At least 50 possible jurors were excused after saying they could not be fair regarding former President Trump’s hush money trial. The armorer on the set of “Rust” is sentenced following the fatal shooting of the film’s cinematographer. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Tuesday, April 16, 2024.
Dozens of jurors excused as Trump’s hush money trial begins
The historic criminal trial of former President Donald Trump began Monday, April 15, in New York with jury selection, ending the first day with dozens of potential jurors excused.
At least 50 of the 96 potential jurors in the first group were dismissed after admitting they could not be fair or impartial in hearing the case. Additional jurors were excused for various other reasons.
This leaves about 34 potential jurors to fill out a questionnaire, answering 42 questions on topics including their media consumption and any connections to the former president.
Trump is facing felony charges related to hush money payments in 2016 to adult film star Stormy Daniels. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all 34 counts charged against him. Jury selection will continue today and could take up to two weeks, with the trial itself expected to last six to eight weeks.
Tax return: Biden’s earned $619,976; paid $146,629 in federal income tax
As reported on “The Morning Rundown,” April 15 was the deadline for Americans to file their taxes, including President Joe Biden.
The White House released Biden and first lady Jill Biden’s joint tax return, showing the couple earned nearly $620,000 in 2023, with $400,000 coming from the presidential salary. This is up from about $580,000 they earned in 2022.
The Bidens paid more than $146,629 in federal income tax, with an effective income tax rate of 23.7%.
The White House issued a statement affirming President Biden’s belief that “the longstanding tradition of annually releasing presidential tax returns should continue unbroken,” possibly referencing his 2024 presidential opponent. Trump did not release his tax returns while in office, though six years of returns were made public by the House Ways and Means Committee in 2022.
When asked if Trump will release his 2023 tax returns, a campaign spokeswoman told USA Today that the former president “has released more information to the American public about his personal finances than any candidate in history.”
Boeing defends aircraft safety before Senate hearing
Ahead of a Senate hearing on Wednesday, April 17, concerning Boeing’s safety, the company is denying allegations by a whistleblower about shortcuts in the production of its 787 Dreamliner and 777 aircraft, saying the planes meet all safety standards.
The whistleblower, Sam Salehpour, is a former Boeing employee who claimed that assembly processes put “excessive” stress on airplane joints, potentially shortening the aircrafts’ lifespans. He added he saw workers trying to get misaligned parts to fit by “jumping on the pieces of the airplane to get them to align.”
Boeing has called the whistleblower’s accounts inaccurate and stands by the company’s safety measures.
In a two-hour presentation with reporters on Monday, April 15, Boeing officials explained stress and impact tests performed on their planes.
The whistleblower is scheduled to testify in the Senate hearing as the FAA investigates his claims.
‘Rust’ armorer sentenced to 18 months in prison
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer on the film “Rust,” was sentenced to 18 months in prison for involuntary manslaughter in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
Found guilty last month, Gutierrez-Reed received the maximum sentence for mistakenly loading live ammunition into a revolver held by actor Alec Baldwin on the Santa Fe set in 2021.
Baldwin, also facing charges of involuntary manslaughter, is scheduled for trial on July 10 following his indictment by a grand jury in January.
Report: DOJ to file antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation
The Department of Justice is preparing to file an antitrust lawsuit against Ticketmaster owner Live Nation, according to a Wall Street Journal report, with the suit expected as soon as next month.
While the exact details have not been disclosed, the Journal reports the DOJ would claim that Live Nation leveraged its dominance in the live event ticketing market in a way that undermines competition.
Live Nation faced scrutiny following Ticketmaster’s site crashing when Taylor Swift concert tickets went on sale in November 2022, with U.S. senators grilling Live Nation’s president during a hearing a few months later.
Live Nation merged with Ticketmaster in 2010, with the Journal reporting Live Nation now holds more than 80% of the market for primary ticket sales in the biggest venues in the U.S.
A Ticketmaster spokesperson replied that the company has more competition today than it has ever had.
Indiana Fever select Caitlin Clark as No. 1 overall pick in WNBA Draft
Caitlin Clark, known for holding multiple college basketball records, was selected as the No. 1 overall draft pick by the Indiana Fever at the 2024 WNBA draft Monday night.
The draft was held at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, marking the first time since 2016 that it was conducted in front of fans. Tickets for the event sold out within minutes of going on sale.
In February, Clark announced she was entering the draft instead of playing another year at Iowa.
Clark’s record-breaking college career includes becoming the all-time points leader in men’s or women’s Division I history and the all-time leader in points, assists and 3-pointers in NCAA tournament history.
Now, Clark is aiming to make more history at the professional level.
