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Good morning, I'm Taylor Wilson and today is Wednesday, May 22nd, 2024. This is the

excerpt. Today the defense has rested its case in Trump's hush money trial,

plus we talk about an activist group with ties to old groups that funded Hamas

and how US guns end up in the hands of Mexican cartels.

Former President Donald Trump's defense rested its case yesterday

after calling just two witnesses in his historic criminal hush money trial.

Trump had initially said he would testify in his defense, but then backed out.

He said he could not testify because of a gag order restricting his potentially intimidating attacks on witnesses and jurors.

But Judge Juan Mershon made clear that this did not prevent him from taking the stand.

After the prosecution rested its case on Monday, the trial now moves to

closing arguments. Those are set for next Tuesday with jury deliberations to

follow. Meanwhile, former Trump campaign lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Christina Bob pleaded not guilty yesterday as they and nine local Republicans face charges in Arizona over an alleged plan to keep Trump in the White House by falsely certifying he won the state in 2020.

Julianne, a former mayor of New York, and Bob, a current election integrity council to the Republican National Committee are among 18 people

indicted by a Maricopa County grand jury last month. All face nine felony counts

including conspiracy for, and fraud.

While addressing the judge by phone, Giuliani said the Arizona indictment was a completely

political case.

Trump himself was not charged in the Arizona case,

but he's identified in the indictment

as unindicted co-conspirator won.

...