a lot of the publicity stems from Trump’s own comments and that questioning will tease out whether prospective jurors can put aside any preconceptions they may have. There’s no reason, prosecutors said, to think that 12 fair and impartial people can’t be found amid Manhattan’s roughly 1.4 million adult residents.The process of choosing those 12, plus six alternates, will begin with scores of people filing into Merchan's courtroom. They will be known only by number, as he has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-hush-money-new-york-jury-9b36769997f86c6c172daf5b267c7dd8">ordered their names to be kept secret</a>&nbsp;from everyone except prosecutors, Trump and their legal teams.After hearing some basics about the case and jury service, the prospective jurors will be asked to raise hands if they believe they cannot serve or be fair and impartial. Those who do so will be excused, according to Merchan's filing last week.The rest will be eligible for questioning. The 42 preapproved, sometimes multi-pronged queries include background basics but also reflect the uniqueness of the case.“Do you have any strong opinions or firmly held beliefs about former President Donald Trump, or the fact that he is a current candidate for president, that would interfere with your ability to be a fair and impartial juror?” asks one question.Others ask about attendance at Trump or anti-Trump rallies, opinions on how he's being treated in the case, news sources and more — including any “political, moral, intellectual, or religious beliefs or opinions” that might “slant" a prospective juror's approach to the case.Based on the answers, the attorneys can ask a judge to eliminate people “for cause” if they meet certain criteria for being unable to serve or be unbiased. The lawyers also can use “peremptory challenges” to nix 10 potential jurors and two prospective alternates without giving a reason.“If you're going to strike everybody who's either a Republican or a Democrat,” the judge observed at a February hearing, “you're going to run out of peremptory challenges very quickly.”

🎥Trump speaks ahead of 1st criminal trial of a former U.S. President

WASHINGTON (AP) — On this Tax Day, the IRS is promoting the customer service improvements the agency rolled out since receiving tens of billions in new funding dollars through Democrats' Inflation Reduction Act.

From cutting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/filing-season-irs-tax-day-taxpayer-4ad340b6dc83b4b4dce89658eda7bbd1">phone wait times</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/irs-digital-paperless-tax-returns-paperwork-costs-2025-3256684198f61bb9b64e1521d5cb6014">digitizing more documents</a>&nbsp;and improving the “Where's My Refund” tool to show more account details in plain language, agency leadership is trying to bring attention to what's been done to repair the agency’s image as an outdated and maligned tax collector.

The promotion also in part is meant to quickly normalize a more efficient and effective IRS before congressional Republicans threaten another round of cuts to the agency. So time is of the essence for both taxpayers and the agency this season.

“This filing season, the IRS has built off past successes and reached new milestones,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on a Friday call with reporters. “It’s showing that when it has the resources it needs, it will provide taxpayers the service they deserve.”

“Delivering tax season is a massive undertaking," said IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel. “We greatly appreciate people in many different areas working long hours to serve taxpayers as the tax deadline approaches.”

For most people, April 15 is the last day to submit tax returns or to file an extension and the IRS says it has received more than&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irsgov-offers-last-minute-filing-tips-resources-to-help-taxpayers-who-still-need-to-file-before-april-15-special-saturday-hours-in-70-locations">100 million tax returns</a>, with tens of millions more expected to be filed.

The IRS says call wait times have been cut down to three minutes this tax season, compared with the average 28 minutes in 2022. That has saved taxpayers 1.4 million hours of hold time and the agency has answered 3 million more calls compared with the same time frame. Also, an updated “Where’s My Refund” tool giving more specific information about taxpayers’ refunds in plain language was rolled out to 31 million views online.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/irs-tax-season-income-taxes-revenue-werfel-8387205aac2c916fd62cc7b40a439cdd">Werfel told The Associated Press</a>&nbsp;earlier in the tax season that the agency's agenda is to deliver “better service for all Americans so that we can ease stress, frustration and make the tax filing process easier — and to increase scrutiny on complex filers where there’s risk of tax evasion."

“When we do that,” Werfel said, “not only do we make the tax system work better because it’s easier and more streamlined to meet your tax obligations. But also we collect more money for the U.S. Treasury and lower our deficit. The IRS is a good investment.”

Major new initiatives in recent months have included an aggressive pursuit of high-wealth earners who don’t pay their full tax obligations, such as people who improperly deduct personal flights on corporate jets and those who just don’t file at all.

This also is the first tax season that the IRS has rolled out a program called&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/irs-income-taxes-direct-file-program-free-4b0917e281b63e06527343598dde650c">Direct File</a>, the government’s free&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/income-taxes-irs-filing-season-tax-3183677b56af696bd5e005fa01388f79">electronic tax return filing system</a>&nbsp;available to taxpayers in 12 states who have simple W-2 forms and claim a standard deduction.

If Direct File is successful and scaled up for the general public’s use, the program could drastically change how Americans file their taxes and how much money they spend completing them. That is, if the agency can see the program through its development in spite of threats to its funding.

The Inflation Reduction Act initially included $80 billion for the IRS.

However, House Republicans have successfully clawed back some of the money. They built a $1.4 billion reduction to the IRS into the debt ceiling and budget cuts package passed by Congress last summer. A separate agreement will take an additional $20 billion from the IRS over the next two years to divert to other nondefense programs.

Government watchdogs warn IRS funding cuts will reduce the amount of revenues the U.S. collects.

The non-partisan&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbo.gov/publication/59972">Congressional Budget Office reported</a>&nbsp;in February that a $5 billion rescission from the IRS would reduce revenues by $5.2 billion over the next 10 years and increase the cumulative deficit by $0.2 billion. A $20 billion rescission would reduce revenues by $44 billion and a $35 billion rescission would reduce revenues by $89 billion and increase the deficit by $54 billion.

WASHINGTON (AP) — On this Tax Day, the IRS is promoting the customer service improvements the agency rolled out since receiving tens of billions in new funding dollars through Democrats' Inflation Reduction Act.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Visit <a href="https://t.co/M58WbkiNQi">https://t.co/M58WbkiNQi</a> before the filing season deadline! <a href="https://t.co/Xy6rlmZeOE">pic.twitter.com/Xy6rlmZeOE</a>&mdash; IRSnews (@IRSnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/IRSnews/status/1779480978756346270?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 14, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>From cutting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/filing-season-irs-tax-day-taxpayer-4ad340b6dc83b4b4dce89658eda7bbd1">phone wait times</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/irs-digital-paperless-tax-returns-paperwork-costs-2025-3256684198f61bb9b64e1521d5cb6014">digitizing more documents</a>&nbsp;and improving the “Where's My Refund” tool to show more account details in plain language, agency leadership is trying to bring attention to what's been done to repair the agency’s image as an outdated and maligned tax collector.The promotion also in part is meant to quickly normalize a more efficient and effective IRS before congressional Republicans threaten another round of cuts to the agency. So time is of the essence for both taxpayers and the agency this season.“This filing season, the IRS has built off past successes and reached new milestones,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on a Friday call with reporters. “It’s showing that when it has the resources it needs, it will provide taxpayers the service they deserve.”“Delivering tax season is a massive undertaking," said IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel. “We greatly appreciate people in many different areas working long hours to serve taxpayers as the tax deadline approaches.”For most people, April 15 is the last day to submit tax returns or to file an extension and the IRS says it has received more than&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irsgov-offers-last-minute-filing-tips-resources-to-help-taxpayers-who-still-need-to-file-before-april-15-special-saturday-hours-in-70-locations">100 million tax returns</a>, with tens of millions more expected to be filed.The IRS says call wait times have been cut down to three minutes this tax season, compared with the average 28 minutes in 2022. That has saved taxpayers 1.4 million hours of hold time and the agency has answered 3 million more calls compared with the same time frame. Also, an updated “Where’s My Refund” tool giving more specific information about taxpayers’ refunds in plain language was rolled out to 31 million views online.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/irs-tax-season-income-taxes-revenue-werfel-8387205aac2c916fd62cc7b40a439cdd">Werfel told The Associated Press</a>&nbsp;earlier in the tax season that the agency's agenda is to deliver “better service for all Americans so that we can ease stress, frustration and make the tax filing process easier — and to increase scrutiny on complex filers where there’s risk of tax evasion."“When we do that,” Werfel said, “not only do we make the tax system work better because it’s easier and more streamlined to meet your tax obligations. But also we collect more money for the U.S. Treasury and lower our deficit. The IRS is a good investment.”Major new initiatives in recent months have included an aggressive pursuit of high-wealth earners who don’t pay their full tax obligations, such as people who improperly deduct personal flights on corporate jets and those who just don’t file at all.This also is the first tax season that the IRS has rolled out a program called&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/irs-income-taxes-direct-file-program-free-4b0917e281b63e06527343598dde650c">Direct File</a>, the government’s free&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/income-taxes-irs-filing-season-tax-3183677b56af696bd5e005fa01388f79">electronic tax return filing system</a>&nbsp;available to taxpayers in 12 states who have simple W-2 forms and claim a standard deduction.If Direct File is successful and scaled up for the general public’s use, the program could drastically change how Americans file their taxes and how much money they spend completing them. That is, if the agency can see the program through its development in spite of threats to its funding.The Inflation Reduction Act initially included $80 billion for the IRS.However, House Republicans have successfully clawed back some of the money. They built a $1.4 billion reduction to the IRS into the debt ceiling and budget cuts package passed by Congress last summer. A separate agreement will take an additional $20 billion from the IRS over the next two years to divert to other nondefense programs.Government watchdogs warn IRS funding cuts will reduce the amount of revenues the U.S. collects.The non-partisan&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbo.gov/publication/59972">Congressional Budget Office reported</a>&nbsp;in February that a $5 billion rescission from the IRS would reduce revenues by $5.2 billion over the next 10 years and increase the cumulative deficit by $0.2 billion. A $20 billion rescission would reduce revenues by $44 billion and a $35 billion rescission would reduce revenues by $89 billion and increase the deficit by $54 billion.___

The IRS is quicker to answer the phone on this Tax Day

TEHRAN, Iran (AP)—On Saturday night and Sunday morning,&nbsp;U.S.&nbsp; forces, supported by U.S. European Command destroyers, successfully engaged and destroyed more than 80 one-way attack uncrewed aerial vehicles (OWA UAV) and at least six ballistic missiles intended to strike Israel from Iran and Yemen, according to a statement Sunday night from the U.S. Central Command.

This attack included a ballistic missile on its launcher vehicle and seven UAVs destroyed on the ground in Iranian-backed Houthi controlled areas of Yemen prior to their launch.

CENTCOM remains postured to support Israel’s defense against these dangerous actions by Iran.

Meanwhile, Iran has sent a message to the U.S. warning Washington against cooperation with Israel in any military operation again Tehran following its unprecedented attack on Israel.

The state-run IRNA news agency quoted Gen. Mohammad Hossein Bagheri, the chief of staff of the Iranian armed forces, as saying that Tehran had communicated its message to the U.S. through the Swiss Embassy, which handles U.S. interests in Iran in the absence of diplomatic relations.

President Ebrahim Raisi sent a message praising Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard for launching the attack, saying it had taught a lesson to the “Zionist regime.” He also warned that “any new adventure against the interests of the Iranian nation would be met with a heavier and regretful response from the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

State TV meanwhile broadcast interviews with people on the street who praised the Iranian missile and drone attack on Israel and thanked the Iranian military.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713135108047.png" alt="On Sunday, President Biden convened with fellow G7 leaders to discuss Iran’s unprecedented attack against Israel. "We will continue to work together to stabilize the situation in the region and avoid further escalation," Biden wrote on social media." />
 <figcaption>On Sunday, President Biden convened with fellow G7 leaders to discuss Iran’s unprecedented attack against Israel. "We will continue to work together to stabilize the situation in the region and avoid further escalation," Biden wrote on social media.</figcaption>
 </figure>TEHRAN, Iran (AP)—On Saturday night and Sunday morning,&nbsp;U.S.&nbsp; forces, supported by U.S. European Command destroyers, successfully engaged and destroyed more than 80 one-way attack uncrewed aerial vehicles (OWA UAV) and at least six ballistic missiles intended to strike Israel from Iran and Yemen, according to a statement Sunday night from the U.S. Central Command.This attack included a ballistic missile on its launcher vehicle and seven UAVs destroyed on the ground in Iranian-backed Houthi controlled areas of Yemen prior to their launch.CENTCOM remains postured to support Israel’s defense against these dangerous actions by Iran.Meanwhile, Iran has sent a message to the U.S. warning Washington against cooperation with Israel in any military operation again Tehran following its unprecedented attack on Israel.The state-run IRNA news agency quoted Gen. Mohammad Hossein Bagheri, the chief of staff of the Iranian armed forces, as saying that Tehran had communicated its message to the U.S. through the Swiss Embassy, which handles U.S. interests in Iran in the absence of diplomatic relations.President Ebrahim Raisi sent a message praising Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard for launching the attack, saying it had taught a lesson to the “Zionist regime.” He also warned that “any new adventure against the interests of the Iranian nation would be met with a heavier and regretful response from the Islamic Republic of Iran.”State TV meanwhile broadcast interviews with people on the street who praised the Iranian missile and drone attack on Israel and thanked the Iranian military.

Iran warns U.S. against helping Israel with any new attack 

By Cody Thomas Nebraska State Patrol

APRIL 13, 2024 (LINCOLN, NEB.) — The Nebraska State Patrol is heartbroken to announce the passing of Ceresco Police Officer Ross Bartlett. Bartlett also served as an investigator for the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services. Officer Bartlett died Friday evening after his patrol until was struck by another vehicle while he was performing a traffic stop. 

At approximately 7:37 p.m. Friday, a 911 call came in regarding a multi-vehicle crash that had just occurred near the intersection of Highway 77 and Little Salt Road, about one mile south of Ceresco on Highway 77. Responding agencies began arriving within four minutes and found bystanders assisting Officer Bartlett and the others involved in the crash. Officer Bartlett, 54, was life-flighted to Bryan Health West Campus by Star Care. 

Despite the efforts of many bystanders, first responders, and medical personnel, Officer Bartlett succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased Friday evening at the hospital. Preliminary investigation shows that the crash occurred when Officer Bartlett was conducting a traffic stop on southbound Highway 77. 

Officer Bartlett’s patrol vehicle and a Nissan Altima&nbsp; were parked on the shoulder of Highway 77. While both Officer Bartlett and the driver of the Nissan were seated in their own vehicles, a southbound Ford F-150 struck the Ceresco PD cruiser from the rear, causing it to hit the Nissan. The driver of the Nissan, Ke’vion Hill, 27, of Lincoln, suffered serious, but non-life-threatening injuries. He was transported to Bryan Health West Campus. The driver of the Ford, Tony Pierce, 49, of Crete, was not seriously injured. The Nebraska State Patrol is conducting a full crash reconstruction investigation. Once complete, the findings will be presented to the Lancaster County Attorney’s Office. 

By Cody Thomas Nebraska State Patrol<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713135708893.jpeg" alt="Officer Ross Bartlett of the Cresco Police Department" />
 <figcaption>Officer Ross Bartlett of the Cresco Police Department</figcaption>
 </figure>APRIL 13, 2024 (LINCOLN, NEB.) — The Nebraska State Patrol is heartbroken to announce the passing of Ceresco Police Officer Ross Bartlett. Bartlett also served as an investigator for the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services. Officer Bartlett died Friday evening after his patrol until was struck by another vehicle while he was performing a traffic stop. At approximately 7:37 p.m. Friday, a 911 call came in regarding a multi-vehicle crash that had just occurred near the intersection of Highway 77 and Little Salt Road, about one mile south of Ceresco on Highway 77. Responding agencies began arriving within four minutes and found bystanders assisting Officer Bartlett and the others involved in the crash. Officer Bartlett, 54, was life-flighted to Bryan Health West Campus by Star Care. Despite the efforts of many bystanders, first responders, and medical personnel, Officer Bartlett succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased Friday evening at the hospital. Preliminary investigation shows that the crash occurred when Officer Bartlett was conducting a traffic stop on southbound Highway 77. Officer Bartlett’s patrol vehicle and a Nissan Altima&nbsp; were parked on the shoulder of Highway 77. While both Officer Bartlett and the driver of the Nissan were seated in their own vehicles, a southbound Ford F-150 struck the Ceresco PD cruiser from the rear, causing it to hit the Nissan. The driver of the Nissan, Ke’vion Hill, 27, of Lincoln, suffered serious, but non-life-threatening injuries. He was transported to Bryan Health West Campus. The driver of the Ford, Tony Pierce, 49, of Crete, was not seriously injured. The Nebraska State Patrol is conducting a full crash reconstruction investigation. Once complete, the findings will be presented to the Lancaster County Attorney’s Office. Officer Bartlett has served with NDCS and Ceresco PD since 2017. He also served as a volunteer firefighter for Ceresco. Prior to those assignments, he served with the Boone County Sheriff’s Office, Madison County Sheriff’s Office, Madison Police Department, and Newman Grove Police Department. Funeral services are pending.