A New York grand jury indicted former President Donald Trump; and an orca whale that’s been in captivity for more than 50 years is going home to see her mother in the Pacific Northwest. These stories and more highlight the daily rundown for Friday, March 31, 2023.
Donald Trump indictment connected to hush money payment
Crowds formed outside Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home on March 30 after the former president was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury. He’s expected to be arraigned on April 4.
The case against Trump surrounds hush money payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels, which prosecutors want to prove was made to benefit his presidential campaign. Therefore, it was an illegal campaign contribution.
The reaction in Washington has largely fallen along party lines.
We have an interview with a New York attorney Jerry Goldfeder, who says it’s likely Donald Trump will be treated differently by the judge and jurors because he’s a former president. To see Goldfeder’s explanation, check out the interview here.
Biden to visit Mississippi storm victims
President Joe Biden and the first lady will travel to Rolling Fork, Mississippi, on March 31 to view the damage and meet with victims of the deadly tornadoes that hit the area over the weekend.
At least 25 people died and the damage stretched for 100 miles. President Biden is expected to reaffirm federal support for the local residents there.
Gwyneth Paltrow wins ski crash lawsuit
A jury decided actress Gwyneth Paltrow is not at fault for a 2016 collision at a Utah ski resort. She has been awarded $1. Eye doctor Terry Sanderson sued Paltrow for $300,000. He broke 4 ribs and got a concussion after the crash.
But Paltrow took to the witness stand and said it wasn’t her fault. In a statement, Paltrow explained why she didn’t settle out of court.
“I felt that acquiescing to a false claim compromised my integrity,” Paltrow said.
Paltrow was grilled on the witness stand by Sanderson’s lawyers who asked tough questions and odd ones, including asking if she was friends with Taylor Swift.
After the verdict came in, Paltrow walked over to the man who sued her, tapped him on the shoulder and said she wished him well.
57-year-old orca going back to wild
A 57-year-old orca named Lolita, who currently lives in the Miami Seaquarium, is going to be brought home to the Pacific Northwest to be with her nearly 100-year-old mother.
It will be an extraordinary team effort. They will fly the 5,000 pound whale to an ocean sanctuary between Washington state and Canada. She will live in a large net under the supervision of trainers and veterinarians while she rebuilds her strength and learns how to catch fish.
Lolita was originally captured during one of the many orca round ups in the 1970s and has been performing for crowds ever since.
Her trip home is being made possible thanks to the theme park’s owner, an animal rights group, and the owner of the Indianapolis Colts, Jim Irsay.
The trip could ultimately cost up to $20 million dollars and take about 18 to 24 months to finalize. In the meantime, the Seaquarium will no longer use Lolita in shows.
MLB umpire calls first automatic ball
It only took 20 seconds for a baseball umpire to call an automatic ball on Cubs pitcher Marcus Stroman for a pitch clock violation on March 30.
It was the first time a pitcher was penalized under the new rule, which mandates the pitch must be thrown in 15 seconds with no one on base or 20 seconds with a man on. Batters must be set before the clock hits 8 seconds.
It’s one of multiple rule changes in the MLB this year, including larger bases, and no defensive shift.
The MLB is very serious about the pitch clock. During a spring training game between the Red Sox and Braves, an umpire called an automatic strike on a batter for not being set in the box in time. But it was a full count, bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the ninth, ending the game. All the batter and announcer could do was laugh.
NCAA final four
Place your bets and throw out your bracket, because the NCAA final four is this weekend. All times are Eastern. The women play March 31. ISU and Virginia Tech start at 7 p.m., Iowa and South Carolina play at 9 p.m.
The men go tomorrow. Florida Atlantic and San Diego State start at 6 p.m., tip off for Miami and Connecticut is at 8:40 p.m.