Funeral services for Iran’s president following the deadly helicopter crash are underway. The prosecution rests its case in Trump’s trial as the defense begins to call its witnesses. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Tuesday, May 21, 2024.
Iran begins funeral services for president killed in helicopter crash
Thousands of supporters have taken to the streets as Iran begins its “five days of mourning,” declared by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Tuesday, May 21. The first funeral procession drew in thousands of Iranians to the closest major city to the crash site. The recovered bodies will then be taken to a holy city in the afternoon.
A funeral service for Raisi will be held in the capital, Tehran, on Wednesday, and the former president will be laid to rest on Friday, May 24.
The U.S. State Department released a statement on the Iranian president’s passing, sharply criticizing his actions while in command and calling Raisi “a brutal participant in the repression of the Iranian people.
Prosecution rests in Trump criminal trial; defense to call first witness
The prosecution in the criminal trial of former President Donald Trump has rested its case.
The defense concluded its cross-examination of the prosecution’s key witness, Michael Cohen, before calling its first witness, Cohen’s former legal advisor Robert Costello. Costello, who will retake the stand Tuesday, May 21, previously advised Cohen.
During the trial in New York, Trump’s lawyer, Todd Blanche, elicited an admission from Cohen that he had stolen tens of thousands of dollars from the Trump Organization. The defense aimed to further undermine Cohen’s credibility by bringing in Costello, whose testimony contradicted Cohen’s.
Costello claimed that in past discussions, Cohen asserted he had no incriminating information on Trump and insisted Trump was unaware of the payments made to Stormy Daniels.
During Costello’s testimony, the judge sustained multiple objections from the prosecution and eventually ordered the jury out of the room after Costello talked over the judge, rolled his eyes and muttered comments.
Meanwhile, Trump’s legal team has moved to dismiss the charges, a request on which the judge has yet to decide. The judge also instructed both sides to prepare for closing arguments next week.
Biden rejects International Criminal Court’s claims of Israel committing genocide
President Joe Biden has sharply criticized a request from an International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor for an arrest warrant for several Israeli leaders, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Speaking from the Rose Garden, Biden said Israel is not committing genocide and dismissed the ICC’s comparison of Israeli defensive actions to Hamas’ atrocities.
“Let me be clear, we reject the ICC application for arrest warrants against Israeli leaders,” Biden stated. “Whatever these words may imply, there is no equivalence between Israel and Hamas. But let me be clear, contrary to allegations against Israel made by the International Court of Justice, what’s happening is not genocide. We reject that.”
The ICC’s top prosecutor has called for global arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Hamas leaders on charges of crimes against humanity, accusing Israel of deliberately targeting civilians in Gaza. Netanyahu has denied the charges, arguing that the prosecutor is wrongly equating Israel with Hamas.
If the court’s judges approve the warrant, Netanyahu could face arrest in any country that is a party to the court, which includes most of Europe.
Federal judge in Texas blocks Biden rule expanding gun background checks
A federal judge in Texas has temporarily blocked a new rule from the Biden administration that intended to close what is referred to as a “gun show loophole.” The rule would require all firearm sellers to be licensed and mandate background checks for buyers.
The rule was scheduled to go into effect Monday, but the judge ruled that the language of the rule intended to protect gun owners was “inadequate.” As a result, its implementation is on hold in Texas until at least June 2.
At least 22 other states have filed similar lawsuits to block the gun law.
Target cuts prices on 5,000 items to attract more shoppers
Retail giant Target announced on Monday, May 20, that it is reducing prices on approximately 5,000 frequently purchased items across its stores nationwide.
The move is in response to consumers’ budgetary constraints amid inflation concerns. These discounts apply both in-store and online via Target’s website and app. Notably, this pricing strategy follows Target’s first annual sales decline in seven years, with a 1.7% drop reported for 2023.
The trend of increased frugality among U.S. consumers persists, despite some easing in inflation and stable consumer spending. Other retailers, including Giant Food and Michaels, are also implementing price reductions
OpenAI responds to Scarlett Johansson, pauses ChatGPT voice ‘Sky’
OpenAI has paused the use of “Sky,” a voice in its ChatGPT projects, because it closely resembles Scarlett Johansson’s voice from the film “Her.” The company stated that Sky is actually the natural voice of another professional actress, not an imitation of Johansson.
The issue arose after Johansson’s friends noted the similarity between her voice and Sky’s. Although OpenAI had previously invited Johansson to lend her voice to ChatGPT, she declined.
The resemblance was highlighted after a product demonstration earlier this month, further intensified by CEO Sam Altman’s tweet that referenced the movie “Her.”
In response to Johansson’s concerns, OpenAI reiterated that Sky was not designed to mimic her voice.
