Your Morning: Biden, Trump prepare for debate (2024)

YOUR MORNING

What’s going on: Former President Donald Trump has promised mass deportations if he’s elected this fall, but some argue that this policy could damage the U.S. economy, as many immigrants illegally in the U.S. contribute to the workforce. About 11 million of these immigrants are currently living in the U.S., and more than 5 million of them are in the workforce undertaking jobs most Americans are unwilling to work, according to the Pew Research Center. Read more >

What’s happening: Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich went on trial Wednesday behind closed doors in Russia, 15 months after his arrest on espionage charges. The 32-year-old journalist appeared in court inside the glass defendants’ cage with his head shaved, wearing a black-and-blue plaid short with a yellow padlock attached to the cage. The State Department has declared Gershkovich “wrongfully detained.” The latest >

Verdict watch: Jury deliberations in the Karen Read trial are entering day two. Read, 43, of Mansfield, Massachusetts, has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and other charges in the death of her boyfriend, John O’Keefe. O’Keefe, a 16-year veteran of the Boston Police Department, was found unresponsive in January 2022 in a snowbank outside of a fellow police officer’s home in Canton, Massachusetts. He was rushed to the hospital where he was later pronounced dead. Read more >

The arguments: Prosecutors claim Read hit O’Keefe with her SUV outside of the home during a snowstorm after a night of drinking. The defense insists Read is the innocent victim of a police cover-up, saying O’Keefe was killed during a fight at the house and dumped on the front lawn. What you need to know about the case >

Missing: The Bahamas’ director general of tourism has offered her sympathies to the family of Taylor Casey, a 41-year-old Chicago woman who local authorities say has not been seen for six days. “Our hearts are with the family of the person that is missing,” Latia Duncombe said. “I’m sure the authorities are doing everything in their power to bring some resolve.” The latest >

Taylor Casey: The Chicago woman disappeared from a yoga retreat on Paradise Island — 5 miles from Nassau — on June 19. An active police investigation is currently underway. The retreat Casey attended was previously praised by Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop lifestyle brand as “otherworldly,” idyllic” and “fully immersive.” Casey’s mother said her family is “deeply concerned for Taylor’s safety and well-being.” Read more >

Watch: East Palestine resident Christina Siceloff told NewsNation the National Transportation Safety Board’s report on the Ohio train derailment isn’t surprising to those who live in the area and who have been complaining of continued contamination and health problems they say started after the derailment. The toll of the derailment is still being discovered, with recent data showing that toxic chemicals spread to 16 states across the Midwest. Watch the interview >

Background: On the evening of Feb. 3, 2023, a Norfolk Southern train derailed as it traveled through East Palestine, spilling toxic chemicals, including vinyl chloride, into the area. The train was then set on fire in what officials at the time said was a bid to avoid a bigger explosion. This sparked health concerns among residents. Read more >

NTSB report: The NTSB said Norfolk Southern failed to provide first responders with important information following the derailment. The agency also found that an overheated wheel bearing caused the derailment and that the vent and burn that released toxic chemicals into the environment was unnecessary. The NTSB issued a list of recommendations that include more training for first responders and federal standards for sensors. Details of the NTSB’s findings >

New rule: A new federal rule was finalized a day before the NTSB’s final hearing on the derailment. The rule aims to ensure first responders can find out what hazardous chemicals are on a train almost immediately after a derailment so they can respond appropriately. The local fire chief in charge of the Ohio train derailment response said it took him 45 minutes to learn exactly what was in the 11 burning tank cars on the train, and neighboring fire departments assisting said they didn’t know until two hours after the crash. Take a closer look at the rule >

Coffee: Nearly 300 types of canned coffee products distributed through different coffee roasters and retailers across the country are being recalled. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Snapchill LLC, a Wisconsin-based company, is voluntarily recalling all of its canned coffee products within expiration date because they learned the company’s manufacturing process could lead to a potentially fatal form of food poisoning. Read more >

Ice cream: A recall alert has been issued for some ice cream products sold nationwide at retailers like Walmart and Giant Eagle. According to the U.S Food and Drug Administration, Totally Cool, Inc., based in Maryland, recalled multiple brands of ice cream products that could potentially be contaminated with listeria monocytogenes. The recalled products include some popular brand names such as Hershey’s Ice cream, Jeni’s, and more. Take a closer look >

Trucks: Ford is recalling more than 550,000 pickup trucks in the U.S. because the transmissions can unexpectedly downshift to first gear no matter how fast the trucks are traveling. The recall covers certain types of F-150 pickup trucks from the 2014 model year. Ford’s F-Series pickups are the top-selling vehicles in the U.S., according to reports. Details >

WHAT WE’RE WATCHING 👀

NEWS ACROSS AMERICA

A Texas judge on Tuesday set a $10 million bond for one of two men charged with capital murder in connection with the death of 12-year-old Texas girl Jocelyn Nungaray. Details from court >

Five people are dead and a 13-year-old girl is hospitalized following a late-night shooting at a Las Vegas apartment complex. The latest >

A medical examiner’s report reveals new details about the death of South Carolina pastor’s wife Mica Miller. What to know >

The maker of Ozempic and Wegovy announced it plans to build a manufacturing plant in North Carolina to expand production. The latest >

Wisconsin native and celebrated actor Gena Rowlands, who acted in the 2004 film “The Notebook,” is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, her son said. Read more >

A K-9 officer in Missouri died after being left in a hot car overnight. The investigation >

A new law in San Diego now expands the physical barrier of protection for people going into churches, schools and health care facilities amid any protests or demonstrations. Read more >

In a groundbreaking procedure, a Chicago resident received a kidney transplant while conscious. What to know >

Officers with the Phoenix Police Department in Arizona finished a grocery delivery after arresting a DoorDash driver. Watch >

Video shows a black bear in Tennessee lunging at a park employee. Watch >

What was once a childhood pastime is turning into a professional sport, with the Pillow Fight Championship that recruits athletes mostly from Florida, leading the charge as the world’s first professional pillow fighting league. How it works >