Anderson Cooper 360

The second day of the former president’s criminal hush money trial ended with the selection of seven jurors. Five more are needed, plus alternates. While he left court, he was asked if he believed that the jury could be fair. "I’ll let you know after- after the trial, depending on what happens,” he responded. Former federal prosecutors Jeffrey Toobin and Jessica Roth, along with jury consultant Alan Tuerkheimer, discuss the jury selection and the pace of the trial so far. Plus, Gary Tuchman traveled to one county in Texas that has voted Trump the last two elections and asks residents if this criminal trial could affect their support for the former president. 

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Former President Donald Trump sat in a New York courtroom today as jury selection began in his hush money case. 96 prospective jurors were questioned, and at least 50 were excused because they told the judge they couldn't be fair and impartial. Jury consultant Richard Gabriel speaks to Anderson about the historic trial. Plus, tensions are extremely high in the Middle East as Israel vows to "exact a price" after an Iranian attack over the weekend. Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister said Tehran will respond in less than a few seconds if Israel "makes another mistake.” All this started after officials said Israeli carried out a deadly strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus earlier this month. AC360 is live from Tel Aviv tonight, where Anderson speaks to Michael Oren, former Israeli Ambassador to the United States.

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Judge Juan Merchan has rejected yet another attempt by former President Trump to delay his criminal hush money trial, with jury selection is set to begin on Monday. Also, at a press conference Friday, the former president said he would testify in the upcoming trial. "I mean, all I can do is tell the truth. And the truth is that there’s no case, they have no case,” he told reporters. CNN's Kara Scannell has more insight on the possibility of the former president taking the stand. Plus, CNN’s Whitney Wild gets exclusive access to a Chicago task force battling organized retail theft, known as "smash-and-grab" robberies.

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O.J. Simpson, the former NFL star whose career was overshadowed by his 1995 double-murder trial, died of cancer at the age of 76, his family announced. Simpson was a household name, when he was charged with the brutal killings of his ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ron Goldman. His arrest, the proceedings and subsequent trial captivated the nation, with tens of millions of viewers tuning in to watch it all unfold. Jeffrey Toobin, who was in the courtroom for the not guilty verdict, shares the enormous cultural impact the so-called "trial of the century" had on the country.  Plus, former President Trump is stoking fears that Christianity is under attack, a theme many Christian nationalists believe is true. CNN's Donie O'Sullivan reports from Wisconsin where the movement has united three pastors to combat what they say is a threat.

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A New York appeals court has denied Trump's request for emergency relief to stop the criminal trial that's scheduled to begin Monday from going ahead, so he could appeal a lower court's ruling on presidential immunity. This is the third time in three days that the former president's team has attempted to delay the start of the trial. CNN's Kara Scannell speaks to Anderson on what the Trump team argued in their latest filing. Plus, Israeli military said it has killed three sons of a Hamas political leader in an airstrike in Gaza today. Meanwhile during ongoing hostage negotiations, Hamas indicated it's currently unable to identify and track down 40 Israeli hostages that meet the criteria for the first phase of a ceasefire deal. CNN's Jeremy Diamond in Jerusalem, and retired Army four-star General and former NATO Supreme Allied Commander, Wesley Clark join AC360 on the implications of both major developments. 

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Arizona's Supreme Court ruled the state must adhere to a more than century-old law, that bans all abortions except in cases when "it is necessary to save" a pregnant person's life. The law carries a prison sentence of two to five years for abortion providers. In her first TV interview since the court's decision, Democratic Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs speaks with Anderson about the impact the decision will have on women in her state.

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People all over the country stepped outside and put on their cardboard glasses to view an historic total solar eclipse that swept across Mexico, the United States and Canada. An estimated 32 million people who live within the path of totality were able to see the skies dramatically darken. The next one won’t be visible from the contiguous U.S. until August 2044.  Bill Nye, “The Science Guy,” shares with Anderson why today’s celestial event was so special. Plus, Special Counsel Jack Smith is urging the Supreme Court to reject the former President's claims of immunity, and to deny him any opportunity to delay the election subversion trial, saying Trump's position has no Constitutional grounds. Former Republican congressman Adam Kinzinger, who served on the House January 6th Select Committee and former federal prosecutor Jeffrey Toobin join AC360 to break down the Special Counsel's new filing. 

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Just after 10:20am ET Friday morning, a 4.8 magnitude earthquake rattled buildings and created tremors that were felt from Washington DC, all the way up to Maine. While it was the third-largest earthquake recorded in the area in the last 50 years, and the strongest in New Jersey in more than 240 years, no major damage was reported. Associate professor of physics at Fordham University Stephen Holler, and U.S. Geological Survey seismologist Susan Hough, speak to Anderson Cooper about today's quake and the aftershocks that followed. Plus, this Sunday will mark six months since the October 7th attacks by Hamas inside Israel. The worst massacre on that day was at the Nova music festival, where an estimated 364 people were killed. 120 of the survivors from the festival traveled to California, to be together at a retreat and start to heal. Anderson Cooper shares their story. 

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U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon will not dismiss the former president's classified documents case based on his claim he had the authority to take classified or sensitive documents under The Presidential Records Act. But in the same order, Judge Cannon also pushed back against special counsel Jack Smith's request that she make a final decision on whether the theory can be used at the trial, so that prosecutors could appeal to the 11th Circuit. Former federal judge Nancy Gertner joins AC360 to discuss Judge Cannon's ruling. Plus, Gary Tuchman travels to Cairo, Illinois to see how residents are preparing for the influx of eclipse seekers they'll get on Monday. The city is one of several in the country that will experience eclipse totality, and those who live there are excited about the prospect of tourists, and the boost to the economy they'll bring. 

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Judge Juan Merchan, who is presiding over Donald Trump’s upcoming New York hush money criminal trial, denied the former president’s motion to delay the start date until after the Supreme Court rules on his presidential immunity claim, calling it untimely and noting Trump's team had months to file a motion on this issue. CNN's Kara Scannell talks about the failed effort with Anderson. Plus, at least nine people are dead and hundreds more injured after the most powerful earthquake in a quarter century hit Taiwan early Wednesday. The 7.4 magnitude quake shook the island's east coast, hitting Hualien County the hardest. There are reports of extensive damage, thousands of homes left without power and a major highway closed due to landslides and rockfalls, according to Taiwanese officials. CNN Senior International correspondent Ivan Watson is live from Taipei, with the latest on the quake's aftermath.

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