The state of the pandemic in the US is looking brighter with infection rates dropping to where they were in June of last year, and hospitalization rates declining, too. But vaccination rates vary widely depending on where you look on a map, with New England showing rates above average and the South showing rates below average.
The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas reportedly held over the weekend, and now the focus has shifted to addressing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Rebuilding after the destruction will inevitably be complicated by Israel's blockade on most construction supplies entering the region.
And in headlines: Belarus intercepts an airplane to arrest a journalist, the AP fires a Jewish journalist for voicing pro-Palestine views, and the Texas legislature approves a law to ban teaching of critical race theory.

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The Ceasefire In Israel And Palestine

What A Day cuts through all the chaos and crimes to help you understand what matters and how you can fix it—all in just 20 minutes. Hosts Tre’vell Anderson, Priyanka Aribindi, Josie Duffy Rice, and Juanita Tolliver break down the biggest news of the day, share important stories you may have missed, and show you what “Fox & Friends” would sound like if it were hosted by people whose parents read to them as children. New episodes Monday through Friday at 5 a.m. EST.

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The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and attorneys for Donald Trump gave their opening statements on Monday in the former president’s criminal hush-money trial. Prosecutors also called their first witness to the stand: former ‘National Enquirer’ publisher David Pecker. Washington Post federal courts and law enforcement reporter Shayna Jacobs was in the courtroom and details what happened.

Pennsylvania holds its primary election today, and there’s plenty to watch for as returns come in. Pro-Palestinian organizers want Democrats to write in ‘uncommitted’ instead of voting for President Joe Biden. First-term Democratic Congresswoman Summer Lee is also looking to fend off a more moderate challenger and hold onto her seat.

And in headlines: The Supreme Court appeared divided in a case over whether cities can criminalize homelessness, the White House and the Department of Homeland Security are reportedly looking into granting protections for hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants, and a new report says Israel hasn’t offered any proof to back up claims that a significant number of workers with the U.N. Relief and Works Agency are tied to terrorist organizations.

Inside Trump's Criminal Hush Money Trial

After months of delay, House lawmakers this weekend passed a package of bills to send foreign aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. Included in that package of legislation is also a bill that could end up banning TikTok. Hard-right Republicans are threatening to oust Speaker Mike Johnson over his decision to bring Ukraine aid up for a vote. At the same time, the legislation heads to the Senate for consideration later this week. 

The Supreme Court hears a case today over one of the country’s most heartbreaking and increasingly intractable issues: homelessness. In Grants Pass, Oregon v. Johnson, the justices will weigh whether penalizing people experiencing homelessness is “cruel and unusual” and, therefore, a violation of the Eight Amendment. Jeremiah Hayden, staff reporter for Street Roots in Portland, explains what’s at stake in the case.

And in headlines: We’ve got a roundup of climate news in honor of Earth Day, opening statements begin in former President Donald Trump’s criminal hush-money trial, and workers at a Volkswagen plant in Tennessee join the United Auto Workers union.

How SCOTUS Could Allow Cities To Criminalize Homelessness

Tesla is laying off 14,000 people, their self-driving cars are hitting a wall—figurative and sometimes literal—and this week, Cybertrucks were recalled over faulty pedals. How did Tesla go from being one of the world’s most successful businesses to the business equivalent of a dumpster fire that’s lost hundreds of billions of dollars in valuation? Erin and Max break down how Elon Musk trapped his company in a cycle of increasingly elusive innovation. And how, despite all of this, Tesla has it remained dominant in an electric car market that is only growing.

Why Tesla is Spiraling Out of Control

All 12 jurors have been seated in former President Donald Trump’s criminal hush-money trial in Manhattan. While jury selection continues today for alternates, the judge overseeing the case said opening arguments in the trial could come as soon as Monday. Former federal prosecutor Gene Rossi breaks down the challenges of seating a jury in such a historic, high-profile case.Google announced late Wednesday that it fired 28 workers who staged sit-in protests at some of the company’s offices this week. The protests were organized by the group No Tech for Apartheid. They were demonstrating against a $1.2 billion joint contract with Amazon to provide the Israeli government and military with cloud computing services.

The Challenges Of Jury Selection

On Wednesday, the Senate moved to dismiss two articles of impeachment against Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas over his handling of the border. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Democrats needed “to set a precedent that impeachment should never be used to settle policy disagreements.” Congressional reporter Matt Laslo breaks down the vibes on Capitol Hill.

The Ceasefire In Israel And Palestine

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