Uncertainty over how many hostages are still alive are complicating Gaza cease-fire negotiations, officials say. Donald Trump complains about jury selection as his hush money trial resumes. And accusations of sexual abuse are made against a teacher at an elite girls’ boarding school.
Here’s what to know today.
Uncertainty over how many hostages in Gaza are still alive
More than six months since Hamas militants attacked Israel and seized more than 250 hostages, it remains unclear exactly how many of the captives are still alive in Gaza, according to U.S. and Israeli officials.
The uncertainty has caused anguish among the families of those held in Gaza and undermined international efforts to negotiate a cease-fire deal.
A proposed cease-fire plan calls for Hamas to free 40 hostages who are women, children or sick and elderly men. In return, Israel could release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. But Hamas has been unable to confirm it has identified 40 hostages who meet those criteria, according to U.S., Israeli and Western officials.
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In November, more than 100 hostages were released as part of a four-day pause in the fighting in Gaza. Israel says more than 130 hostages remain, but far fewer hostages may be alive than is publicly known, and it is difficult to say for certain, U.S. officials said. Asked whether there was a firm estimate of how many hostages remained alive, a former senior Israeli official said, “Not at all.”
The unknowns, officials said, are bogging down cease-fire negotiations. And loved ones hoping to be reunited with their family are stuck waiting for answers.
Read more on the Israel-Hamas war and its U.S. fallout:
- Qatar is re-evaluating its role as mediator in cease-fire talks between Israel and Hamas, citing concerns that its efforts are being undermined by politicians seeking to score points, its prime minister said.
- The University of Southern California’s decision to cancel a Muslim valedictorian’s commencement address has further inflamed tensions on campus.
- Columbia University’s president strongly denounced antisemitism and faced questions about her handling of antisemitism on campus at a congressional hearing that was, at times, heated.
Trump hush money trial resumes with jury selection
Jury selection in former President Donald Trump’s hush money trial picks back up after a day off. Seven jurors have already been selected, and Judge Juan Merchan hopes to select five more jurors and six alternates by the end of the week. Today, another pool of 96 potential jurors will face questioning to see whether they can be fair and impartial about Trump. This time around, each side will have less opportunity to dismiss potential jurors because both used six of their 10 peremptory challenges earlier this week.
Trump used the scheduled day off to bemoan the number of challenges he can make going forward and suggested incorrectly that he should be entitled to unlimited strikes of potential jurors in the case. Under New York law, each side does have an unlimited number of strikes “for cause,” but the judge presiding over the case can decide whether or not that cause is worthy of a strike.
Follow our live blog for the latest developments inside the courtroom.
More on Trump’s trials:
- An oncology nurse and a man with “no spare time”: Meet the first seven jurors of Trump’s hush money trial.
- Prosecutors said in a court filing that they plan to ask Trump about the costly verdict in his civil fraud case, as well as the verdicts in the lawsuits brought by writer E. Jean Carroll during the hush money trial. The permissibility of that line of questioning remains to be seen.
- Prosecutors said in a court filing that they plan to ask Trump about the costly verdict in his civil fraud case, as well as the verdicts in the lawsuits brought by writer E. Jean Carroll should he testify during the hush money trial. The permissibility of that line of questioning remains to be seen.
Man on terror watchlist was dropped by migrant monitoring program
When an Afghan national on the FBI terrorist watchlist was arrested last week after having spent nearly a year in the U.S., immigration officials said he had been enrolled in a program that tracked his location via ankle monitor, mobile app or telephone. But the man’s participation in the monitoring program, known as Alternatives to Detention, lasted only a little over two weeks. Mohammad Kharwin is believed to have then spent 10 months in the U.S. without any kind of monitoring system.
Now experts say the case raises questions about how migrants who may pose a security threat are vetted and tracked in the U.S. It also raises questions about the Alternatives to Detention, which has seen funding cuts from Republicans in Congress who oppose it, forcing ICE to drop migrants from being monitored.
Homeland security correspondent Julia Ainsley, who broke the story last week, explains the latest developments.
Johnson eyes a weekend vote on foreign aid bills
House Speaker Mike Johnson rolled out three bills to provide assistance to Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan, with the hopes of holding final votes on Saturday. The bills will be a major test for Johnson, as he faces a deeply divided GOP and serious threats to his leadership from two right-wing representatives.
The biggest sticking point will be funding for Ukraine. Already, several Republicans have said they will not approve any more aid for Kyiv. In order for that funding to pass, a significant share of Democrats will be required to carry that measure over the finish line.
Also expected to come up this weekend through an amendment process is the House-passed bill to ban TikTok in the U.S. unless the company divests from its China-based owner. Meanwhile, House Democrats want Johnson to consider a Senate-passed foreign aid package instead, saying it’s the best path to getting a bill on Biden’s desk. Here’s what else to know.
Vince McMahon’s life after the WWE scandal
It’s been almost three months since billionaire Vince McMahon resigned as the chairman of World Wrestling Entertainment’s parent company after a former employee accused him in a bombshell lawsuit of sexual abuse and trafficking. McMahon, who is 78, has denied the allegations. He’s also facing a federal criminal investigation, but he hasn’t been charged.
However, the mountain of legal woes hasn’t stopped him from traveling internationally, eating out, visiting his barber, working out and keeping up with friends and associates, including former President Donald Trump. NBC News and CNBC spoke to 11 people familiar with McMahon and WWE about how McMahon has been spending his time.
It’s as if McMahon is unfazed by his legal fights, two people said.
Meanwhile, the global brand McMahon built is moving on without him. Read the exclusive story here.
Zepbound weight loss drug shortage has no end in sight
Despite Eli Lilly’s assurances that it had an adequate supply of its new weight loss drug Zepbound, the company is facing shortages just months after its approval. They are blaming the shortage on a large demand for the drug, saying it can’t make enough to meet everyone’s needs. The drug went into shortage this month, not long after CEO Dave Ricks said that the supply of the drug wasn’t a concern.
The FDA approved Zepbound in November, as a new competitor to Novo Nordisk’s blockbuster weight loss drug Wegovy. While the drugmaker is working to resolve the issue, a quick fix is unlikely. Some of the steps that Eli Lilly is planning to tackle demand, like building a new plant, will take months.
Teacher at New England boarding school accused of preying on female students
A veteran teacher at an upper-crust Massachusetts boarding and day school for girls has resigned amid allegations that he groomed several students for sex during the 30-plus years he taught at Miss Hall’s School.
Matthew Rutledge, who is 62 and mainly taught history, was placed on administrative leave and resigned days later after a former student came forward and reported him to the school administration for allegedly sexually abusing and exploiting her when she was a student and after she graduated, according to a letter the school sent to alumni on April 3. Since then,two other women have come forward with claims that Rutledge also preyed on them, one of their attorneys said.
Politics in Brief
Impeachment efforts: Senate Democrats quickly voted to dismiss two articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, an embarrassing blow for Republicans looking to highlight what they see has his failure to secure the border.
2024 election: More than a dozen members of the Kennedy family will endorse President Joe Biden for a second term, passing over their relative Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Child care access: A bipartisan duo of senators will introduce legislation to address a shrinking supply of child care workers and higher costs of care near military installations. Here’s what the bill proposes.
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Staff Pick: How the Navy scrambled to respond to spate of suicides
After multiple sailors assigned to the same Navy aircraft carrier died by suicide in 2022, I filed a Freedom of Information Act request to obtain emails and text messages the ship’s commanders may have sent addressing the tragedies. Nearly two years later, the Navy provided more than 130 messages showing how the ship’s leaders reacted with anger and denial, as they scrambled to manage the string of deaths. — Melissa Chan, reporter
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