Friday Briefing: Supreme Court hears Trump immunity case

April 26, 2024

	By Amelia Nierenberg

Good morning. We’re covering a Supreme Court hearing on Donald Trump’s immunity claim and mass graves in Gaza.

Plus South Africa, 30 years after the end of apartheid.

People hold signs. One reads “Corrupt judges give immunity to corrupt politicians.”

Demonstrators protested outside of the Supreme Court. Haiyun Jiang for The New York Times

The Supreme Court heard Trump’s claim of immunity

After a three-hour hearing in Washington, the Supreme Court’s conservative majority seemed poised to narrow the scope of the criminal case against Donald Trump on charges that he plotted to subvert the 2020 election.

Such a ruling in the case, on whether the former president is immune from prosecution, would probably send it back to a lower court and could delay any trial until after the November election. Several Republican-appointed justices expressed worries about the long-term consequences of leaving future ex-presidents open to prosecution for their actions.

Trump, who is accused of a sprawling effort to overturn the outcome of the 2020 election, contends that he is entitled to absolute immunity from the charges. That case is one of four criminal indictments he faces, only one of which has now gone to trial in New York.

What’s next: A final ruling could come sometime in early summer. If Trump wins, there is every reason to think he would scuttle the prosecution.

The New York trial: David Pecker, a former tabloid publisher, testified about how he helped bury scandalous stories about Trump before the 2016 election, including one involving the porn star Stormy Daniels.

People looking at white body bags lying on sandy ground.

People and health workers unearth bodies found at Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip. Getty Images

More bodies were found in mass graves in Gaza

Palestinian authorities said yesterday that they have discovered more bodies in a mass grave on the grounds of a hospital in Gaza. They said they have now found 392 bodies, up from the 283 that they had previously identified.

There are conflicting accounts between Israel and the Gazan authorities over how and when some of the bodies were buried. A Times analysis of social media videos and satellite imagery found that Palestinians had dug at least two of the three burial sites weeks before Israeli troops raided the complex.

Hostages: President Biden and the leaders of 17 other nations called on Hamas to release all of the hostages seized in its Oct. 7 attacks on Israel.

Harvey Weinstein, in a suit and tie, walks with a walker.

Harvey Weinstein, pictured in 2020, was once one of the most powerful men in Hollywood. Desiree Rios for The New York Times

Harvey Weinstein’s conviction overturned

New York’s highest court overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 conviction on felony sex crime charges yesterday, a staggering reversal in the foundational case of the #MeToo era.

The court ruled that Weinstein did not receive a fair trial: It concluded that the judge had made a crucial mistake by allowing prosecutors to call as witnesses a series of women who said Weinstein had assaulted them — but whose accusations were not part of the charges against him.

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MORE TOP NEWS

Several people ride in a boat through floodwaters.

The region is facing the devastating effects of the climate change crisis and can have dilapidated infrastructure. Patrick Ngugi/Associated Press

East Africa: At least 200 people were killed and dozens more were injured in recent days, as heavy rains, floods and landslides pummeled the region.
U.S.: Pro-Palestinian university protests are spreading to campuses in Cairo, Paris and Sydney, Australia.
Australia: More than 100 long-finned pilot whales stranded yesterday have returned to the ocean, while 29 died on the beach, wildlife officials said.
Iran: A court sentenced to death a dissident rapper who released music in support of the antigovernment demonstrations in 2022, his lawyer said.

Climate: Coal-fired power plants in the U.S. will have to reduce 90 percent of their greenhouse pollution by 2039 — or shut down, according to new regulations.
Sports: A special prosecutor appointed by the World Anti-Doping Agency will review how 23 Chinese swimmers who tested positive were allowed to compete at the 2021 Olympics.

Global Conflicts

Ukraine: Russia is focusing on taking the hilltop town of Chasiv Yar, which would let its forces target key Ukrainian operational and supply centers.
China: Antony Blinken, the U.S. secretary of state, is expected to hold high-level meetings in Beijing today. These issues are testing U.S.-China relations.
Africa: The U.S. is withdrawing dozens of troops from Chad, another blow to its security and counterterrorism policy in the volatile Sahel region.

Business and Economy

U.S.: Growth slowed in the first quarter of the year. The G.D.P. increased at a 1.6 percent rate, compared to a 3.4 percent rate in the last three months of 2023.
Canada: Honda Motor said it and several suppliers would invest $11 billion to build batteries and electric cars in Ontario.

MORNING READ

Dommaraju Gukesh, wearing a face mask, blue shirt and navy blazer, stares at a chessboard.

Arun Sankar/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Dommaraju Gukesh, a 17-year-old Indian grandmaster, made history. He became the youngest player ever to win the Candidates Tournament — and the youngest to qualify for the World Chess Championship.

CONVERSATION STARTERS

Fallen star: The windmill blades came off the Moulin Rouge, in Paris. But the show will go on: The cabaret will stay open.
Blacked out: A British publisher redacted part of Rebel Wilson’s memoir that details allegations of inappropriate behavior by Sacha Baron Cohen.
Congested Venice: The Italian city is trying to limit tourism with a small fee on busy days.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times .

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SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICA

Election posters of different political parties are seen.

Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters

30 years since the end of apartheid

South Africans will mark the 30th anniversary of the first post-apartheid elections tomorrow.

Just a month later, on May 29, they will be voting in a national election that could bring about a big shift: The African National Congress, which has governed for those three decades, could lose its majority for the first time.

“It almost feels impossible to separate the election year from the major anniversary year,” my colleague Lynsey Chutel, who reports from Johannesburg, told me.

“The anniversary is forcing not just parties but also South Africans to reflect: What do the last 30 years mean to us?’” she added. “‘And how do we get back that political optimism and economic strength?”

How does the legacy of apartheid shape life in South Africa today?

Lynsey: If you’re walking down the streets of a suburb in Johannesburg, you can look around at the gains made. It’s a leafy suburb. There are sidewalk cafes. People are chatting.

But the majority of people who are enjoying that progress are white. And the majority of people who are servers or in low-wage jobs are Black. Black South Africans simply haven’t caught up in terms of wealth.

Let’s fast-forward to next month’s election. What is the mood?

The A.N.C.’s popularity is possibly at its lowest, and it has never had to work so hard to convince South Africans to vote for them. Some young people see this vote as being as pivotal as 1994. Many are deeply disillusioned. High unemployment and corruption scandals have eroded their faith in politicians.

Opposition parties are stepping up and saying, “We are finally in a place where we think we can lead now.”

That is a huge shift from 1994, which felt like an affirmation of Nelson Mandela and his party, and the end of apartheid. This year, the mood among the voters I’ve spoken to is, how do we use the elections to get the country back on track and take advantage of that post-apartheid freedom.

RECOMMENDATIONS

A piece of coconut pecan cake on a white plate.

Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times

Bake: For a weekend project, make this rich, special-occasion cake with pecans and coconut.

Read: These books can help mourners navigate grief.

Watch: In “Nowhere Special,” a dying single father tries to find an adoptive family for his toddler son.

Consider: Could calorie restriction help you live longer? Read what scientists know.

Play Spelling Bee, the Mini Crossword, Wordle and Sudoku. Find all our games here.

That’s it for this week. I hope you have a lovely weekend. See you on Monday. — Amelia

Email us at briefing@nytimes.com.

Thanks to Lynsey Chutel.

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