[KARAH RUCKER]

FUNERAL SERVICES FOR IRAN’S PRESIDENT FOLLOWING THE DEADLY HELICOPTER CRASH ARE UNDERWAY.

AND — THE PROSECUTION RESTS ITS CASE IN TRUMP’S TRIAL AS THE DEFENSE BEGINS TO CALL ITS WITNESSES.

THE MORNING RUNDOWN STARTS NOW.

TODAY IS TUESDAY, MAY 21ST.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

I’M KARAH RUCKER.

FUNERAL SERVICES FOR IRAN’S PRESIDENT EBRAHIM RAISI HAVE BEGUN —

THOUSANDS OF SUPPORTERS TAKING TO THE STREETS AS THE COUNTRY BEGINS ITS “5 DAYS OF MOURNING” DECLARED BY THE SUPREME LEADER.

THE FIRST FUNERAL PROCESSION DREW IN THOUSANDS OF IRANIANS TO THE CLOSEST MAJOR CITY TO THE CRASH SITE.

THE RECOVERED BODIES WILL THEN BE TAKEN TO A HOLY CITY IN THE AFTERNOON.

A FUNERAL SERVICE FOR RAISI WILL BE HELD IN THE CAPITAL — TEHRAN — ON WEDNESDAY.

AND THE FORMER PRESIDENT WILL BE LAID TO REST ON FRIDAY.

THE U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT RELEASED A STATEMENT ON THE IRANIAN PRESIDENT’S PASSING —

SHARPLY CRITICIZING HIS ACTIONS WHILE IN COMMAND — CALLING RAISI “A BRUTAL PARTICIPANT IN THE REPRESSION OF THE IRANIAN PEOPLE.”

THE PROSECUTION OF THE DONALD TRUMP CRIMINAL TRIAL HAS RESTED ITS CASE AGAINST THE FORMER PRESIDENT.

THE DEFENSE — WRAPPING CROSS-EXAMINATION OF THE PROSECUTION’S STAR WITNESS MICHAEL COHEN.

AND THE DEFENSE — ALREADY CALLING AND QUESTIONING ITS FIRST WITNESS — COHEN’S FORMER LEGAL ADVISOR “ROBERT COSTELLO” —

WHO WILL RETURN TO THE STAND TODAY.

IT WAS A BUSY DAY FOR TRUMP’S TRIAL IN NEW YORK.

AS THE DEFENSE FIRST CONTINUED ITS CROSS-EXAMINATION OF MICHAEL COHEN.

TRUMP LAWYER TODD BLANCHE — GETTING COHEN TO ADMIT HE STOLE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FROM THE TRUMP ORGANIZATION.

THE DEFENSE CONTINUED ITS EFFORTS TO DISCREDIT THE STAR WITNESS BY CALLING UPON HIS FORMER LEGAL ADVISOR —

ROBERT COSTELLO.

COSTELLO’S TESTIMONY — CONFLICTING WITH COHEN’S —

SAYING IN PREVIOUS DISCUSSIONS WITH HIS CLIENT — COHEN TOLD HIM “HE SWORE HE DIDN’T HAVE ANYTHING ON DONALD TRUMP” AND TOLD COSTELLO “TRUMP KNEW NOTHING” ABOUT THE STORMY DANIELS HUSH MONEY PAYMENT.

THE JUDGE REPEATEDLY SUSTAINED PROSECUTION OBJECTIONS DURING THE TESTIMONY —

BUT IT WAS COSTELLO’S REACTIONS THAT LED THE JUDGE AT ONE POINT TO ORDER THE JURY OUT OF THE ROOM.

COSTELLO  **REPRIMANDED FOR TALKING OVER THE JUDGE, ROLLING HIS EYES, AND MAKING COMMENTS UNDER HIS BREATH.

TRUMP’S TEAM MOVED TO DISMISS THE CHARGES IN THE CASE. THE JUDGE DIDN’T MAKE A DECISION ON THAT REQUEST BUT COULD IN THE FUTURE.

THE JUDGE ALSO TOLD BOTH SIDES TO PREPARE FOR CLOSING ARGUMENTS NEXT WEEK.

PRESIDENT BIDEN IS SHARPLY CRITICIZING THE REQUEST FOR AN ARREST WARRANT FOR SEVERAL ISRAELI LEADERS, INCLUDING PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, FROM AN INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT PROSECUTOR.

IN A SPEECH FROM THE ROSE GARDEN — BIDEN REJECTED THE IDEA THAT ISRAEL WAS COMMITTING GENOCIDE.

AND SAYS THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT WAS WRONGLY COMPARING ATROCITIES COMMITTED BY HAMAS TO ISRAEL’S ACTIONS DEFENDING ITSELF.

[BIDEN]

“Let me be clear,  we reject the  ICC application for arrest  warrants against Israeli leaders.   Whatever these words may imply,  there is no equivalence between  Israel and Hamas. <:23-:30> But let me be clear,   contrary to allegations against  Israel made by the International  Court of Justice,  what’s  happening is not genocide.  We  reject that.”   

[KARAH RUCKER]

THE TOP PROSECUTOR OF THE INTERNATIONAL COURT CALLED FOR GLOBAL ARREST WARRANTS FOR ISRAEL’S PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU **AND HAMAS LEADERS ON CHARGES OF CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY.

ISRAEL IS ACCUSED OF DELIBERATELY TARGETING CIVILIANS IN GAZA.

NETANYAHU DENIES THE CHARGES — SAYING THE PROSECUTOR IS TRYING TO COMPARE ISRAEL TO HAMAS.

IF THE COURT’S JUDGES **APPROVE THE WARRANT  — THEN NETANYAHU COULD FACE ARREST IN ANY COUNTRY THAT’S “PARTY TO THE COURT” —

WHICH INCLUDES **MOST OF EUROPE.

A FEDERAL JUDGE IN TEXAS HAS TEMPORARILY BLOCKED A NEW RULE FROM THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION INTENDED TO CLOSE WHAT’S CALLED A “GUN SHOW LOOPHOLE” — REQUIRING ALL PEOPLE WHO SELL FIREARMS TO BE LICENSED AND REQUIRE BACKGROUND CHECKS OF BUYERS.

THE RULE WAS SCHEDULED TO GO INTO EFFECT MONDAY —

BUT THE JUDGE RULED THE LANGUAGE OF THE RULE INTENDED TO PROTECT GUN OWNERS WAS “INADEQUATE” —

SO ITS ON PAUSE IN TEXAS UNTIL AT LEAST JUNE SECOND.

AT LEAST 22 OTHER STATES HAVE FILED SIMILAR LAWSUITS TO BLOCK THE GUN LAW.

TARGET STORES ARE SLASHING PRICES ON BREAD, MILK, DIAPERS, AND THOUSANDS OF OTHER HOUSEHOLD STAPLES.

THE RETAILER ANNOUNCED MONDAY IT’S REDUCING PRICES ON ROUGHLY 15-HUNDRED ITEMS, WITH MORE DISCOUNTS TO FOLLOW, RESPONDING TO CONSUMERS’ NEED TO STRETCH THEIR BUDGETS AMID INFLATION CONCERNS.

THESE DISCOUNTS ARE AVAILABLE BOTH IN-STORE AND ONLINE THROUGH TARGET’S WEBSITE AND APP. THIS PRICING STRATEGY COMES AFTER TARGET REPORTED A 1.7-PERCENT DROP IN SALES FOR 2023, ITS FIRST ANNUAL DECLINE IN SEVEN YEARS.

THE MOVE REFLECTS A BROADER TREND OF INCREASED FRUGALITY AMONG U.S. CONSUMERS, DESPITE SOME EASING IN INFLATION AND STABLE CONSUMER SPENDING. OTHER RETAILERS, LIKE GIANT FOOD AND MICHAELS, ARE ALSO CUTTING PRICES.

[SKY]

“Hey ChatGPT how are you doing?

I’m doing fantastic! Thanks for asking. How about you? What’s up?”

[KARAH RUCKER]

FINALLY THIS MORNING… OPENAI HAS PAUSED THE USE OF “SKY,” A VOICE IN ITS CHATGPT PROJECTS, BECAUSE IT CLOSELY RESEMBLES SCARLETT JOHANSSON’S VOICE FROM THE FILM “HER.”

THE COMPANY STATED ON X THAT “SKY” IS ACTUALLY THE NATURAL VOICE OF ANOTHER PROFESSIONAL ACTRESS, NOT AN IMITATION OF JOHANSSON.

THE ISSUE AROSE AFTER JOHANSSON’S FRIENDS NOTED THE SIMILARITY BETWEEN HER VOICE AND “SKY’S.” ALTHOUGH OPENAI HAD PREVIOUSLY INVITED JOHANSSON TO LEND HER VOICE TO CHATGPT, SHE DECLINED. THE RESEMBLANCE WAS HIGHLIGHTED AFTER A PRODUCT DEMONSTRATION EARLIER THIS MONTH, FURTHER INTENSIFIED BY CEO SAM ALTMAN’S TWEET THAT REFERENCED THE MOVIE “HER.”

IN RESPONSE TO JOHANSSON’S CONCERNS, OPENAI REITERATED THAT “SKY” WAS NOT DESIGNED TO MIMIC HER VOICE.

THESE ARE YOUR TOP STORIES FOR THIS DAY.

AND BE SURE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE MORNING RUNDOWN NEWSLETTER  TO GET THE TOP STORIES EACH WEEKDAY MORNING.

JUST GO TO SAN DOT COM SLASH RUNDOWN TO SIGN UP.

UNBIASED. STRAIGHT FACTS. THAT’S STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS.

WE’LL SEE YOU BACK HERE TOMORROW.

UNTIL THEN I’M KARAH RUCKER. HAVE A GREAT DAY!