12:30 Report — Hush money trial: Opening statements, first witness takes stand

View Online  12:30 REPORT It's Monday. Happy Earth Day!! It's been a busy morning in court news. Here's what's happening today: Opening arguments in former President Trump's hush money trial wrapped up this morning, and the first witness took the stand before the jury was dismissed a little after noon. President Biden will announce the availability of 2,000 climate-related jobs during Earth Day remarks. The Supreme Court is hearing oral arguments on an Oregon city's ordinance on homeless camps.   I'm Lauren Sforza with a quick recap of the morning and what's coming up. Send tips, commentary, feedback and cookie recipes to cmartel@thehill.com. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up here.   💰Trump's Criminal Trial Prosecutors, Trump lawyers conclude opening statements: ©  AP Prosecutors and lawyers for former President Trump concluded their opening statements just before noon on Monday. The district attorney's office called David Pecker, ex-CEO of American Media Inc., as its first witness to the stand. The Hill's Ella Lee is in the court room. Follow along with The Hill's live coverage here. Here are some takeaways from this morning: Prosecutors painted Trump's actions as a "criminal conspiracy and a cover-up" to influence the 2016 election. Prosecutors argued the attempts by Trump to cover up unflattering stories about himself were "election fraud." Trump attorney Todd Blanche maintained that the former president is "innocent" in opening arguments. Pecker "allegedly agreed to look for negative stories about Trump and alert [Trump's then-fixer Michael] Cohen before they were published," according to The Hill's Zach Schonfeld.  The jury was dismissed for the day due to the Passover holiday.   Judge Juan Merchan also said the Manhattan prosecutors can mention several civil lawsuits that involve the former president, including the New York civil fraud lawsuit and writer E. Jean Carroll's defamation lawsuit against Trump. Read more from The Hill's court team here. Sound familiar? Trump urges supporters to protest outside trial: Minutes before heading to the courthouse, Trump called on his supporters to "peacefully" protest ahead of opening arguments.   "GO OUT AND PEACEFULLY PROTEST. RALLY BEHIND MAGA. SAVE OUR COUNTRY!" he wrote in a Truth Social post.   The Hill's Brett Samuels has the details here. ➤  TRUMP'S STUCK AT TRIAL THIS WEEK: While Trump is required to attend the hush money trial four days a week for the next several weeks, his other lawyers are taking up his other legal battles in separate courtrooms.   What's on tap for this week: Trump's legal woes have stacked up this week, but the only court appearance Trump will make will be at the hush money trial Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Read more on Trump's upcoming court calendar here, written by me.   This morning: Judge Arthur Engoron heard arguments on whether Trump's $175 million bond in his New York civil fraud case should be voided. Trump said this morning he has "plenty of money to put up."   Tuesday: Before the trial kicks off again Tuesday, there will be a hearing on Trump's gag order in the hush money case. Prosecutors have asked the judge to fine Trump $3,000, accusing the former president of violating a gag order.   Thursday: The Supreme Court will be hearing arguments on whether Trump has presidential immunity from criminal prosecution in the federal Jan. 6 case. The hush money judge has told Trump he cannot attend.   Related: Former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) wrote in a New York Times op-ed that the Supreme Court should decide Trump's immunity quickly so voters can hear the Jan. 6 case. ➤  TRUMP'S NOT HAPPY BEING SIDELINED FROM CAMPAIGN Trump took to Truth Social yet again Sunday night to rail against needing to be in court for the hush money trial. He is expected to take advantage of Wednesdays (the hush money trial's day off) and the weekends to campaign.   But ... : Trump needed to cancel his North Carolina rally on Saturday due to stormy weather. This would have been his first rally since the criminal trial began last week. Read more here from Politico.   The big question: What happens if Trump gets convicted ahead of November? The Hill's Julia Mueller breaks it down here. 🏛️ SCOTUS Updates What does the Supreme Court have lined up?: ©  GIPHY/Disney Channel  The nation's highest court had a busy morning unveiling which cases it accepted and which ones it will not take up next session. ➤  SCOTUS TO HEAR BIDEN ADMINISTRATION'S APPEAL ON 'GHOST GUN' RULING: Major showdown of firearms: The Supreme Court agreed to take on the Biden administration's appeal of a ruling that would overturn its "ghost gun" regulations.   The Biden administration enacted regulations two years ago to crack down on these "ghost gun" devices, which are difficult to keep track of. Ghost guns often refer to firearms that are sold as do-it-yourself kits.   The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the regulation was unlawful, prompting the Justice Department to ask the Supreme Court to take on the case.   The Hill's Zach Schonfeld explains the latest update here. ➤  SUPREME COURT DECLINES TO HEAR KARI LAKE VOTING MACHINE LAWSUIT: A blow to Republicans Kari Lake and Mark Finchem: The justices declined to hear a lawsuit brought against the two GOP candidates over the use of voting machines in elections held in Arizona.   The Republicans hoped to bar electronic voting machines from being used in the state based on arguments that the machines are unreliable. So far, multiple courts have rejected their lawsuit that was first brought ahead of the 2022 midterms. Read up on Lake's efforts here, from The Hill's Caroline Vakil. ➤  THE HIGH COURT WON'T CONSIDER VOTE-BY-MAIL DISCRIMINATION CLAIMS: There will be no SCOTUS decision yet on vote-by-mail restrictions: The Supreme Court will not rule on whether states that allow senior citizens to automatically vote by mail should allow younger residents to do the same.   USA Today has the details on the case here. 🐝 Internet Buzz 🍭 Celebrate: Today is National Jelly Bean Day!   🌎 Some Earth Day inspiration: Get all the details on booking a national park trip this summer from The New York Times.   🎵 Taylor Swift is breaking her own records... again: "The Tortured Poets Department" became the first album in Spotify history to reach more than 300 million streams in one day. Read more on how Swift broke her own record, from Variety. ©  GIPHY/Taylor Swift 🗓 On The Agenda The House and Senate are out. President Biden is in Virginia and Washington today, and Vice President Harris is traveling to La Crosse, Wis. (all times Eastern) 2 p.m.: Secretary of State Antony Blinken will speak at the State Department about the release of the 2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. 2:15 p.m.: Biden delivers remarks on Earth Day at Prince William Forest Park in Triangle, Va. 💻 Livestream 2:50 p.m.: Harris convenes a discussion with nursing home employees about their work alongside Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. 💻 Livestream 3:30 p.m.: Biden departs Triangle for the White House. 3:45 p.m.: Harris speaks at a political organizing event on reproductive freedoms. 👋 And Finally… Because you made it this far, watch this puppy try to get the tennis ball.  Stay Engaged Send comments, story ideas and events for our radar to cmartel@thehill.com. 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