Ukraine calls out an apparent double standard after the U.S. helped thwart Iran’s attack on Israel. The first jurors in Donald Trump’s hush money trial have been selected. And Nike’s newly-released Olympics track and field outfit is blasted for being innapropriate.
Here’s what to know today.
After allies help Israel defend against Iran’s attack, Ukraine asks: Why not us?
After Iranian drones and missiles were shot down before reaching their targets in Israel over the weekend with help from allies, another country at war saw the possibilities and limits of Western support: Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pointed out as much in an address earlier this week. “European skies could have received the same level of protection long ago if Ukraine had received full support from its partners in intercepting drones and missiles,” he said. “We can now see how unity can work.”
Most galling, perhaps, is that Russia has been deploying the very same drones as Iran in its assault on Ukrainian cities. And this apparent double standard comes at a particularly perilous moment, as Ukrainian officials sound the alarm that it will be unable to hold off Russian forces from advancing without new military support. The most apparent example of how a lack of Western air defenses is affecting Ukraine is in its second-largest city, Kharkiv, where Russian missiles and drones destroyed a heat and power plant last week.
But the U.S. and its Western partners have made clear their reluctance to go as far in Ukraine as they did in the Middle East.
Read the full story here.
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More on the conflict in the Middle East:
- Iran’s attack on Israel was thwarted with the help of the U.S. and its Middle Eastern allies. Israel’s response could test the fragile coalition’s resolve.
- Sen. Tom Cotton on doubled down on comments urging people delayed by traffic stemming from pro-Palestinian demonstrations to “forcibly remove” some protesters who are blocking streets.
- The United States and allies will impose new sanctions on Iran, including its missile and drone program, in the “coming days,” National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said last night. Follow live updates.
First jurors in Trump hush money trial are chosen
The first seven jurors in Donald Trump’s hush money trial have been chosen, a process that got off to a bumpy start yesterday as New Yorkers were pressed about whether they could fairly judge the former president. The selected jurors include a former waiter, an oncology nurse, an attorney, an IT consultant, a teacher and a software engineer. Their names won’t be used in open court. They were told to return Monday, signaling that the selection process will be finished by the end of the week. The court still needs to select five more jurors and likely six alternates.
Trump’s lawyers excavated ancient social media posts, asked jurors to explain inconsistent answers on their questionnaires and tried to strike from the pool of candidates they feared could spell danger for their case. At one point, Judge Juan Merchan read unflattering memes about Trump after apologizing in case it caused offense. Merchan also delivered a stern warning to Trump lawyer Todd Blanche after Blanche and Trump were “audibly” speaking in the direction of a juror. Here’s what else happened on Day 2.
In an analysis, senior politics reporter Jonathan Allen illustrates why Trump isn’t quite like any other defendant. Perhaps the biggest reason: The “vast majority” of people have “strong visceral reactions” to Trump. Both prosecutors and Trump’s team seem to agree on at least that. Read the full analysis here.
Meanwhile in Pennsylvania, President Joe Biden freely ripped into Trump on everything from tax breaks for billionaires to his suggestion that injecting bleach could cure Covid-19 — but he didn’t touch the lowest-hanging fruit of all, the New York criminal trial.
Mayorkas impeachment trial could be a swift ordeal
Republicans are hoping to drag out the impeachment trial of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, but they might not get that what they wish for. This afternoon, an impeachment trial will kick off with all 100 senators getting sworn in as jurors. Then, Senate Democrats, led by Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, are expected to quickly move to dismiss or table the two impeachment articles against Mayorkas and move on to other business. A conviction against Mayorkas is likely impossible because none of the Senate’s 51 Democrats have said they support his impeachment.
Mayorkas is charged with “high crimes and misdemeanors” for failing to enforce immigration and border security laws and for knowingly lying under oath in Congress. The trial comes a day after the House of Representatives sent its articles of impeachment to the Senate in a solemn procession that included escorting the pair of impeachment articles across the Rotunda and onto the Senate floor. Here’s what else to know about the impeachment efforts and trial.
Autopsy for ‘Unabomber’ Ted Kaczynski details cancer, depression before death
An autopsy report for Ted Kaczynski, the domestic terrorist known as the “Unabomber,” shows that he was diagnosed with rectal cancer and “was noted to be depressed” before his death last year at the age of 81. The report, obtained 10 months after his death by suicide, offers new details into Kaczysnki’s health and final months and raises questions about whether his death was preventable.
Kaczynski was diagnosed with rectal cancer in March 2021, and he received biweekly chemotherapy until March 2023, medical examiners said. About a month before Kaczynski’s death, an oncologist noted that he “appeared depressed.” On June 10, 2023, Kaczynski attempted suicide, and later died at a hospital.
Whether Kaczynski’s depression resulted in a suicide watch is unclear. But given Kaczynski’s status within the federal prison system, one expert says “it’s somewhat surprising” he was able to end his life. Read the exclusive story here.
Boeing whistleblower doubles down ahead of Senate hearing
A Boeing whistleblower is expected to testify before a U.S. Senate subcommittee today about his concerns with the company’s 787 Dreamliner, which he said is unsafe to fly and could “drop to the ground” midflight unless problems are addressed. Sam Salehpour, a former quality engineer for Boeing, first raised his allegations publicly last week. He said the company has yet to properly address tiny nonconforming gaps found in multiple planes after two sections of their fuselages were joined together during assembly. The “safety issues,” he said, could lead to catastrophic outcomes.
Salehpour doubled down on those claims yesterday in an interview with “NBC Nightly News.” When asked if he would put his own family on a 787 right now, Salehpour didn’t hesitate. “Right now, I would not,” he said. Watch the full interview here.
Boeing has disputed the claims, saying the plane is safe and the company is “fully confident in the 787 Dreamliner.” The new allegations come as the company continues to reel from the fallout of a midflight blowout of a door panel during an Alaska Airlines flight in January.
Rare rainfall floods Dubai
A spate of heavy rain in a normally arid part of the world has left roadways and buildings flooded and several people dead. In the United Arab Emirates, schools were closed for the day, and flights were temporarily diverted after flooding was reported on the tarmac at Dubai International Airport. In Oman, at least 18 people have died in recent days, including 10 schoolchildren and an adult driver who died after their vehicle was overtaken by water, the Associated Press reported.
More than 4.7 inches of rain fell in a day in the UAE, flooding streets across Dubai and sending water spilling into homes and businesses. Officials urged people to stay home and park cars away from flood-prone areas.
Female athletes criticize Nike’s skimpy Olympic track uniform
Nike unveiled uniforms that U.S. track athletes can don in the Paris Olympics this summer, and one particular female outfit has drawn most of the attention — for apparently being skimpy and revealing. The leotard, cut particularly high on the hips, is being roundly called out as inappropriate for the world’s most famous sporting event.
Former track star Lauren Fleshman, who won five NCAA championships and two national championships as a professional, blasted the leotard as “a costume born of patriarchal forces that are no longer welcome or needed to get eyes on women’s sports.” When the duds were revealed last week, Nike said its uniform offerings were based on extensive testing and talks with athletes.
Politics in Brief
Supreme Court: Justices raised concerns about the Justice Department’s use of an obstruction statute to charge those involved in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The case could have bearing on the election interference prosecution against Donald Trump.
Chuck Todd analysis: What happens when voters want change but there’s no obvious path toward it on the ballot? NBC News’ chief political analyst Chuck Todd suggests that voters should pay attention to third-party candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “It has nothing to do with Kennedy the person and everything to do with Trump and Biden,” Todd writes. Read the full analysis here.
House leadership: Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky became the second House Republican to say he will support an effort to oust Speaker Mike Johnson from power over his handling of foreign aid for Ukraine and other issues.
2024 election: The policy contrasts are sharpening between Biden and Trump on abortion, immigration, health care, foreign policy and other hot-button topics. Here’s where each candidate falls on the issues.
‘Strap on a Glock’: Arizona GOP Senate hopeful Kari Lake told supporters in a recent speech that they should be prepared for the intensity of the 2024 campaign.
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Staff Pick: Let the games begin … in 100 days
There’s so much to be excited about the Paris Olympics. Fans are back for the first time since the pandemic, adding buzz and verve to the international spectacle in one of the world’s most iconic cities. Few other things allow billions of people to share in a collective experience like this.
But there are also concerns. Security fears creep into plans in a city that has suffered recent terror attacks. War between Israel and Hamas has crossed the six-month mark. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues.
NBC News is gearing up for the upcoming festivities with a thorough look at the state of the games. We’re also providing some fun in the way of a visual guide to Paris and a quiz to see if you know what’s a real Olympic sport and what we invented at 30 Rock. — Tim Perone, NBC News digital managing editor
Select: Online Shopping, Simplified
From a colorful heart-shaped spoon rest to a digital picture frame to display her favorite memories, here are 23 mom-approved gifts to consider for Mother’s Day.
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