Trump expects arrest Tuesday; 20 years since Iraq War began: March 20 rundown

KARAH RUCKER: FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP SAYS HE EXPECTS TO BE ARRESTED ON TUESDAY, CITING “ILLEGAL LEAKS” FROM NEW YORK PROSECUTORS. AND MIAMI — STRUCK BY SPRING BREAK CRIME — GOES UNDER CURFEW.

THE DAILY RUNDOWN STARTS NOW.

THIS IS STRAIGHT-ARROW NEWS. BRINGING YOU UNBIASED, STRAIGHT FACTS.

TRUMP EXPECTS INDICTMENT TUESDAY

WE BEGIN WITH OUR TOP STORY OVER THE WEEKEND – TRUMP FACING WHAT HE BELIEVES IS HIS “IMMINENT ARREST” OVER ALLEGED HUSH MONEY PAYMENTS TO STORMY DANIELS.

NEW YORK PROSECUTORS HAVE BEEN INVESTIGATING A 130-THOUSAND DOLLAR PAYMENT TRUMP’S FORMER LAWYER MICHAEL COHEN MADE TO THE ADULT FILM ACTRESS IN 2016 – WHEN TRUMP WAS RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT. THE PAYMENT WAS ALLEGEDLY MADE TO KEEP STORMY DANIELS QUIET ABOUT AN ALLEGED AFFAIR – WHICH TRUMP HAS DENIED. TRUMP CALLED THE MANHATTAN DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S INVESTIGATION A “WITCH HUNT” AND SAID “ILLEGAL LEAKS” FROM THE DA’S OFFICE IS INDICATIVE OF AN INDICTMENT THIS WEEK.

ACCORDING TO THE NEW YORK TIMES – THE MANHATTAN GRAND JURY COULD CALL ON COHEN’S FORMER LEGAL ADVISOR TODAY. THE TESTIMONY OF ATTORNEY ROBERT COSTELLO WOULD BE USED TO DISCREDIT COHEN – AND COHEN HAS REPORTEDLY BEEN ASKED TO “BE AVAILABLE” IF NEEDED IN THE ONGOING INVESTIGATION.

THE MANHATTAN D-A’S OFFICE HAS NOT COMMENTED ON THE REPORTS OF POTENTIAL CHARGES COMING DOWN TUESDAY AGAINST THE FORMER PRESIDENT.

Danya Perry| Former Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York: “Former President Trump is not going to be dragged in front of a scrum of reporters, there’s not going to be a perp walk, he won’t be put in handcuffs or shackles. He will self-surrender. If indeed former President Trump is charged with and convicted of any of these offenses that we’ve been talking about — then he will be treated under the law just like anybody else.”

CHINA’S PRESIDENT VISITS PUTIN

CHINESE LEADER XI JINPING IS VISITING MOSCOW TODAY – JUST DAYS AFTER THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT CHARGED PUTIN WITH COMMITTING WAR CRIMES IN UKRAINE.

OVER THE WEEKEND – PUTIN WAS ALSO SEEN TOURING THROUGH PARTS OF UKRAINE OCCUPIED BY RUSSIAN FORCES SINCE LAST MAY. IT’S UNKNOWN WHAT CHINESE AND RUSSIAN OFFICIALS MAY BE DISCUSSING TODAY – BUT CHINA HAS CLAIMED THEY ARE NEUTRAL IN THE CONFLICT – DESPITE HAVING A “NO LIMITS” RELATIONSHIP WITH RUSSIA. THE FACE-TO-FACE MEETING IS THEIR FIRST SINCE THE WAR BEGAN.

Andrew Small | German Marshall Fund: “I think the pressure starts to come in with these resupply questions a year into the war, where – yes – China doesn’t want to antagonize certain other countries, but it doesn’t want to put Russia in a difficult position either. It certainly doesn’t want to see Putin lose. It doesn’t want to see Russia come out in an impaired position.”

20 YEARS SINCE IRAQ WAR BEGAN

TODAY MARKS TWO DECADES SINCE U.S. FORCES INVADED IRAQ.

THEN-PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH SAID THE INVASION WAS TO PROTECT THE WORLD FROM GRAVE DANGER – TO DISARM IRAQ – UNDER THE DICTATORSHIP OF SADDAM HUSSEIN. WHILE THE WAR WAS ULTIMATELY SUCCESSFUL IN TOPPLING SADDAM – IT CAME AT A HEAVY COST. ISIS MILITANTS SWARMED IRAQ – THE U.S. SPENT 8 YEARS OF BOOTS ON THE GROUND – A TIME FRAME IN WHICH THE U.S. LOST SOME 46 HUNDRED SERVICE MEMBERS. MORE THAN A QUARTER MILLION IRAQIS ALSO DIED IN THE CONFLICT.

Josep Borrell | European Union’s foreign policy chief: “Iraq has made a lot of progress, considerable progress, and it is in our interest to contribute to further stabilizing the situation and support the authorities.”

SPRING BREAK CRIME LEADS TO CURFEW

THE CITY OF MIAMI IS A POPULAR GO-TO VACATION DESTINATION FOR SPRING BREAKERS. BUT FOR THOSE VISITING THE CITY – THERE WERE NO LATE NIGHT PARTIES AS THEY WENT UNDER CURFEW.

THE CITY CITED “TWO FATAL SHOOTINGS” AND “LARGE UNRULY CROWDS” AS REASON FOR THE CITY TO SHUT DOWN OVERNIGHT FROM MIDNIGHT TO SIX AM.

OFFICIALS DECLARED A STATE OF EMERGENCY AND ARE MEETING TODAY TO DISCUSS FURTHER POTENTIAL RESTRICTIONS IN ORDER TO DECREASE THE RISK OF CRIME.

THIS ISN’T THE FIRST TIME MIAMI HAS HAD TO ENACT A CURFEW BECAUSE OF SPRING BREAKERS. A CURFEW WAS IMPOSED LAST YEAR DURING THE SAME TIME PERIOD.

Mayor Dan Gelber | (D) Miami Beach: “While most may come here to enjoy the amenities of Miami Beach, the overwhelming volume of visitors, the few that come with bad intentions and the presence of guns, creates a wholly intolerable situation.”

TWITTER’S TWO-FACTOR AUTHENTICATION

HAVE YOU LOGGED ONTO TWITTER LATELY? MILLIONS OF USERS COULD BE LOCKED OUT OF THEIR ACCOUNTS STARTING TODAY. IN RECENT WEEKS – TWITTER HAS BEEN WARNING USERS THAT TWO-FACTOR-AUTHENTICATION WOULD END TODAY. THAT’S WHERE USERS CAN TAKE ADDITIONAL STEPS TO SECURE THEIR ACCOUNT.

THAT FEATURE IS NOW EXCLUSIVE TO “TWITTER BLUE” SUBSCRIBERS – A BADGE THAT COSTS 8 BUCKS A MONTH. ELON MUSK SAYS THE DECISION COMES DOWN TO MONEY. MUSK SAID PHONE COMPANIES ARE SCAMMING TWITTER WITH TWO FACTOR AUTHENTICATION COSTING THE COMPANY SIXTY MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR.

NEW MEXICO LOOKING FOR BEAR HUGGERS

IF YOU LOVE THE OUTDOORS AND DON’T MIND INTERACTING WITH THE OCCASIONAL BEAR, THEN A JOB MAY BE WAITING FOR YOU IN NEW MEXICO. THE STATE’S DEPARTMENT OF GAME AND FISH POSTED A JOB ON FACEBOOK THAT SAYS IT IS LOOKING FOR PROFESSIONAL BEAR HUGGERS.

THE POST INCLUDES PHOTOS SHOWING WORKERS CUDDLING BABY BEARS.

THE AGENCY IS ACTUALLY LOOKING TO HIRE CONSERVATION OFFICERS…

AND INTERACTIONS WITH BEARS IS ONLY ONE PART OF THE JOB.

THE LISTING SAYS THE DEPARTMENT IS LOOKING FOR SOMEONE WHO LIKES TO HIKE IN STRENUOUS CONDITIONS, HAS THE COURAGE TO CRAWL INTO A BEAR DEN, AND WILL TRUST CO-WORKERS TO KEEP THEM SAFE DURING THE PROCESS.

THE DEPARTMENT SAYS THE JOB IS GUARANTEED TO BRING SOMEONE THE EXPERIENCE OF A LIFETIME. THOSE INTERESTED HAVE UNTIL MARCH 30-TH TO APPLY.

THANKS FOR WATCHING THE DAILY RUNDOWN.

WE’RE ON A MISSION TO BRING BACK TRUSTWORTHY JOURNALISM BY SERVING ONLY YOU — NOT AN AGENDA. 

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT MORE OF OUR WORK AT STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS DOT COM.

WE’LL SEE YOU BACK HERE TOMORROW!

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