Northeast
Trump hush money trial: Meet the jurors who will hear Bragg's case against the 2024 presidential candidate
Twelve jurors have been selected and sworn in to serve on the jury for former President Donald Trump’s historic and unprecedented first criminal trial.
Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has been charged by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg with 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. The charges are related to alleged hush money payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election.
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Trump has pleaded not guilty to all counts. He has blasted the trial as pure politics, a “political persecution” and maintains his innocence. The former president is expected to testify during his trial.
A court sketch depicts the second day of former President Donald Trump’s criminal trial in Manhattan Criminal Court on Tuesday. (Christine Cornell)
By the end of jury selection on Thursday, the third day of jury selection, 12 jurors had been selected and sworn in. The jury pool so far includes four men and three women, all living in New York City. Their professions included work in law, finance, technology and more.
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“We have our jury,” Judge Juan Merchan said when the 12th juror was picked Thursday afternoon. “Let’s pick our alternates.”
Merchan dismissed the remaining prospective jurors and asked that they return to court Friday so that alternate jurors could be selected.
Former President Donald Trump awaits the start of proceedings on the second day of jury selection at Manhattan criminal court in New York on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, Pool)
Here is a look at each of the jurors so far.
Juror #1 and the foreperson
Juror #1 lives in New York City. He has no children and enjoys doing anything outdoorsy. He gets his news from The New York Times, Daily Mail, Fox News and MSNBC.
When asked by Trump defense attorney Todd Blanche if he was aware Trump is charged in other cases and jurisdictions, and how that affects him, the man said, “I don’t have an opinion.”
Juror #2
Juror #2 is a man who said he follows Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen on “X,” formerly known as Twitter, as well as other “right wing” accounts, including former Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway.
The reason, he said, he follows those figures was so he could be plugged in to “anything that might move the markets I might need to know about.”
When asked if he would unfollow Cohen, as he may be a witness in the trial, the man said: “Absolutely.”
The man also said he has “not seen any evidence” relating to the case.
“I will try to keep an open mind,” he said.
Responding to questions from Trump lawyer Susan Necheles about his feelings about the former president, the man said that Trump has done some good for the country.
“It’s ambivalent,” he said. “It goes both ways.”
The first person who was labeled juror #2 was excused Thursday morning after saying she could not be a fair juror.
Juror #3
Juror #3 is a young to middle-aged man who lives in Manhattan. The man said he grew up in Oregon and has been an attorney for five years practicing corporate law. The man said he enjoys hiking and running, and gets his news from The New York Times and Google.
Juror #4
Juror #4 is originally from California, but has lived in New York City for 15 years. The man said he has been a security engineer for 25 years and holds a high school diploma, with some college education.
The man is married with three children. His wife is a teacher.
During his spare time, he enjoys being with his children, woodworking and metal working.
The man said he has served on a jury before — on both a grand jury and a jury in a criminal trial.
The man said he gets his news from “a smattering” of news sources. As for social media, he said he doesn’t use it.
Former President Donald Trump appears in Manhattan criminal court in New York City on Monday. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The man said he has a relative who works in finance and brothers-in-law that work as lawyers.
The man said he has no feelings about how Trump is being treated in this case.
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The person who was first labeled as Juror #4 was excused Thursday morning after it was revealed that he had been previously arrested in Westchester, New York, for tearing down right-wing political advertisements.
Juror #5
Juror #5 is a young and a New York native who has been a teacher of English Language Arts for eight years.
The woman was previously a caseworker at a juvenile detention center. She said she has a masters’ degree in education.
“I’m creative at heart,” she said, adding that she enjoys photography.
The woman said that she is not married and does not have children. Her mother was an administrative aide for a police department, and her godfather was a homicide detective.
The woman said she gets her news from Google and TikTok.
She was asked if Trump chose not to testify, whether she would hold that against him.
“I won’t hold that against him,” she said.
Former President Donald Trump appears with his legal team Todd Blanche, left, and Emil Bove ahead of the start of jury selection at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City on Monday. (Jabin Botsford-Pool/Getty Images)
She explained that she has friends who have strong opinions on the former president but said she is not a political person and tries to avoid political conversations.
She did say, however, that she appreciates Trump’s candor.
“President Trump speaks his mind, and I’d rather that than someone who’s in office who you don’t know what they’re thinking,” she said.
When jurors were asked if they were aware Trump was charged in other cases than Bragg’s, most jurors were. However, juror #5 raised her hand to indicate that she was learning of additional charges for the first time.
Former President Donald Trump appears in Manhattan criminal court in New York City on Tuesday. Trump’s first criminal trial got off to a plodding start on Monday, with the proceedings stalling over disagreements about evidence and other last-minute arguments, leaving even the former president looking bored and resting his eyes at times. (Justin Lane/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Juror #6
Juror #6 is a young woman who lives in Manhattan. She described herself as a New Yorker.
The woman is a software engineer and said she likes to dance.
Juror #7
Juror #7 is originally from North Carolina and works as an attorney and civil litigator.
The man said he is married with two children, and his wife works in risk management for a bank. He said he enjoys spending time outdoors and with his family.
The man said he gets his news from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, the New York Post and The Washington Post.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg arrives at Manhattan criminal court in New York on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
When asked if his career as a lawyer would impact his ability to serve fair and impartially, or whether his opinions would get in his way, the man said that he does have “political views as to the Trump presidency” and said there were likely Trump administration policies he disagreed with.
“I don’t know the man and I don’t have any opinions about him personally,” he said.
As for his career as a lawyer, he said he does not have any opinions about Trump’s character.
“I certainly follow the news,” he said. “I’m aware there are other lawsuits out there. But I’m not sure that I know anyone’s character.”
Juror #8
Juror #8 is a man who lives on the Upper East Side, and has since 1980. The man is originally from Lebanon. He said he is retired, bu had worked for a major financial firm as a wealth manager. He said he currently consults and holds a Masters of Business Administration.
The man said he is married with two children–a son and a daughter. He said he enjoys skiing, yoga, meditation, and does not participate in any organizations.
The man said he has served on a jury, but said the case was held before the trial began.
The man said he reads The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, CNBC, BBC, and said he does not listen to talk radio.
The man said he does not have any friends who are victims of crime. He also said he has many friends in the financial field and said his brother is an attorney.
The man said he can be a fair and impartial juror. He also said he does not have any opinions or beliefs about Trump that would prevent him from being fair or impartial.
Juror #9
Juror #9 is a woman who lives in Manhattan. She is originally from New Jersey and works as a speech therapist.
The woman is not married and does not have children. She said she likes to spend time with friends, go to restaurants and go on walks.
The woman said she has never served on a jury before, and does not watch the news or follow current events too closely. The woman said she did, though, have email subscriptions to CNN and The New York Times. She said she follows social media accounts, listens to podcasts and enjoys reality television.
The woman said she does not listen to talk radio.
The woman said she can be fair and impartial. She said she does have opinions about Trump, but said she believes she can put them aside and be fair and impartial.
Juror #10
Juror #10 is a man who lives in Manhattan. He was born and raised in Ohio and works in commerce for a large company. The man has a college degree.
The man said he is not married and has no children, but lives with another adult who works in accounting.
The man said he enjoys being outdoors and loves animals.
The man said he does not really follow the news, but listens to podcasts on behavioral psychology.
The man said he has no strong opinions on how Trump is being treated in this case.
Juror #11
Juror #11 is a woman who lives in upper Manhattan. The woman is originally from California. She is not married.
Her hobbies include traveling.
The woman said that she doesn’t really follow the news, but does watch late night news.
The woman said that her apartment has been robbed before.
She says she can be fair and impartial.
Juror #12
Juror #12 is a woman living on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. She previously lived in South Carolina and North Carolina.
The woman is a physical therapist for 15 years and holds both a Bachelors and Doctorate degree. She is married and does not have children. Her husband is a coach for a professional sports team.
The woman said she enjoys running, playing tennis, and listening to live music.
The woman said she reads The New York Times, USA Today, and CNN. She said she listens to podcasts related to sports and faith.
She said she has two brother-in-laws and three sister-in-laws who are attorneys, but said none of them practice criminal law.
She said she can be fair and impartial.
Fox News’ Grace Taggart contributed to this report.
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Boston, MA
Shay Maloney’s overtime goal lifts Boston Fleet to road victory
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Shay Maloney scored 41 seconds into overtime and the Boston Fleet edged the Vancouver Goldeneyes 2-1 on Tuesday night.
Much of the game was a goalie duel, with neither side scoring until the third period.
Haley Winn was first to strike, getting the Fleet on the board early in the final frame with her second goal of the year.
Hannah Miller responded for the Goldeneyes with 3:26 remaining, blasting a one-timer past Boston goalie Aerin Frankel from just inside the blue line. Frankel stopped 25 of the 26 shots she faced, and the Fleet won its sixth straight game.
Kristen Campbell made 25 saves in the Vancouver net.
The win moved the Fleet back into sole possession of first place in the league standings, two points ahead of the Montreal Victoire.
Vancouver was without goalie Emerance Maschmeyer, who is listed as day to day with an upper-body injury. Kimberly Newell served as Campbell’s backup.
Pittsburg, PA
How Pittsburgh area drivers can save money on gas as prices rise during the war with Iran
Until the prices at the gas pump start to come down, we’re all looking for a way to trim our spending on fuel. The good news is that there are a number of ways to do that, and they just might be in your wallet or on your phone right now.
Whether it’s credit card reward programs or brand loyalty programs, finding a discount at the gas station is easier than you might think.
Most major gas stations either have loyalty programs or memberships that can save you money. There’s also the option of using AAA to find some savings.
On your phone, there are several apps and options that can save you money, like GasBuddy or Waze.
“The Auto Club app, which is our app, it actually will guide you toward the least expensive fuel in the area near you,” explained Jim Garrity of AAA East Central.
Both AAA and AARP have deals with Shell, where members can get five cents off a gallon.
Meanwhile, if you’re getting your shopping done at one of the warehouse, wholesale stores such as Sam’s Club, BJ’s, or Costco, part of your membership is a gas discount, which is usually at least 10 cents cheaper.
Even if you aren’t a member of one of these wholesale stores, many grocery stores have rewards programs that can get you a discount at gas stations.
Garrity said there are also things you can do behind the wheel that can save you money on gas, starting with slowing down.
“Essentially, for every five miles over 50 miles an hour you’re driving, we found that you’re decreasing your fuel economy exponentially,” he explained.
He also said that drivers should avoid jack rabbit starts – basically pushing down on the gas pedal instead of easing off the brake and putting slight pressure on the gas pedal. Drivers also should make sure that they’re keeping up with regular maintenance.
“They save up pennies that over time really add up,” he said.
Obviously, changing your driving habits is hard, especially because you don’t see immediate results, and that can lead to frustration.
Using those memberships, rewards programs, and discount resources, that’s real money and more immediate.
Connecticut
Study: Late-Night Gamers in Connecticut Are Dragging Down Productivity
According to a study published by Win.gg, all those late-night gaming sessions aren’t just wrecking your sleep—they’re wrecking Connecticut’s bottom line. Yeah, apparently your midnight raid or Fortnite grind comes with a side of lost productivity, and it adds up fast.
Win.gg surveyed 2,000 working gamers across the U.S., then crunched the numbers with data from the U.S. Census and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The results? Roughly 47% of employed gamers in Connecticut admit they’re dragging the next day after a late-night session. On average, that translates to about 2.6 hours of work that… well, never really happens. If you put a dollar figure on it, that’s about $104 lost per worker in a single day. Multiply that by the state, and we’re looking at a staggering $74 million in lost productivity. Yup, you read that right—$74 million just because people stayed up too late chasing loot or finishing that last level.
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It’s not just your career that’s taking a hit, either. Gamers in the state report cutting their sleep by an average of 1.8 hours to fit in those extra hours of gaming. And we all know what happens when you skimp on sleep: coffee consumption goes up, focus goes down, and suddenly responding to emails feels like decoding hieroglyphics.
So, what does this mean for Connecticut? Employers are essentially paying for productivity that doesn’t happen, and the state as a whole is bleeding money. But let’s be real—nobody’s about to stop gaming. If anything, this is a reminder that maybe those late-night raids are best saved for the weekend, or at least capped so the Monday grind doesn’t feel like a marathon through molasses.
If you want to dive into all the numbers and methodology, Win.gg has the full breakdown here. But the takeaway is clear: your gaming habit might be costing more than you think—both in sleep and in dollars.
Exploring Beyond the Rusty Gates of Danbury’s Oldest Cemetery on Wooster Street
I live just down the block from the Wooster Street Cemetery and whenever I pass, I am always struck at how odd it is. You have this quiet, beautiful place that is dedicated to the people who were buried there, in the middle of a busy city and almost no one ever goes there. I decided to go take a deeper look around and see what was beyond the iron gates and stone walls.
Gallery Credit: Lou Milano
7 of the Most Beautiful Towns in the State of Connecticut
Connecticut is overflowing with both manmade and natural beauty. In some places, the two intersect to create a magical, almost fictional feel. Here are 7 Connecticut Towns that look like they came straight from a storybook.
Gallery Credit: Lou Milano
Top 10 Chain Restaurants with the Most Locations in Connecticut
The other day the boys and I were talking about KFC’s new “gravy flights,” and it got me wondering—do you know which fast-food chain has the most locations in Connecticut? None of us did, so I looked it up.
Gallery Credit: Lou Milano
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