Donald Trump becomes the first former president to be convicted of a crime. A third person in the U.S. is infected with bird flu. And neighbors in California express shock at the arrest of an 81-year-old in “serial slingshot” shootings.
Here’s what to know today.
Donald Trump guilty of all 34 felony charges
A New York jury found Donald Trump guilty on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records — the first time a former U.S. president has been convicted of a crime. The charges stemmed from a hush money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels in the final weeks of the 2016 presidential election.
The verdict was reached after 9½ hours of deliberation, which started Wednesday. What seemed like a sleepy day in the Manhattan courtroom took a historic turn after the jury announced yesterday afternoon that it had reached a verdict. As the jury foreperson read the verdict for each count aloud, Trump sat just a few feet away.
“This was a disgrace,” Trump said to reporters minutes later. “This was rigged by a conflicted judge who was corrupt.” His campaign team immediately set out fundraising off the news, characterizing Trump as a “political prisoner.”
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President Joe Biden also weighed in on the moment’s impact on the November election, posting a statement on X that said, “There’s only one way to keep Donald Trump out of the Oval Office: At the ballot box.”
Maybe the biggest question now is whether Trump will suffer politically from this conviction. Many political experts say it’s too early to tell, but Trump and his allies are already spinning the verdict.
A few other questions emerged as well. Will Trump go to prison? (It depends.) Can he still run for president? (The Constitution makes the answer to this question clear.) And will he be able to vote? (Experts say it’s likely he won’t be disenfranchised.)
Trump’s sentencing is scheduled for July 11, four days before the Republican National Convention. He faces penalties from a fine to four years in prison.
More coverage of the Trump verdict:
Ukraine will be allowed to strike inside Russia with U.S. weapons
Biden secretly gave Ukraine permission to use U.S. weapons to strike inside Russia, two American officials said. The decision is a U-turn that Kyiv’s allies hope helps turn the tide of the war. But the U.S. has applied limits to the use of these weapons — they can only be used to strike the area around the northeastern city of Kharkiv. The aim is to ensure that Ukraine’s forces can strike the Russian military as it attacks or prepares to attack, the officials said. Long-range strikes inside Russia would not be allowed.
Russia launched a new offensive in the Kharkiv region weeks ago, and Kyiv fears another incursion in neighboring Sumy. The decision comes as pressure had been mounting from other Western leaders, as well as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the U.S. to change its stance.
Expert calls out missing cellphone data in Idaho stabbings case
A cellphone analyst who is expected to be a defense witness in the trial of Idaho stabbing suspect Bryan Kohberger said he has been stymied, and he’s blaming law enforcement’s disorganized data collection and recordkeeping in the case. Analyst Sy Ray said in a pretrial hearing yesterday that his review of evidence so far shows that not all of the cellphone data extracted from Kohberger’s phone by the FBI and police around the time of the 2022 murders of four University of Idaho students has been mapped. Currently, the “missing” and “inaccurate” data is “absolutely in benefit of the defense right now,” he said. Ray has experience as an expert witness in trials, but his expertise has previously come under scrutiny.
Yesterday’s hearing was part of an attempt by Kohberger’s team to ask the judge to compel prosecutors to turn over certain evidence in the case.
Third person infected in bird flu outbreak shows new symptoms
The third human case of bird flu linked to sick dairy cows has been detected, the CDC reported. In the first two cases, the patients’ only sign of illness was pink eye, or conjunctivitis. But this latest case is different because the patient also had upper respiratory symptoms, including a sore throat, cough and congestion. There is no evidence that the virus is spreading from person to person, but the risk increases with respiratory symptoms, the CDC said.
As many as 67 herds of dairy cows in nine states have been affected by the current bird flu outbreak, but the risk to the general public remains low. This case is the second to be detected in Michigan. Here’s what else to know.
Neighbors surprised by suspected ‘serial slingshot shooter’
An 81-year-old California man arrested last week — and accused of being a “serial slingshot shooter” who terrorized his Southern California neighborhood for more than a decade — suddenly died of heart disease this week, according to medical officials. Meanwhile, neighbors in the city of Asuza said they were shocked that Prince King, the old man they knew as “Wick” and “Gran Torino,” was in trouble with the police.
“Most of us did not believe it was him — even as they were arresting him,” one neighbor said. But now, the community is left wondering whether King was responsible for damage in their neighborhood. King had been charged with breaking windows at six houses, as well as a car windshield and a garage window, according to a criminal complaint. He pleaded not guilty at a court appearance Tuesday. He died the next day.
Politics in Brief
Roberts’ refusal: Chief Justice John Roberts declined to meet with Democratic senators to discuss Supreme Court ethics in the wake of reports that controversial flags were flown at Justice Samuel Alito’s house.
Financial aid fallout: The Education Department said it is conducting a “full-scale review” of the Federal Student Aid office after months of delays and errors with this year’s FAFSA form had a botched rollout.
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Staff Pick: How William Hung feels 20 years after his ‘American Idol’ audition
“American Idol” contestant William Hung became one of the earliest viral sensations after he confidently stepped in front of the judges and performed an off-key rendition of Ricky Martin’s “She Bangs” for his 2004 audition. One of the rare Asian faces on American TV, Hung was an unlikely trailblazer. But many mocked his appearance and accent, and some Asian Americans saw him as a source of shame. This year marks the 20th anniversary of his episode and I spoke to Hung about his reflections since the show. He says he still has no regrets.— Kimmy Yam, NBC Asian America reporter
NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified
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