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The Morning Rundown™

Trump reacts to new testimony, AI offers cancer cure: March 21 rundown


After former President Donald Trump predicted he would be arrested Tuesday, law enforcement agencies began preparing for protests. So where does the investigation currently stand? Plus, the second-largest school district in the country will be closed today as their employees go on strike. These stories and more highlight the daily rundown for Tuesday, March 21, 2023. 

Latest on potential Trump indictment

Former President Donald Trump expressed renewed hope on his social media platform, Truth Social, following the testimony of former attorney Robert Costello. But the country is still bracing for potential protests after the president previously predicted an indictment would come down Tuesday and encouraged his supporters to protest. 

Sources close to the Manhattan District Attorney’s investigation into allegations of hush money paid to former porn star Stormy Daniels have told the media there’s no indictment coming Tuesday. CBS said it could come by the end of this week, but Fox News reported the indictment would most likely come down next week.

Costello went before the grand jury Monday in an effort to discredit Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, whose testimony against Trump holds a significant role in the DA’s case.

Following Robert Costello’s testimony, Trump posted to social media that “the DA will do the right thing.” 

Increased security in case of protests

Steel barricades now surround the Manhattan courthouse and District Attorney’s office. New fencing has also been installed around the U.S. Capitol amid concerns Trump’s potential indictment could bring a repeat of Jan. 6. High level local and federal law enforcement officials met Monday to further coordinate security plans in preparation for a possible Trump arrest.

Our Washington correspondent Ray Bogan sat down for an extended interview with an attorney to discuss what happens next if Trump is charged. And whether he would be treated differently as a former U.S. president. You can find that report here.

L.A. schools closed due to strike

Tens of thousands of L.A. Unified School employees will go on strike Tuesday. All classes have been canceled in all the district’s schools, but child care and cafeterias will remain open. The employees on strike range from bus drivers, custodians, to teachers and teacher-aides. The main issue comes down to pay. Employees want a 30% raise.

Over the weekend, the district came up to a 23% hike and a 3% bonus, but it wasn’t enough to avoid an employee strike and close the district down. Approximately 420,000 students will miss school for up to three days if no deal is reached, and the district is at risk of losing tens of millions of dollars. A similar strike in 2019 cost the district $97 million.

Fox, Dominion seek pretrial wins

Fox and Dominion will be in court today for a pre-trial hearing. They are expected to ask the judge to rule in their favor, without the need for the case to go to trial next month.

Lawyers for Dominion Voting Systems will ask the judge to find Fox liable for defamation over its 2020 election coverage on voter fraud. While Fox will argue the network is constitutionally protected by freedom of the press.

The high-profile defamation lawsuit is scheduled to begin April 17.

Biden defends ESG investments in veto

President J0e Biden issued the first veto of his presidency Monday. He killed a Republican-led bill that would have banned ESG considerations when making investments for people’s retirement plans.

Republicans argued that by making investment decisions based on ESG’s puts political agendas over best-returns for savers. The president said the bill put retirement savings at risk. 

Round 2 of job cuts for Amazon

A major tech giant is gearing up for another round of layoffs. Amazon says it plans to cut 9,000 jobs in the next few weeks. This comes after the company announced 18,000 lay-offs last January. 

Amazon’s CEO said the company had not yet identified who would be laid off and that those decisions would be made next month. 

AI creates potential cancer treatment

Artificial Intelligence has significantly picked up steam. We know it can write sophisticated essays and solve math problems. But what if it becomes our pathway to finding a cure for cancer?

According to a new study, researchers at the University of Toronto say it’s done just that by revealing a previously unknown treatment pathway. A drug discovery platform called Pharma.AI has developed a potential treatment for the most common type of liver cancer.

The experiment uncovered a novel hit molecule that can target tumors on the liver. The drug will have to go through clinical trials before widespread use. Researchers say the potential drug was discovered by AI in just 30 days, leaving them hopeful for medical breakthroughs through AI.

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KARAH RUCKER: AFTER FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP PREDICTED HIS ARREST TODAY – LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES ARE PREPARING FOR PROTESTS. WE TAKE A LOOK AT WHERE THE INVESTIGATION CURRENTLY STANDS. AND – THE SECOND LARGEST SCHOOL DISTRICT IN OUR COUNTRY WILL BE CLOSED TODAY — AS THEIR EMPLOYEES GO ON STRIKE. WHY THE TWO SIDES CAN’T COME TO AN AGREEMENT ON CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS. THIS IS STRAIGHT-ARROW NEWS. BRINGING YOU UNBIASED, STRAIGHT FACTS.

WE BEGIN WITH OUR TOP STORY. FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP EXPRESSED RENEWED HOPE ON HIS SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM “TRUTH SOCIAL” FOLLOWING THE TESTIMONY OF A FORMER ATTORNEY ROBERT COSTELLO. BUT THE COUNTRY IS STILL BRACING FOR POTENTIAL PROTESTS AFTER THE PRESIDENT PREVIOUSLY PREDICTED AN INDICTMENT WOULD COME DOWN TODAY.

LATEST ON POTENTIAL TRUMP INDICTMENT

SOURCES CLOSE TO THE MANHATTAN DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S INVESTIGATION INTO ALLEGATIONS OF HUSH MONEY PAID TO FORMER PORN STAR STORMY DANIELS – HAVE TOLD THE MEDIA THERE’S NO INDICTMENT COMING TODAY. CBS SAID IT COULD COME BY THE END OF THIS WEEK.

FOX NEWS REPORTED A POTENTIAL INDICTMENT COMING DOWN NEXT WEEK.

TRUMP POSTED TO SOCIAL MEDIA “THE D-A WILL DO THE RIGHT THING” AFTER MONDAY’S TESTIMONY FROM FORMER ATTORNEY ROBERT COSTELLO.

COSTELLO WENT BEFORE THE GRAND JURY IN AN EFFORT TO DISCREDIT TRUMP’S FORMER LAWYER MICHAEL COHEN – WHOSE TESTIMONY AGAINST TRUMP HOLDS A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN THE D-A’S CASE.

Robert Costello | attorney: “What I’m going to do ultimately is release the materials that I gave to the Manhattan DA’s office and to Trump’s lawyers, to the media and let you guys read everything. Because my only mission there today was to tell the truth about what Michael Cohen was saying. At any point in time during the time that we were representing him.”

INCREASED SECURITY IN CASE OF PROTESTS

STEEL BARRICADES NOW SURROUND THE MANHATTAN COURTHOUSE AND DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE. NEW FENCING HAS ALSO BEEN INSTALLED AROUND THE U-S CAPITOL AMID CONCERNS TRUMP’S POTENTIAL INDICTMENT COULD BRING A REPEAT OF JANUARY 6TH. HIGH LEVEL LOCAL AND FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS MET YESTERDAY TO FURTHER COORDINATE SECURITY PLANS IN PREPARATION FOR A POSSIBLE TRUMP ARREST.

OUR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT RAY BOGAN SAT DOWN FOR AN EXTENDED INTERVIEW WITH AN ATTORNEY ON MONDAY TO DISCUSS WHAT HAPPENS NEXT **IF TRUMP IS CHARGED – AND WHETHER HE WOULD BE TREATED DIFFERENTLY AS A FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT. THAT REPORT IS ON OUR WEBSITE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS DOT COM.

Alberto Carvalho | LAUSD Superintendent: “Despite our invitation for a transparent, honest conversation that perhaps would result in a meaningful solution that would avoid a strike. We were never able to be in the same room or at the same table to address these issues.”

TENS OF THOUSANDS OF L-A UNIFIED SCHOOL EMPLOYEES WILL GO ON STRIKE TODAY. ALL CLASSES HAVE BEEN CANCELED IN ALL THE DISTRICTS SCHOOLS BUT CHILD CARE – AND CAFETERIAS  WILL REMAIN OPEN. THE EMPLOYEES ON STRIKE RANGE FROM BUS DRIVERS, CUSTODIANS, TO TEACHERS AND TEACHER-AIDES.

THE MAIN ISSUE COMES DOWN TO PAY. EMPLOYEES WANT A 30 PERCENT RAISE.

OVER THE WEEKEND THE DISTRICT CAME UP TO A 23 PERCENT HIKE AND A 3 PERCENT BONUS. BUT IT WASN’T ENOUGH TO AVOID AN EMPLOYEE STRIKE AND CLOSE THE DISTRICT DOWN.

THE REPERCUSSIONS? 420 THOUSAND STUDENTS WILL MISS SCHOOL FOR UP TO THREE DAYS IF NO DEAL IS REACHED. AND THE DISTRICT IS AT RISK OF LOSING TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS – A SIMILAR STRIKE IN 2019 COST THE DISTRICT 97 MILLION DOLLARS.

FOX, DOMINION SEEK PRETRIAL WINS

FOX AND DOMINION WILL BE IN COURT TODAY FOR A PRE-TRIAL HEARING —

EXPECTED TO ASK THE JUDGE TO RULE IN THEIR FAVOR WITHOUT THE NEED FOR THE CASE TO GO TO TRIAL NEXT MONTH.

LAWYERS FOR DOMINION VOTING SYSTEMS WILL ASK THE JUDGE TO FIND FOX LIABLE FOR DEFAMATION OVER ITS 2020 ELECTION COVERAGE ON VOTER FRAUD —

WHILE FOX WILL ARGUE THE NETWORK IS CONSTITUTIONALLY PROTECTED BY FREEDOM OF THE PRESS.

THE HIGH-PROFILE DEFAMATION LAWSUIT IS SCHEDULED TO BEGIN APRIL 17TH.

BIDEN DEFENDS ESG INVESTMENTS IN VETO

PRESIDENT BIDEN HAS ISSUED THE FIRST VETO OF HIS PRESIDENCY – KILLING A REPUBLICAN LED BILL THAT WOULD HAVE BANNED THE GOVERNMENT FROM CONSIDERING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS WHEN MAKING INVESTMENTS FOR PEOPLE’S RETIREMENT PLANS.

REPUBLICANS ARGUED BY MAKING INVESTMENT DECISIONS BASED ON ESG’S –

IT PUTS POLITICAL AGENDAS OVER BEST-RETURNS FOR SAVERS. THE PRESIDENT SAID THE BILL PUT RETIREMENT SAVINGS AT RISK. THIS COULD SERVE AS A PRETEXT TO HOW A SPLIT GOVERNMENT WILL IMPACT OTHER BIG TICKET ITEMS CONGRESS WILL SOON BE WORKING THROUGH — LIKE GOVERNMENT SPENDING AND THE NATION’S DEBT LIMIT.

ROUND 2 OF JOB CUTS FOR AMAZON

A MAJOR TECH GIANT IS GEARING UP FOR ANOTHER ROUND OF LAYOFFS…AMAZON SAYS IT PLANS TO CUT 9-THOUSAND JOBS IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS. 

THIS COMES AFTER THE COMPANY ANNOUNCED 18-THOUSAND LAY-OFFS LAST JANUARY. 

AMAZON’S C-E-O SAID THE COMPANY HAD NOT YET IDENTIFIED WHO WOULD BE LAID OFF AND THAT THOSE DECISIONS WOULD BE MADE NEXT MONTH. 

LAST WEEK FACEBOOK’S PARENT COMPANY SIMILARLY ANNOUNCED A FRESH ROUND OF 10 THOUSAND JOB CUTS AFTER PREVIOUSLY SLASHING 11 THOUSAND JOBS FOUR MONTHS AGO.

AI CREATES POTENTIAL CANCER TREATMENT

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE HAS SIGNIFICANTLY PICKED UP STEAM – WE KNOW IT CAN WRITE SOPHISTICATED ESSAYS AND SOLVE MATH PROBLEMS – BUT WHAT IF IT BECOMES OUR PATHWAY TO FINDING A CURE FOR CANCER?

ACCORDING TO A NEW STUDY – RESEARCHERS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO SAY IT’S DONE JUST THAT – REVEALING A PREVIOUSLY UNKNOWN TREATMENT PATHWAY.

A DRUG DISCOVERY PLATFORM CALLED “PHARMA A-I” HAS DEVELOPED A POTENTIAL TREATMENT FOR THE MOST COMMON TYPE OF LIVER CANCER.

THE EXPERIMENT UNCOVERED A “NOVEL HIT MOLECULE” THAT CAN TARGET TUMORS ON LIVER. THE DRUG WILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH CLINICAL TRIALS BEFORE WIDESPREAD USE.

RESEARCHERS SAY THE POTENTIAL DRUG WAS DISCOVERED BY A-I IN JUST 30 DAYS LEAVING THEM HOPEFUL FOR MEDICAL BREAKTHROUGHS THROUGH A-I.

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!