12 jurors picked to try Trump
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All 12 jurors have been selected in Donald Trump's hush money case. The U.S. announced a fresh set of sanctions on Iran. And Taylor Swift’s highly anticipated new album drops at midnight.
👋 Hey there! Laura Davis here. It’s time for Thursday’s news.
But first: Beware of ghosts! 👻 As if grieving people needed anything else to deal with, hackers are now monitoring obituaries for potential targets.
All 12 jurors selected in hush money case
Jury selection neared the end on Thursday, the third day of former President Donald Trump's trial over whether he falsified business records to hide a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election.
Two jurors excused: Judge Juan Merchan excused two of the seven jurors chosen Tuesday after one expressed concern about her identity becoming public and her ongoing ability to render a judgment free from outside influences, while the other was excused after questions were raised about his response to a question about whether he or anyone close to him had been accused of a crime.
What to know: Twelve jurors have officially been selected, though alternate jurors still have to make the cut for the case to move forward. The selection process is expected to continue Friday, and Merchan indicated he expects to be ready for opening statements Monday.
👉 Keep up with our coverage of the groundbreaking trial.
How the Trump trial team is using social media to weed out jurors.
Facing a cash crunch, Trump funnels campaign money to his businesses.
With one letter, Trump turned the Republican Party into an extortion racket. | Opinion
US announces sanctions on Iran
The U.S. said Thursday that it was putting new sanctions on Iranian companies involved in the production of unmanned aerial vehicles, as Tehran warned Israel it would review its official stance on nuclear weapons if its atomic facilities were attacked. On the heels of Tehran's missile and drone attack on Israel last weekend, senior Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander Major General Ahmad Haghtalab said on Iranian state media that Iran would "reconsider" its nuclear policy in the event of any such attack. Iran has long maintained – amid deep international skepticism – that its nuclear program is for civilian energy purposes only. 👉 What we know now.
Will it spark a wider war? Israel's long-simmering conflict with Iran moves out of the shadows.
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Taylor Swift’s next album drops at midnight
Tick. Tick. Tick. It's getting super close. Taylor Swift will release her 11th album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” at midnight, and the buzz is building.
A few things: The song titles are brutal. Fans speculate the album is about Swift’s six-year relationship with English actor Joe Alwyn, which was largely kept out of the public eye. Post Malone and Florence and The Machine are two contributors to what appears to be a break-up album. 📝🎶 Here's everything we know so far.
💌 Get down to This Swift Beat: Sign up for our new Taylor Swift newsletter.
Risk of tsunami rises as Indonesia volcano erupts
Airport service has been stopped, people have been evacuated and officials are warning of a tsunami risk after a series of violent eruptions this week from a volcano in Indonesia.
What we know: The Ruang volcano, located on a remote island in the province of North Sulawesi, has erupted multiple times since Tuesday, spewing columns of lava, rock and ash.
Rising risks: Officials raised the volcano alert to the highest level Wednesday and warned people not to go within roughly 4 miles of the peak due to fears part of the volcano could collapse into the water and trigger a tsunami. The volcano previously erupted and collapsed into the water in 1871, killing roughly 400 people. 🌋 Here's the latest.
A break from the news
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Laura L. Davis is an Audience Editor at USA TODAY. Say hi: laura@usatoday.com. Support quality journalism like this? Subscribe to USA TODAY here.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Donald Trump hush money trial, Taylor Swift new album, Indonesia volcano: Thursday's news
