Trump trial: The Donald Trump hush money trial moved into a new phase today with opening arguments by the prosecution and defense being used to outline for the jury the cases each side plans to present. An appeals court on Friday rejected another last-minute attempt by Trump’s attorneys to delay the trial until they pursue appeals of their rejected attempts to move the trial out of Manhattan. David Pecker, who formerly was CEO of American Media, owner of the tabloid newspaper National Enquirer, had been expected to be the first witness called to testify, discussing a scheme through which negative stories about Trump would be suppressed by the Enquirer. Trump is facing 34 felony counts.
Campus protests: In-person classes at Columbia University in Manhattan have been canceled for today because of on-going protests of Israeli military action in Gaza by pro-Palestinian students. Over the weekend, more than 100 protesters were arrested by New York City police. The college’s administration asked police to dismantle an encampment set up by protesters. Jewish students on campus have been threatened. At Yale in New Haven, early this morning police wearing riot gear arrested more than 45 anti-Israel protesters who had set up camp on campus.
Resignation: Major General Aharon Haliva, head of Israel’s military intelligence operation, resigned today because of the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7. He expressed regrets that not only was the attack allowed to begin but that it continued for hours before the Israeli military swung into action. There’s speculation that more resignations may be coming. In his resignation letter, Haliva said he will carry the horrible pain of the war with him forever.
Speaker Johnson: Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson is under new pressure from the extreme right-wing Republicans in the House to resign this morning after having worked with Democrats to bring about Saturday’s passage of aid bills for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene from Georgia said she’ll call for a vote to force out Johnson if he doesn’t leave on his own. Ukraine would receive $61 billion in new aid, which Ukrainian President Zelenskyy said yesterday would help hold back the Russian military. Zelenskyy urged the Senate and President Biden not to waste any time giving final approval to the legislation.
Solar plan: President Biden announces $7 billion in grants through the Environmental Protection Agency’s Solar for All grant competition, a key component of the Inflation Reduction Act’s $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. The program will be used to add solar generating installations in every state and territory and deliver residential solar power to more than 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities. According to the White House, the program would save households more than $350 million in electricity costs annually – approximately $400 per household – and avoid more than 30 million metric tons of carbon pollution over the next 25 years.
Terry Anderson: Associated Press Journalist Terry Anderson, who was taken hostage by terrorists in Lebanon in 1985 and was held captive for seven years, has died at his home in Greenwood Lake, New York, according to the AP. Anderson was 76 years old. Anderson was the AP’s chief correspondent in the Middle East. After being released and returned to the U.S., Anderson taught journalism and later moved to a farm and subsequently tried his hand at running a couple of restaurants. The cause of death according to his family was complications following heart surgery.
