Donald Trump is the first former U.S. president to face criminal charges. Also in the news: Turkey has OK'd Finland's bid to join NATO and what to know about the men's and women's Final Four in the NCAA Tournament. |
Here are Friday's headlines. |
Grand jury indicts Donald Trump in New York |
A New York grand jury voted to indict Donald Trump on Thursday. Though he is the first former president of the United States to be charged with a crime, he will be treated just like any other defendant in the criminal justice system. |
The background: Though the charges were not made public, the grand jury has been investigating hush money payments to two women who claimed to have had sex with him. The outline of those payments became public only after he was elected in 2016. |
| • | When he is arrested Trump will be read his rights and processed just like any other defendant, experts say, including having a mug shot taken. | | • | Trump has already denied the charges, threatening in a social media post that there would be "potential death & destruction" if charges were filed against him in the case. | | • | Michael Cohen says Trump's indictment is only the beginning of a new chapter in the former president's legal saga. | | People hold a flag to show their support for former President Donald Trump following the news of his indictment on Thursday, March 30, 2023. Rebecca Blackwell, AP |
Evacuation order lifted after Minnesota train derailment |
An evacuation order was lifted midday Thursday after a train carrying ethanol derailed in rural Minnesota and several cars caught fire. BNSF Railway said 22 cars derailed, including about 10 carrying ethanol, four of which ruptured, causing the flammable fuel additive to catch fire. The track remained blocked on Thursday and local authorities said fire suppression and cooling operations could continue into the weekend. Every day, the nation's railroads move millions of tons of raw materials and finished goods around the country, but their safety record is getting new attention amid scrutiny of the East Palestine, Ohio, derailment disaster in February. Read more | The scene of a train derailment early Thursday, March 30, 2023 in Raymond, Minnesota. KSTP via AP |
Biden in Rolling Fork as millions warned tornadoes are 'expected' |
President Joe Biden on Friday will visit a Mississippi town ravaged by a deadly tornado even as a new series of severe storms threatens to rip across the Midwest and the South. Forecasters are warning of an outbreak of severe weather Friday afternoon and evening in at least 12 states from the Upper Midwest to the Deep South. Tens of millions of people live where the high winds and tornadoes are possible: Big cities in the highest danger areas include Nashville, Memphis, St. Louis, Des Moines and Little Rock. Read more | Women hug among the rubble of a home as cleanup continues in the aftermath of Friday's tornado on March 28, 2023, in Rolling Fork, Mississippi. At least 26 people died when an EF-4 tornado ripped through the small town and nearby Rolling Fork on Friday evening. Scott Olson, Getty Images |
Finland receives Turkey endorsement to join NATO |
Finland received the final approval it needed to join NATO when Turkey's parliament voted unanimously in favor Thursday, days after Hungary's parliament also endorsed Helsinki's accession. They were the last two holdouts in the way of Finland's membership, and they remain the only ones among NATO's 30 nations yet to accept Sweden's application despite expressing support for expansion. Alarmed by Russia's invasion of Ukraine a year ago, Finland and Sweden abandoned their decades-long policy of nonalignment and applied to join the Western military alliance, which requires unanimous approval. Read more | Turkish lawmakers vote in favor to approve Finland's application to join NATO, in the Turkish parliament on March 30, 2023. ADEM ALTAN, AFP via Getty Images |
First-time teams in men's NCAA Tournament Final Four |
A chance to play for a national championship will be on the line Saturday when the men's NCAA Tournament Final Four tips off in Houston. One of the most unpredictable tournaments in history has resulted in the first time no team seeded third or higher has made it to the national semifinals. Of this year's Final Four, three schools — Florida Atlantic, Miami and San Diego State — are making their first-ever appearances, while Connecticut is by far the most experienced with six trips to the Final Four and four national titles. Read more | Thanks in part to their suffocating defense, Andre Jackson Jr. and the UConn Huskies have not been seriously challenged on their way to this year's Final Four. Joe Camporeale, USA TODAY Sports |
Photo of the day: 2023 GLAAD Media Awards |
The 34th Annual GLAAD Media Awards celebrated the LGBTQ community amid the backdrop of continued attacks, including Tennessee's new laws banning gender-affirming health care and drag shows in public. Ricky Martin presented Bad Bunny with the Vanguard Award, praising the artist for "loudly standing with trans women and the entire community." | (L-R) Bad Bunny and Ricky Martin speak onstage during the GLAAD Media Awards at The Beverly Hilton on March 30, 2023 in Beverly Hills, California. Randy Shropshire, Getty Images for GLAAD |
Associated Press contributed reporting. | | | |
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