Friday, May 31st, 2024

Today’s Headlines: A jury found Trump guilty on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, with sentencing set for July 11th, shortly before the Republican National Convention where he is to be formally nominated. Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg hasn't disclosed if prosecutors will seek prison time, with alternatives being house arrest or probation. Trump, declaring himself "a very innocent man," blamed the judge and his low polling in Manhattan. In other court news, Chief Justice John Roberts declined a meeting with Democratic senators regarding ethics and Justice Alito's recusal from January 6th cases, affirming that justices decide their own recusals. Lastly, the Treasury Department announced that starting next year, Americans can file their taxes for free through the new IRS Direct File program, following a successful pilot with 140,000 participants. Some lawmakers are advocating for a system where the government calculates and tells citizens what they owe, simplifying the tax process.

Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:

• AP News: Guilty: Trump becomes first former US president convicted of felony crimes
• PBS: Chief Justice Roberts rejects Senate Democrats’ request to discuss Supreme Court ethics
• Axios: IRS opening free online tax filing program to all states

Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage alongside Bridget Schwartz and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson

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