10 things you need to know today: April 5, 2023

1. Trump pleads not guilty to criminal charges over hush money

Manhattan prosecutors on Tuesday formally charged former President Donald Trump with illegally covering up hush money payments made to porn actress Stormy Daniels to prevent a sex scandal that could have hurt his 2016 presidential campaign. Trump, now the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, pleaded not guilty to all 34 felony charges. Prosecutors accused Trump of falsifying business records to hide evidence of the payment to Daniels, who claimed she had an affair with Trump years earlier, which he denied. Prosecutors also indicated they would be addressing two other hush-money schemes. Trump was "visibly angry" as he arrived in court, according to The New York Times, and left immediately after the hearing to return to his Florida home.

The New York Times

2. Trump slams prosecution, repeats false election claims after arrest

Former President Donald Trump addressed a roomful of supporters at his Florida home on Tuesday after pleading not guilty to 34 felony charges in New York. He capitalized on the event to repeat his past false claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him by fraud. Without evidence, Trump said "government cameras" captured images of "millions" of phony votes for President Biden being stuffed into ballot boxes. Trump also criticized Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg for charging him in connection with his alleged role in covering up hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels. Trump said the case was motivated by politics. "I never thought anything like this could happen in America," he said.

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Yahoo News

3. Biden administration promises aid to boost Ukraine's air defenses

The Biden administration on Tuesday promised Ukraine another $2.6 billion in military aid to boost the country's air defenses with gun trucks and laser-guided weapons to help it defend against Russian drone attacks. The package includes equipment worth about $500 million that the United States could send immediately from its own stocks, and $2.1 billion worth of weapons the U.S. would order, paying for it from the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative that Congress has already approved. The help boosting air defense capabilities "will allow Ukraine to continue to bravely defend itself against Russia's unprovoked and unjustified war," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Washington for its "unflagging" support.

The Washington Post

4. Liberals gain majority on Wisconsin Supreme Court with Protasiewicz win

Milwaukee County Judge Janet Protasiewicz defeated former Supreme Court Justice Dan Kelly on Tuesday to win a spot on Wisconsin's Supreme Court, giving the state's highest court a liberal majority for the first time in 15 years. Seats on the court are officially nonpartisan, but Protasiewicz was endorsed by Democrats and abortion rights groups, while Kelly, a conservative, was backed by Republicans and anti-abortion groups. The race, which shattered spending records, was considered a referendum on the U.S. Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade. The court's new liberal majority could overturn laws championed by the right, including a revived 19th century abortion ban, and undo gerrymandered electoral maps. Protasiewicz promised to "always deliver justice and bring common sense to our Supreme Court."

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

5. Finland's NATO membership becomes official

Finland formally joined NATO on Tuesday, officially setting aside its military non-alignment to pledge mutual support with the Western alliance's 30 other member nations. Finland and Sweden asked to be admitted to NATO after Russia invaded Ukraine, fearing they could face Moscow's aggression next. Sweden's bid is being held up by Turkey, which wants Stockholm to commit to opposing Kurdish separatists, and Hungary. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow would take unspecified steps in response to Finland's accession to NATO, which doubles the size of Russia's land border with the alliance. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Russia's relations with the United States are now "destroyed," and he blamed Washington for the rift.

The Wall Street Journal

6. Kansas lawmakers pass bathroom restrictions

Kansas' Republican-dominated legislature on Tuesday passed a bill seeking to impose some of the nation's broadest gender-based bathroom restrictions. The legislation would also ban transgender people from changing their name or gender on their driver's licenses. The bill passed the Senate 28-12, a margin that would give supporters a two-thirds majority to override any veto from the state's Democratic governor, Laura Kelly. The state House also has a GOP supermajority. The legislation defines "sex" as "either male or female, at birth," and applies the definitions to the use of public bathrooms and locker rooms. LGBTQ+-rights advocates said the change would deny recognition to non-binary people and legally erase anyone who identifies as transgender. Two hours earlier, Arkansas lawmakers approved their own bathroom bill.

The Associated Press

7. Johnson beats Vallas in Chicago mayoral runoff

Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson, a union organizer and former school teacher, narrowly defeated former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas in the city's mayoral runoff election on Tuesday. Johnson, the more progressive of the two Democrats, started the five-week runoff campaign as the underdog after both candidates beat Mayor Lori Lightfoot in the first round. Johnson, who is Black, overcame criticism of former comments calling for "defunding" the police, gaining support with a promise to fight for racial justice and boost the working class. Johnson also said he wouldn't cut "one penny" from the police budget but would focus on crime prevention, in part by funding social programs. Vallas, a white, tough-on-crime moderate, had promised to bulk up the police to curb gun violence.

Chicago Tribune NBC News

8. Ex-aide to former Maryland governor dies in FBI shooting after manhunt

Roy McGrath, an ex-chief of staff to former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) who was wanted on corruption charges, died early this week in Knoxville, Tennessee, after being confronted and injured by FBI agents in an "agent-involved shooting," the FBI confirmed. A judge issued a warrant for McGrath's arrest after he failed to appear for his fraud trial last month. McGrath, 53, served as Hogan's top aide for 11 weeks until he was accused of fraudulently securing a $233,648 severance payment, equal to a year's salary in his former position as head of Maryland's environmental service. McGrath also faced embezzlement charges involving $170,000 in expenses. "It is important to stress that Roy never wavered about his innocence," McGrath's attorney, Joseph Murtha, told CNN.

USA Today CNN

9. GM surpasses Ford as No. 2 EV maker

General Motors sold 20,670 electric vehicles in the first quarter, enough to vault past Ford to second place in EV deliveries, though still far behind industry leader Tesla's more than 161,000 sales from January to March, according to Moterintelligence.com estimates. Ford sold just 10,866 EVs in the quarter, hampered by a halt in production of its top-selling Mustang Mach-E electric SUV until it can increase output with a retooled factory in Mexico. Ford also had to pause F-150 Lightning electric pickup production after a battery fire during a quality check. GM's gains came thanks to the popularity of its Chevrolet Bolt.

The Associated Press

10. 7 die in Himalayas avalanche

An avalanche killed seven people in a Himalayan mountain pass in northeast India on Tuesday. The dead included a 6-year-old girl. Another 13 people were injured. Most of the victims were tourists. The avalanche hit in the middle of the day on a winding road near the high-altitude Nathu La mountain pass that attracts sightseers seeking scenic alpine views. A report by the government in India's Sikkim state, near the border with Tibet, said the visitors had come from Nepal and various places in India. At least five vehicles and 20 tourists were trapped when the snow came crashing down. Bad weather forced rescuers to halt the search for survivors when night fell.

The Washington Post