SpaceX Starship launch and Nex Benedict’s death ruled a suicide : Morning Rundown

A judge will hear arguments for and against dismissing the classified documents charges against Donald Trump. Experts consider what a TikTok ban in the U.S. could look like. And a “superbloom” may soon erupt in Southern California.

Here’s what to know today.

Trump attorneys to fight for dismissal of classified docs charges

Donald Trump is expected to appear at a hearing in Florida today, where his attorneys will argue to dismiss the federal criminal case involving his handling of classified documents on the grounds that the Presidential Records Act bars his prosecution. 

The 1978 law governs the preservation of information during and following a presidency, but a president’s personal records are excluded from the act’s requirements. Trump, who has denied all wrongdoing in the case, has claimed that he should be shielded from prosecution because classified presidential records “can be transformed into ‘personal’” records by removing them from the White House.

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Trump’s attorneys will also discuss a second motion to dismiss the case on the theory that the main statute used against Trump is unconstitutionally vague as it applies to presidents and can’t be used against him.

Special counsel Jack Smith has asked U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon to reject Trump’s claims. During the all-day hearing, Cannon is also expected to push back the trial date, which was originally scheduled for May 20.  

Read the full story here.

What’s next for the TikTok bill

A bill that could result in TikTok being banned in the U.S. is headed to the Senate after it passed 352-65 in the House, with one representative voting present. But senators aren’t expected to act as quickly as representatives did because there is less urgency to vote on the bill, and senators have different theories about how to address national security concerns over TikTok’s China-based owner.

While the future of the Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act is in limbo, its passage triggered reaction beyond Washington, D.C., as experts suggested what a TikTok ban could look like for users. “I think you’ll see a lot of kids learning how to circumvent the restrictions on their phones,” one person said. 

To avoid a ban under the law, Bytedance would have to be willing to sell TikTok in the first place; it’s unclear if it is. On top of that, finding a buyer would be a frantic process. Here’s what else to consider when it comes to a TikTok ban.

More reaction and analysis of the bill: 

SpaceX set to launch third Starship rocket

The 400-foot SpaceX mega rocket known as Starship is set to launch this morning in Texas, with the company hoping this third launch won’t end with a fiery explosion or lost communications, as the first two Starship launches did. The launch is expected around 8 a.m. ET and will be streamed live on SpaceX’s website. 

During the test flight, Starship will attempt several objectives, like firing one of its Raptor engines, opening and closing the vehicle’s payload door and transferring propellant between two of its tanks while in orbit. Many of these techniques could set the stage for moon missions as part of NASA’s Artemis program. Then, SpaceX hopes the rocket will carry out a controlled re-entry through Earth’s atmosphere before splashing down into the Indian Ocean.

A small city in Oklahoma elected a white nationalist. Will it be able to vote him out?

A year ago, Connie Vickers and Nancy Presnall — residents of Enid, Oklahoma — confronted City Council candidate Judd Blevins over a photo of him holding a tiki torch in Charlottesville, Virginia, on the eve of the 2017 Unite the Right rally. When Blevins was asked about his ties to white nationalists, “He ran away from two little old ladies,” Presnall said.

Two weeks later, Blevins won his race. Voters seemed to appreciate Blevins’ bio: a veteran who’d served in Iraq and who’d worked a manual job in Tulsa before moving back to his hometown to take over his father’s roofing business. It’s not clear how many voters knew about Blevins’ white nationalist ties.

But a white nationalist campaigning for office is one thing; his election is another. It marked the beginning of a fight to expel Blevins from the City Council — a fight for the very soul of Enid. 

Death of trans student Nex Benedict ruled a suicide

The death of Nex Benedict, a transgender teen in Oklahoma, was ruled a suicide, according to a medical examiner’s report released yesterday. The report listed the probable cause of death as “combined toxicity” from two drugs, one that is available over the counter and the other by prescription. 

According to friends and family, Nex, a 16-year-old who used he and they pronouns, died on Feb. 8, a day after a fight at Owasso High School. Later that month, police said an autopsy report showed his death was not the result of trauma but later clarified that the fight had not been ruled out as having contributed to or caused his death.

Haiti’s long-simmering crisis spills onto the world stage

The announcement this week that Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry agreed to resign from his post once a transitional government is established marked a huge development in a long-simmering crisis in the country. But the very idea of a transitional government brokered not by Haitians but by other Caribbean nations and parties, including the U.S., is one of the main reasons that Haiti is on the brink. 

Also, violence in the capital of Port-au-Prince has been building for years. One notable leader in the violence is Jimmy “Barbecue” Chérizier, a former officer-turned-gangster leading the campaign to seize control of the country. In recent weeks, his forces have laid siege to Haiti’s main international airport, traded gunfire with troops at government sites and sparked a mass jailbreak that freed almost 4,000 gang members. 

Reporters Patrick White and Char Adams explain the crisis of violence, politics and hunger engulfing the nation. 

Politics in Brief

Abortion rights: Vice President Kamala Harris plans to tour a Planned Parenthood clinic in Minnesota that provides abortion services, in what sources believe will be the first time a president or vice president has ever visited a clinic that provides abortion services in U.S. history. 

Fact check: Sen. Katie Britt has come under fire over allegations that she misrepresented a sex trafficking story during the GOP response to the State of the Union address. An NBC News analysis found that she has brought up the same victim, who was trafficked under the Bush administration, at least five times in the last year. 

Georgia election case: The judge presiding over the election interference case in Georgia dismissed three counts against Donald Trump.

Congress: Mike Johnson is gathering GOP representatives in West Virginia for his first House Republican retreat as speaker. But he’s struggling with the baggage from his predecessor, Kevin McCarthy, including another pending government shutdown and a lagging impeachment inquiry/ 

2024 election: The Democratic National Committee is building its first-ever team to counter third-party and independent presidential candidates as the party and its allies prepare for an all-out war on candidates they view as spoilers.

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Staff Pick: Super pumped for a superbloom

A sleeping beauty slowly awakening. A must-see kaleidoscope of color. Sign me right up! David Douglas and Liz Kreutz have me excited about the possibility of a Southern California superbloom of wildflowers and beauty — from a half a country away. — Jamie Knodel, breaking news editor

Select: Online Shopping, Simplified

Podiatrists recommend you don’t go barefoot when you’re at home. The reason: to minimize the stress of walking on hard surfaces. Also your feet will feel cozy. Here are the 17 best slippers for men and women. 

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