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Donald Trump to be arraigned Tuesday: NY court

Donald Trump’s arraignment will happen on Tuesday afternoon, New York court officials confirmed, according to the Associated Press:

NEW YORK (AP) — New York court officials say former President Donald Trump will be arraigned Tuesday afternoon at Manhattan courthouse.

— Jonathan Lemire (@JonLemire) March 31, 2023

Key events

‘Security issues’ force postponement of Stormy Daniels interview

Broadcaster Piers Morgan says Stormy Daniels, the adult film actor who is thought to be at the center of the criminal charges filed in Manhattan against Donald Trump, has postponed their interview due to unspecified “security issues”:

UPDATE: Unfortunately, Stormy Daniels has had to suddenly postpone our interview tonight due to some security issues that have arisen. Hope she’s OK.

— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) March 31, 2023

The White House, meanwhile, is marking today’s Transgender Day of Visibility by highlighting the Biden administration’s efforts to promote the inclusion of LGBTQ+ people:

Joe Biden has issued an official proclamation marking the day, and the White House is also promoting a new report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration aimed at highlighting ways of improving the mental health of LGBTQ+ youth.

Florida’s Republican-dominated legislature is moving forward with an expansion of its parental rights law, Politico Florida reports:

Parental rights: The Florida House passed expansions to the state’s parental rights law today by a 77-35 vote.

A wide-ranging education, HB 1069 targets how teachers and students can use their preferred pronouns in schools.

— Andrew Atterbury (@ALAtterbury) March 31, 2023

Part of the push by Florida conservatives to uproot what they say is “indoctrination” in schools, the proposal tightens restrictions on school lessons about sexual identity and gender orientation, which they say should happen at home.

— Andrew Atterbury (@ALAtterbury) March 31, 2023

Known to its detractors as the “don’t say gay” law, the initial legislation was signed by GOP governor Ron DeSantis last year as part of sweeping reforms to the state’s education system he has carried out ahead of a widely expected run for the White House in 2024. It prohibits instruction related to gender identity or sexual orientation in kindergarten through the third grade, which the governor has cast as a defense against the “indoctrination” at schools, but critics say muzzles speech.

US Capitol police are warning lawmakers of the potential for demonstrations nationwide related to Donald Trump’s indictment, Punchbowl News reports:

NEWS — Senate Sergeant-at-Arms and USCP tell Senate staff they “anticipate demonstration activity across the country related to the indictment of former President Trump.”

No specific, credible threats at this time, but USCP will boost its presence around the Hill pic.twitter.com/Ppv98WkUwo

— Andrew Desiderio (@AndrewDesiderio) March 31, 2023

To Donald Trump’s allies, Alvin Bragg is a soft-on-crime prosecutor who only cares about indicting the former president.

The argument is one of many Republicans have made ever since the charges against Trump became public yesterday. Here’s senator Lindsey Graham with a particularly sarcastic take:

How can President Trump avoid prosecution in New York? 🤔

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) March 31, 2023

On the way to the DA’s office on Tuesday, Trump should smash some windows, rob a few shops and punch a cop.

He would be released IMMEDIATELY!

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) March 31, 2023

CNN reports that Donald Trump has been calling for backup from his friends in Congress following news of his indictment:

NEWS: Donald Trump has been calling up key allies on Capitol Hill tonight to shore up support in the wake of his indictment, including members of House GOP leadership and lawmakers who serve on committees that are trying to investigate the Manhattan DA, per sources.

— Melanie Zanona (@MZanona) March 31, 2023

In these phone calls, which the source described as “check-ins,” Trump has told allies he plans to fight the charges and continued to rail against the indictment & Alvin Bragg.

— Melanie Zanona (@MZanona) March 31, 2023

And some have responded to the call. Here’s far-right lawmaker Matt Gaetz:

I STAND WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP!

— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) March 31, 2023

But Gaetz isn’t just tweeting; he’s also fundraising off the charges against Trump.

“I will continue to stand with President Trump – because I know that he has always stood with us. Will you help me continue to be one of 45’s strongest defenders in the wake of this POLITICAL PERSECUTION?? He needs his top allies to be with him now more than EVER BEFORE!” Gaetz wrote in an email to supporters that included links to donate.

Joanna Walters

Joanna Walters

The Minneapolis city council on Friday approved an agreement with the state to revamp policing, nearly three years after a city officer murdered George Floyd.

The Minnesota Department of Human Rights issued a blistering report last year that said the police department had engaged in a pattern of race discrimination for at least a decade. City leaders subsequently agreed to negotiate a settlement with the agency, the Associated Press writes.

The city council approved the court-enforceable agreement Friday on an 11-0 vote, but not before several members expressed harsh criticism of the Minneapolis Police Department and other city leaders over the years.

“The lack of political will to take responsibility for MPD is why we are in this position today,” council member Robin Wonsley said.

“This legal settlement formally and legally prevents city leadership from deferring that responsibility anymore. And I hope this settlement is a wake-up call for city leaders, whom the public has watched rubber-stamp poor labor contracts, have signed off on endless misconduct settlements, and then shrugged their shoulders when residents asked then why we have a dysfunctional police department.”

The state agency launched its investigation shortly after Derek Chauvin, a white police officer, knelt on Floyd’s neck for 9 1/2 minutes, disregarding the Black man’s fading pleas that he couldn’t breathe. Floyd’s death sparked mass protests that spread around the world and reinvigorated the Black Lives Matter movement.

It forced a national reckoning on racial injustice and compelled the Minneapolis Police Department to begin an overhaul.

Community members visit one of the murals at George Floyd Square, Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. June 3, 2021.
Community members visit one of the murals at George Floyd Square, Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. June 3, 2021. Photograph: Nicole Neri/Reuters

Prosecutor can publicly confirm indictment – court

Joanna Walters

Joanna Walters

A judge has authorized the Manhattan district attorney to disclose to the public that the grand jury has returned an indictment in the case of former US president Donald Trump, according to a court document, Reuters reports.

The indictment has been under seal since last night when it emerged that the grand jury in the case had voted to have Trump charged with crimes.

Now prosecutor Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan DA, has been given permission by the court to acknowledge publicly the existence of the indictment.

It would be atypical for him to ask for the indictment to be unsealed and for him to disclose the charges to the public ahead of the court appearance due by Trump next Tuesday, but we wait to see if that is what Bragg is going to request and do.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump indicted by a Manhattan grand jury, in New York CityA screen shows New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg and former U.S. President Donald Trump after Trump’s indictment by a Manhattan grand jury following a probe into hush money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels, as traders work on the trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), in New York City, U.S., March 31, 2023.
A screen shows the New York district attorney, Alvin Bragg, and former president Donald Trump after Trump’s indictment by a Manhattan grand jury. Photograph: Andrew Kelly/Reuters

The day so far

Donald Trump will appear in a Manhattan courtroom on Tuesday afternoon to hear the charges filed against him by Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg, which likely center on his alleged hush money payments to adult film actor Stormy Daniels. The appearance will kick off what is expected to be a lengthy legal battle by the former president, who is trying to return to the White House in next year’s presidential election. Follow this blog for the latest on this developing story.

Here’s a rundown of what has happened today so far:

CNN also has the approximate time on Tuesday when Donald Trump will be arraigned:

Donald Trump is expected to be arraigned in Manhattan criminal court on Tuesday afternoon, around 2:15 p.m. ET, two sources with knowledge of the matter tell CNN

via @GloriaPazmino @Lauren_delvalle

— Alayna Treene (@alaynatreene) March 31, 2023

CNN has details of where Donald Trump will be ahead of his Tuesday arraignment:

Trump is expected to remain at Mar-a-Lago over the weekend after being indicted by a Manhattan grand jury, and will travel to New York on Monday before his arraignment in New York on Tuesday, two sources familiar with his plans tell CNN

— Alayna Treene (@alaynatreene) March 31, 2023

Donald Trump hasn’t appeared in court yet, but already is airing grievances against the judge he said will hear his case next Tuesday.

“The Judge ‘assigned’ to my Witch Hunt Case, a ‘Case’ that has NEVER BEEN CHARGED BEFORE, HATES ME”, the former president wrote on the Truth social network this morning.

You can read the rest here.

Donald Trump to be arraigned Tuesday: NY court

Donald Trump’s arraignment will happen on Tuesday afternoon, New York court officials confirmed, according to the Associated Press:

NEW YORK (AP) — New York court officials say former President Donald Trump will be arraigned Tuesday afternoon at Manhattan courthouse.

— Jonathan Lemire (@JonLemire) March 31, 2023

Broadcaster Piers Morgan has snagged the first interview with adult film actor Stormy Daniels, who received the hush money payment Donald Trump allegedly facilitated:

BREAKING NEWS: As Donald Trump becomes the first US President in history to be indicted on criminal charges, I’ve got the first world exclusive interview with the woman who sparked the scandal. Tune into ⁦@PiersUncensored⁩ at 9pm for my live interview with Stormy Daniels. pic.twitter.com/JyvvlT5MBz

— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) March 31, 2023

The payment to Daniels is believed to be at the heart of the charges Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg has filed against Trump. However, we won’t know for sure until the criminal complaint is made public, likely at the former president’s arraignment next week.



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