5 things to know for April 17: Trump trial, Middle East, Boeing, Immigration, Dubai flooding

By Andrew Torgan, CNN

(CNN) — A powerful storm system capable of unleashing damaging tornadoes is barreling through parts of the Midwest. Forecasts show the most significant threat today extends from Mississippi to Michigan, with around 50 million people under severe storm alerts.

Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day.

1. Trump trial

Seven jurors were seated Tuesday on the panel that will decide former President Donald Trump’s guilt or innocence in the New York hush money case. The prospective jurors include two lawyers, a nurse, an IT consultant and a teacher — and all have either said or implied they can be fair and impartial. A panel of 12 New Yorkers and likely six alternates will ultimately be chosen. Trump is charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records for his alleged role in a hush money scheme before the 2016 election. The courtroom is dark today but jury selection will resume on Thursday with a new panel of 96 prospective jurors who could end up on the panel.

2. Middle East

The US plans to impose new sanctions targeting Iran after its unprecedented barrage of aerial strikes on Israel over the weekend, most of which were intercepted. This comes as Israel’s war cabinet met to discuss a potential response to Iran. Sources told CNN that the US expects Israel’s reaction will be limited in scope. However, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi warned that the “smallest action against Iran’s interests” would be met with a “severe, extensive and painful” response. Meanwhile, amid ongoing strikes in Gaza, the US military airdropped more aid into the besieged enclave — this time around 25,300 meal equivalents. Humanitarian organizations have warned that airdrops are “good photo opportunities but a lousy way to deliver aid.”

3. Boeing

A Senate subcommittee will hold a hearing today in the wake of allegations from a Boeing engineer who said the aerospace giant took shortcuts when manufacturing its 777 and 787 Dreamliner jets. The whistleblower, Sam Salehpour, is set to be the key witness at the hearing that could reveal new details about Boeing’s safety and quality issues. Boeing has faced more than five years of questions about its commercial jets following two fatal crashes of a different model, the 737 Max, in 2018 and 2019. Those crashes killed 346 people and led to a 20-month grounding of that aircraft. A costly door plug incident on an Alaska Airlines flight in January also sparked allegations that some Boeing employees felt reluctant to raise questions about the safety of the planes they are building or inspecting for fear of retaliation.

4. Immigration

House Republicans have sent to the Senate two articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, a step that launches a trial in the Senate as Republican lawmakers seek to highlight President Joe Biden’s handling of immigration policy. The Democratic-controlled Senate, however, is expected to quickly dismiss the charges without a trial. The effort by House Republicans comes after they voted to impeach Mayorkas in February over his handling of the southern border by a narrow margin, blaming him and the Biden administration for the high number of border crossings. Democrats have slammed the impeachment as a political stunt, saying that Republicans had no valid basis for the move.

5. Dubai flooding

Dubai was inundated Tuesday with a year’s worth of rain in under 12 hours. Shocking video shows roads turned to rivers and the tarmac of Dubai International Airport — recently crowned the second-busiest airport in the world — underwater. Nearly 4 inches of rain fell on Tuesday, according to weather observations at the airport. Flight disruptions are expected with multiple airlines, including flag carrier Emirates, reporting flight delays. Like the rest of the United Arab Emirates, Dubai has a hot and dry climate. As such, rainfall is infrequent and there is limited infrastructure and drainage to handle extreme flooding events.

HAPPENING LATER

Hawaii attorney general to release report on Maui wildfire
Officials in Hawaii will soon share the first phase of the findings from an investigation into the August 2023 wildfires in Maui — the deadliest in the US in more than a century. The first phase of the report analyzes “how the fire incident unfolded, based on science, during the first 24 to 72 hours of the fire and its aftermath, and includes a comprehensive timeline of events,” Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez said.

BREAKFAST BROWSE

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex unveils luxury jam product
Meghan sent these elegant jars of strawberry jam to influencers and friends as she unveils her new lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard.

Shakira announces dates for her first world tour since 2018
Colombian superstar Shakira may be heading to a city near you.

Step inside Emma Roberts’ sumptuous LA home
Actor Emma Roberts’ Hollywood Hills home is made for curling up with a good book — or several. Take a look inside.

Surfing great Kelly Slater hints at end of glittering, decades-long career
Slater, 52, may soon wave farewell to competitive surfing. Read more about his impressive career.

Counterfeit Botox has been found in several states
Women in nine states have recently reported “harmful reactions” to counterfeit versions of Botox. Here’s what consumers should know.

TODAY’S NUMBER

8,873
That’s how many antisemitic incidents there were in the US in 2023, according to a report from the Anti-Defamation League. The dramatic upward trend of incidents since the start of the Israel-Hamas war is a sign that vitriol aimed at Jewish people is intensifying, the audit said.

TODAY’S QUOTE

“It was a tremendous sound. It almost hit my son.”

— A Florida homeowner, describing the startling moment a piece of space debris pierced the roof of his house, leaving a “big hole in the floor and on the ceiling.” NASA confirmed the agency recently disposed of a slab of garbage from the International Space Station but expected it to burn up before hitting Earth.

TODAY’S WEATHER

Check your local forecast here>>>

AND FINALLY …

Reasons to be hopeful about the climate
Despite some concerning weather trends, CNN’s chief climate correspondent Bill Weir says he is optimistic about the future of our planet. Watch this video to learn why you should remain hopeful too.

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