Good Wednesday morning! Arguments wrap in Trump’s hush money trial; Passenger dies, 71 injured on Singapore Airlines flight after extreme turbulence; A Serena Williams tennis comeback?

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Good morning,

When you love something so much that you can’t stay away… Well, Serena Williams might being coming back to tennis.

• 🎾 The 42-year-old, 23-time Grand Slam winner suggested she was on the verge of playing again! It comes just nine months after she gave birth to her second child.

• Williams’ last competitive match was at the 2022 US Open. At the time, she did NOT say she was retiring, but focusing on “being a mom, my spiritual goals, and finally discovering a different, but just as exciting, Serena.” Her oldest child is six-years-old.

Williams is set to host the ESPY Awards in July. The question we’re all asking: Hitting just for fun or for competition? We vote the latter.

Have a good one!

Mosheh, Jill, & Lauren

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⚖️ DEFENSE RESTS IN TRUMP’S FIRST CRIMINAL TRIAL — WHAT COMES NEXT

Former President Trump's defense team rested its case yesterday after calling just two witnesses. Outside the courtroom, he said, “I won’t be resting. I don’t rest. I’d like to rest sometimes, but I don’t get to rest.”

• The prosecution called 20 witnesses over several weeks of testimony, attempting to convince the jury the presumptive Republican presidential nominee conspired to illegally cover up a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016.

Trump had hinted that he might take the stand, but most legal experts had thought it would be too risky with tough cross examination from the prosecution.

A RECAP
Video and audio recordings were not allowed when court was in session. He remained pretty silent inside court (at times dozing off), but outside he railed against the prosecution as politically motivated as well as the cold temperature of the courtroom. His activity on Truth Social also led to 10 gag order violations.

• The case: The hush money payment itself wasn’t a crime; it’s the alleged cover up. The prosecution has charged Trump with 34 counts of falsifying business records.

  • Former Trump attorney-turned adversary, Michael Cohen, says he paid $130,000 to Daniels a month before the 2016 presidential election in exchange for her silence about an alleged sexual encounter and was then reimbursed by Trump.

• Notably, Cohen testified earlier this week that he had separately stolen $30,000 from the Trump Organization after his 2016 holiday bonus was slashed. The defense attacked Cohen’s character — hoping the admission undermines the credibility of the prosecution’s star witness with the jury.

WHAT’S NEXT:
The judge is delay closing arguments until after the Memorial Day holiday to next week. That means the jury could begin deliberations as soon as Tuesday.

• Reminder: Only one juror needs to be convinced that the defendant did not commit the crime (beyond a reasonable doubt) to give Trump’s team the win.

✈️ ONE DEAD, 71 INJURED AFTER TURBULENCE ON SINGAPORE AIRLINES FLIGHT

Terrifying scenes unfolded during a London to Singapore flight, when the plane plunged 6,000 feet — sending travelers not wearing seatbelts crashing into overhead bins.

At least one person died after the Singapore Airlines plane hit “severe turbulence,” and 71 others went to the hospital with injuries — six of whom were severely injured.

ON THE FLIGHT
A 73-year-old British man—with a heart condition—died from a suspected heart attack on board. He was en route to a six-week vacation across Asia with his wife.

• The flight had 211 passengers and 18 crew members on board. About 10 hours into the flight, the plane experienced a sharp drop from a cruising altitude of 37,000 feet to 31,000, FlightAware data showed.

• ONBOARD: Passengers said those who were not wearing seatbelts were launched into the ceiling when the plane dropped abruptly.

  • The entire disruption took just 90 seconds.

• Less than 10 minutes later, the flight was diverted to Bangkok, Thailand.

• A hospital reported treating 71 people injured, including citizens from Malaysia, the UK, New Zealand, Spain, the US and Ireland.

TURBULENCE
An investigation into the events will be conducted, but experts say it was likely clear air turbulence, which can pop-up without warning — not showing-up on the weather radar in the flight deck.

• Most turbulence happens when planes hit up-and-downdrafts of wind in the clouds, but clear air extreme turbulence (no clouds) is felt when planes go through widely different and clashing air speeds.

• US data shows that from 2009-2018, turbulence accounted for over a third of reported airline injuries. Context: Less than 200 people have required hospital treatment for those injuries out of the more than 10 billion people who flew during that time.

💺 It’s a reminder to keep your seatbelt buckled, even when you’re seated.

⏳ SPEED READ

🚨NATION

📌 Multiple fatalities as tornadoes rip through Iowa (CNN)

📌 Key GOP senators criticize Alito over upside-down flag incident (CNN)

📌 After backlash, Trump pulls social media post with reference to ‘unified reich’ (REUTERS)

📌 Texas files 75th lawsuit against Biden administration; This one targets gender identity law (TEXAS TRIBUNE)

📌 Woman found living in Michigan store sign; told police it was her ‘safe spot’ (NBC NEWS)

🌎 AROUND THE WORLD

📌 Putin begins nuclear weapons exercises as he accuses west of being ‘provocative’ (POLITICO)

📌 Pentagon admits no US aid via $320 million pier is actually getting to Palestinians in need (CNN)

📌 Egypt changed terms of Gaza ceasefire deal presented to Hamas, surprising negotiators (CNN)

📌 Kenyan special forces police to arrive in Haiti to help combat gang violence (GUARDIAN)

📌 Ukraine makes progress in fight against corruption (BBC NEWS)

📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH

📌 Biden releasing 1 million barrels of gasoline from Northeast reserve in bid to lower prices at pump (AP)

📌 Target is cutting prices on 5,000 items including milk, butter and pet food (NPR)

📌 AI companies make fresh safety promise at Seoul summit, nations agree to align work on risks (ABC NEWS)

📌 Ocean water is rushing miles underneath the Antarctica ‘Doomsday Glacier’ with potentially dire impacts on sea level rise (CNN)

🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT

📌 Latest Accusation: Model sues Diddy, accusing him of drugging and raping her (NBC NEWS)

📌 LAPD, DEA open investigation into Matthew Perry death (AP NEWS)

📌 Elvis's granddaughter sues to block sale of Graceland, charging fraud (ABC NEWS)

📌 Scarlett Johansson gets support from Hollywood in her ChatGPT fight (THE WRAP)

📌 Southern Charm star Kathryn Dennis 'arrested for DUI' following three-car collision - six months after being 'identified as a suspect in elementary school hit-and-run' (DAILY MAIL)

🗓 ON THIS DAY: MAY 22

• 1906: The Wright Brothers ‘flying machine’ receives a patent.

• 1964: President Lyndon B. Johnson laid out his agenda for a “Great Society,” including social reforms for education and poverty.

• 1973: Richard Nixon arrived in Moscow, becoming the first US president to visit the city and the second to visit the Soviet Union.

• 1995: TLC released ‘Waterfalls.’

• 1995: Series finale of ‘Saved By The Bell’ airs.

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