[KARAH RUCKER]

THE FIRST SEVEN JURORS ARE SELECTED IN FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP’S HUSH MONEY TRIAL

AND — HISTORIC RAIN IN THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES LEADS TO MAJOR FLOODING AT THE DUBAI AIRPORT AND ACROSS THE REGION

THE MORNING RUNDOWN STARTS NOW.

TODAY IS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

I’M KARAH RUCKER.

THE SECOND DAY OF THE FIRST CRIMINAL TRIAL AGAINST A FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT SAW SEVEN JURORS BEING SELECTED – WITH OPENING ARGUMENTS NOW LOOKING TO BE JUST DAYS AWAY.

AS FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP LOOKED ON IN THE MANHATTAN COURTROOM, THE FIRST SEVEN JURORS have been CHOSEN —

AFTER THE DEFENSE ARGUED OVER PROSPECTIVE JURORS’ SOCIAL MEDIA POSTINGS AND WHETHER THE JURORS COULD BE FAIR AND CREDIBLE.

THE SEVEN JURORS ULTIMATELY SELECTED INCLUDE A SALESMAN ORIGINALLY FROM IRELAND WHO WILL SERVE AS THE CASE’S FOREMAN, AN ONCOLOGY NURSE, TWO ATTORNEYS, AN IT CONSULTANT ORIGINALLY FROM PUERTO RICO, A language arts TEACHER AND A SOFTWARE ENGINEER WORKING AT DISNEY.

TRUMP IS ACCUSED OF FALSIFYING DOZENS OF BUSINESS RECORDS AND HAS DENIED ANY WRONGDOING.

ANOTHER 96 PROSPECTIVE JURORS WERE SWORN IN BEFORE PROCEEDINGS ENDED ON TUESDAY – THEY WILL RETURN ON THURSDAY – TODAY BEING AN OFF DAY FOR THE TRIAL. THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE FULL JURY COULD BE SEATED BY THE END OF THE WEEK.

THE JUDGE NOTED THAT IF THINGS KEEP MOVING AT THIS PACE – OPENING ARGUMENTS COULD BEGIN MONDAY.

SENATORS will SWEAR IN AS JURORS TODAY —

KICKING OFF THE “IMPEACHMENT TRIAL” AGAINST HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS.

THE SENATE WILL ISSUE A SUMMONS TO MAYORKAS, INFORMING HIM OF THE CHARGES AND REQUESTING A WRITTEN RESPONSE.

HE WILL NOT HAVE TO APPEAR.

HOUSE REPUBLICANS VOTED TO IMPEACH MAYORKAS IN FEBRUARY, ACCUSING HIM OF willfully refusing to comply with immigration laws amid a surge of illegal border crossings.

Mayorkas and democrats have called the charges “baseless.”

WITH DEMOCRATS IN CONTROL OF THE SENATE, THEY ARE EXPECTED TO TRY TO DISMISS THE TRIAL THIS WEEK.

FOUR MONTHS AFTER A CONGRESSIONAL HEARING ON ANTISEMITISM ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES LED TO THE RESIGNATION OF TWO IVY LEAGUE PRESIDENTS – THE PRESIDENT OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY WILL FIELD QUESTIONS TODAY FROM THAT SAME COMMITTEE.

MINOUCHE SHAFIK WAS ORIGINALLY SET TO TESTIFY AT THE HOUSE EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE COMMITTEE’S HEARING IN DECEMBER BUT WAS UNABLE TO DO SO DUE TO A SCHEDULING CONFLICT.

FOLLOWING THose HEARINGS — THE PRESIDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA AND HARVARD STEPPED DOWN FROM THEIR ROLES.

TODAY SHAFIK WILL ANSWER QUESTIONS ON THE UNIVERSITY’S RESPONSE TO CONFLICTS ON COLUMBIA’S CAMPUS THAT HAVE BEEN ON THE RISE SINCE THE START OF THE ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR.

IN AN OP-ED PIECE PUBLISHED IN THE WALL STREET JOURNAL ON TUESDAY TITLED “WHAT I PLAN TO TELL CONGRESS TOMORROW” – SHAFIK SPOKE OF BALANCING THE RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH WITH PROTECTING THE UNIVERSITY’S STUDENTS.

WRITING QUOTE:

“…while disagreement and debate are to be welcomed at a university, that should happen within specific parameters.

Calling for the genocide of a people—whether they are Israelis or Palestinians, Jews, Muslims or anyone else—has no place in a university community.”

BOB GRAHAM,  A FORMER U.S. SENATOR AND TWO-TERM DEMOCRATIC FLORIDA GOVERNOR, HAS PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 87.

GRAHAM WAS GOVERNOR FROM 1979 TO 1987 AND SERVED AS A THREE-TERM SENATOR UNTIL 2005, FOCUSING ON EDUCATION, ENVIRONMENT, AND IMMIGRATION.

GRAHAM WAS KNOWN FOR HIS PRACTICAL POLITICAL STYLE AND “WORK DAYS,” WHERE HE TOOK ON JOBS LIKE A SHORT-ORDER COOK AND BELLHOP TO CONNECT WITH VOTERS.

GRAHAM ALSO SERVED AS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE SENATE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE AND LED THE INVESTIGATION INTO THE 9/11 ATTACKS.

HE RAN UNSUCCESSFULLY FOR THE 2004 DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION, HIGHLIGHTING HIS OPPOSITION TO THE IRAQ WAR.

IN A STATEMENT ANNOUNCING HIS PASSING, HIS FAMILY CALLS HIM “UNFORGETTABLE.”

HISTORIC FLOODING IN THE DESERT NATION OF THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – LED TO THE CLOSURE OF DUBAI’S AIRPORT — AND SCHOOLS TO CANCEL CLASSES.

THE RAIN BEGAN LATE MONDAY – AND BY TUESDAY NIGHT – DUBAI HAD RECEIVED MORE THAN 6 INCHES OF RAIN IN OVER 24 HOURS.

TO PUT IN PERSPECTIVE — THE CITY SEES JUST OVER 3 INCHES OF RAIN IN AN AVERAGE YEAR.

AT LEAST ONE PERSON WAS KILLED IN THE FLOODWATERS.

THE STATE-RUN NEWS AGENCY CALLed THE RAINFALL “A HISTORIC WEATHER EVENT” THAT SURPASSED “ANYTHING DOCUMENTED SINCE THE START OF DATA COLLECTION IN 1949.”

THE STORM HIT OTHER PARTS OF THE MIDDLE EAST AS WELL – BEING BLAMED FOR AT LEAST 19 DEATHS IN THE COUNTRY OF OMAN.

FINALLY THIS MORNING – AFTER 20 YEARS, IT’S THE FINAL ACT FOR ONE MOVIE STUDIO.

PARTICIPANT MEDIA’S FOUNDER JEFF SKOLL (SKULL) ANNOUNCED TUESDAY THE COMPANY IS SHUTTING DOWN – BREAKING THE NEWS TO THE STAFF OF AROUND 100.

SINCE 2004 – PARTICIPANT’S MISSION HAS BEEN CREATING FILMS AND TV SHOWS THAT WERE TO INSPIRE SOCIAL CHANGE.

PARTICIPANT WAS BEHIND SUCH PROJECTS AS OSCAR-WINNERS “SPOTLIGHT” AND “GREEN BOOK” –MOVIES LIKE “LINCOLN” AND “WONDER,” THE DOCUMENTARY “AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH,” AND THE NETFLIX SERIES “WHEN THEY SEE US.”

IN TOTAL – THE COMPANY WON 21 ACADEMY AWARDS DURING ITS 20-YEAR RUN.

THESE ARE YOUR TOP STORIES FOR THIS WEDNESDAY.

UNBIASED. STRAIGHT FACTS. THAT’S STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS.

WE’LL SEE YOU BACK HERE TOMORROW.

UNTIL THEN I’M KARAH RUCKER. HAVE A GREAT DAY!