[KARAH RUCKER]

JURY DELIBERATIONS ENTER A SECOND DAY IN THE CRIMINAL TRIAL OF FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP

AND — A VOLCANO IN ICELAND ERUPTS — SENDING LAVA MORE THAN 160 FEET INTO THE AIR.

THE MORNING RUNDOWN STARTS NOW.

TODAY IS THURSDAY, MAY 30TH.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

I’M KARAH RUCKER.

THIS MORNING THE JURY IN DONALD TRUMP’S CRIMINAL TRIAL IN NEW YORK WILL RECONVENE FOR A SECOND DAY OF DELIBERATIONS AFTER NO VERDICT WAS REACHED ON WEDNESDAY.

THE JURY DELIBERATING FOR AROUND FOUR AND A HALF HOURS AS THEY DECIDE WHETHER TRUMP IS GUILTY OF 34 COUNTS OF FALSIFYING BUSINESS RECORDS. TRUMP HAS PLEADED NOT GUILTY IN THE CASE.

THE JUDGE DISMISSING THE 12 JURORS FOR THE DAY FOLLOWING THEIR REQUESTS TO RE-HEAR PARTS OF THE TESTIMONIES DELIVERED BY TRUMP’S FORMER ATTORNEY MICHAEL COHEN AND THE FORMER PUBLISHER OF THE NATIONAL ENQUIRER – DAVID PECKER.

THE JURORS ALSO ASKING THE JUDGE TO REHEAR PART OF THE INSTRUCTIONS HE GAVE TO THEM BEFORE SENDING THEM INTO A PRIVATE ROOM TO BEGIN DELIBERATIONS.

TRUMP SPOKE OUTSIDE THE COURTHOUSE as day one of deliberations wrapped.

[DONALD TRUMP]

“In listening to the judges from the judges, as you know, very conflicted and corrupt because of the confliction, very, very corrupt. Mother Teresa could not beat these charges. These charges are rigged. The whole thing is rigged. The whole country’s a mess between the borders and fake elections. And you have a trial like this.”

[KARAH RUCKER]

OUR RAY BOGAN HAS A FULL REPORT ON THE JUDGE’S INSTRUCTIONS TO THE JURY – YOU CAN FIND THAT story NOW ON THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP.

JUSTICE SAMUEL ALITO DECLINED REQUESTS from democratic lawmakers TO RECUSE HIMSELF FROM TWO SUPREME COURT CASES INVOLVING FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP AND JANUARY 6TH DUE TO FLAGS FLOWN OUTSIDE HIS PROPERTIES.

ALITO EXPLAINED IN LETTERS TO HOUSE AND SENATE DEMOCRATS THAT HE HAD NO INVOLVEMENT WITH THE FLAGS, WHICH INCLUDED AN UPSIDE-DOWN AMERICAN FLAG AND AN “APPEAL TO HEAVEN” FLAG.

the justice says he had no AWARENESS OF THEIR CURRENT PERCEIVED MEANINGS.

THE UPSIDE-DOWN FLAG BECAME A POPULAR SYMBOL AMONG TRUMP’S SUPPORTERS CONTESTING PRESIDENT BIDEN’S VICTORY.

HE ASSERTED THAT A REASONABLE PERSON WOULD NOT SEE A NEED FOR RECUSAL.

ALITO SAYS HIS WIFE PUT UP THE FLAGS — EMPHASIZING HER INDEPENDENCE AND LEGAL RIGHTS REGARDING THEIR PROPERTIES.

A U-S DISTRICT COURT JUDGE IS DEAD AFTER BEING STRUCK BY A CAR OUTSIDE THE FEDERAL COURTHOUSE IN DOWNTOWN RENO, NEVADA ON WEDNESDAY.

WASHOE COUNTY’S SHERIFF CONFIRMED THE NEWS IN A POST ON X — CALLING THE DEATH OF 80-YEAR-OLD JUDGE LARRY HICKS “TRAGIC”.

JUDGE HICKS WAS APPOINTED BY PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH IN 2001.

AUTHORITIES SAY THE DRIVER INVOLVED IN THE CRASH STAYED AT THE SCENE AND IS COOPERATING WITH THE INVESTIGATION.

THE GLOBAL RELIEF PROGRAM — WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN — HAS PAUSED ITS OPERATIONS IN RAFAH CITING ONGOING ISRAELI ATTACKS.

WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN SAYS AID WORKERS HAVE RELOCATED NORTH AMID A SERIES OF STRIKES THAT RESUMED WEDNESDAY MORNING.

THESE FOLLOWED AN AIRSTRIKE ON SUNDAY IN RAFAH THAT THE HAMAS-RUN HEALTH MINISTRY SAys KILLED AT LEAST 45 PEOPLE SHELTERING IN TENTS. ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU CALLED THE INCIDENT A “TRAGIC MISHAP.”

DESPITE THE CHALLENGES, WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN SAYS IT MANAGED TO PROVIDE ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND MEALS IN GAZA ON MONDAY AND AIMS TO INCREASE THIS EFFORT.

THE GROUP RECENTLY RESUMED OPERATIONS IN GAZA FOUR WEEKS AFTER AN AIRSTRIKE KILLED SEVEN OF ITS WORKERS.

A MASSIVE VOLCANIC ERUPTION IN ICELAND ON WEDNESDAY SPEWED LAVA MORE THAN 160 FEET INTO THE AIR.

THE MASSIVE ERUPTION IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW IN SOUTHERn ICELAND.

AUTHORITIES HAD TO EVACUATE THE SEASIDE TOWN OF GRINDAVÍK [grin-duh-VICK] — INCLUDING THE COUNTRY’S BIGGEST TOURIST ATTRACTION, THE BLUE LAGOON GEOTHERMAL SPA.

THIS MARKS THE FIFTH — AND MOST POWERFUL — ERUPTION IN THE REGION SINCE DECEMBER.

HOWEVER, MOST OF THE FOUR THOUSAND RESIDENTS OF GRINDAVIK [grin-duh-VICK] WERE PERMANENTLY EVACUATED IN NOVEMBER BECAUSE OF the ONGOING VOLCANIC ACTIVITY.

FINALLY THIS MORNING —  RESEARCHERS STUDYING A PAIR OF ANCIENT EGYPTIAN SKULLS SAY THEY MAY HAVE DISCOVERED SIGNS OF THE EARLIEST ATTEMPTS AT CANCER SURGERY.

IN A STUDY PUBLISHED WEDNESDAY IN THE “FRONTIERS OF MEDICINE” JOURNAL – RESEARCHERS SHOWED IMAGES OF THE SKULLS THAT DATE BACK MORE THAN 4 THOUSAND YEARS AGO.

THE SKULLS – ONE MALE AND ONE FEMALE — HAVE BEEN HELD IN THE DUCKWORTH LAB AT CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY.

ACCORDING TO THE STUDY — MARKS WERE FOUND AROUND CANCEROUS GROWTHS – INDICATING THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS WERE EITHER TRYING TO TREAT THE CANCER THROUGH OPERATIONS OR CONDUCTING A MEDICAL AUTOPSY.

EITHER WAY – THE RESEARCHERS CALL THESE FINDINGS “A MILESTONE IN THE HISTORY OF MEDICINE.”

THESE ARE YOUR TOP STORIES FOR THIS THURSDAY.

WE’LL SEE YOU BACK HERE TOMORROW.

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