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Shumita Basu, Narrating: Good morning! It's Monday, April 3rd. I'm Shumita Basu. This is "Apple News Today." On today's show, a mysterious explosion in Russia kills a controversial pro-war blogger, how to prevent inflation from wrecking your budget and the new champions of women's college basketball.
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But first, the latest on Donald Trump facing criminal charges. Many key Republicans are attacking the Manhattan DA, calling the prosecution politically motivated. Some have said little or nothing about the indictment. But over the weekend, Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson entered the presidential race and told "ABC" he thinks Trump should drop out.
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Asa Hutchinson: First of all, the office is more important than any individual person. And so, for the sake of the office of the presidency, I do think that's too much of a sideshow and distraction, and he needs to be able to concentrate on his due process.
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Trump has consistently said he'll continue his bid for the presidency. Ahead of the indictment, "Vox" pulled together a panel of political strategists from both parties to talk about what the indictment could mean for his presidential campaign.
A couple think it'll hurt Trump more than it'll help. One Republican strategist said that Trump already faces an uphill battle to get the party's nomination. For GOP voters who like Trump's policies but not his personal drama, the latest legal troubles may make his opponents seem more appealing. And a Democratic strategist thinks the indictment might help Trump in the Republican primary but will turn off general election voters.
Some Republican strategists say the indictment may help Trump by rallying his supporters and keeping him in the spotlight. And they say that this case about hush-money payments could be seen as less serious compared to the other ones Trump is still facing, about January 6th and his handling of classified documents.
"The Washington Post" has new reporting on the case involving classified documents at Mar-a-Lago. It says investigators have new evidence suggesting that Trump went through materials after receiving a subpoena from the Justice Department, which points to possible obstruction by Trump. A spokesman for Trump says the investigations, quote, "have no basis in facts or law" and the prosecution is illegally leaking information to manipulate public opinion.
Trump is expected to be arraigned in New York in the hush-money case tomorrow.
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Let's take a moment now to talk about some big stories we're following.
At least 32 people are dead following a strong string of tornadoes that hit the South and Midwest. Some of the worst damage was in Tennessee, Arkansas and Illinois. There are more severe thunderstorms forecast for later in the week, which could produce even more tornadoes.
In Saint Petersburg, an explosion at a cafe that killed a pro-war blogger is under investigation as a murder. Vladlen Tatarsky was speaking at an event at the cafe. The blast killed him and injured several people. Tatarsky was a prominent supporter of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. But he was recently sharply critical of the military's performance on the battlefield.
Russia still has "Wall Street Journal" reporter Evan Gershkovich in custody on espionage charges that the "Journal" and the Biden administration have denied. Yesterday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken called his Russian counterpart to say Gershkovich should be released.
Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman is now out of the hospital after treatment for depression. He talked to "CBS" about his condition.
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John Fetterman: You know, my aspiration is to take my son to the restaurant that we were supposed to go during his birthday but couldn't because I had checked myself in for depression. And being the kind of dad, the kind of husband and the kind of senator that Pennsylvania deserves. You know, truly, that's what my aspiration is.
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And finally, ever since the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, it feels like there's been a slow and steady trickle of news stories about chemical spills in many parts of the country. It's a fairly common problem and there's lots of new focus, rightfully, on the safety of the trains that carry these chemicals.
But I read a perspective in "Scientific American" that I haven't heard in many other places. Several researchers with backgrounds in chemistry and health argue that we also need to look at another issue, which is the chemicals themselves. They point out that many of the hazardous materials used in manufacturing were developed decades ago. And they're calling on the chemical industry to put more money and brainpower into developing safer chemicals. Worrying about the trains is one thing, but it's even better if what they're carrying is less dangerous in the first place.
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Do you know what you're spending day to day, week to week? Even if you are one of those people who tracks every penny, high inflation means it's possible you're spending a lot more than you realize.
Economists and psychologists already know that there's often a difference between what people think they spend and what they actually spend. "The Wall Street Journal" looks into why that gap seems to be getting bigger lately. You can see it in data showing that the average household credit card balance grew nine percent in a year. And carrying a bigger balance hurts even more these days. Average credit card interest is at a record high, around 20 percent.
Researchers tell the "Journal" that people tend to rely on past costs when projecting costs for the future. But rising prices for food, rent and gas mess up that picture. And in stressful situations, people sometimes find it harder to keep track of spending. Some people spend more when they're stressed as a coping method, buying things to feel better.
If some of these ideas sound familiar, that's potentially a good sign that you're mindful of the need to stick to a budget. So, you can try a few tips from the article. One is don't just budget for the usual stuff. Set aside a buffer to take care of unexpected costs, things like medical bills or car repair. Also plan for your budget to go up roughly two to five percent every year to account for inflation. If you treat it less as a surprise and more like an inevitability, that could save you some grief in the long run.
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The women of Louisiana State University are college basketball's new champions. They shut down Iowa last night, outplaying the team that had the tournament's biggest star in Caitlin Clark.
This makes Kim Mulkey the first women's college basketball coach to lead two different teams to national titles. Moments after sealing the win, she told "ESPN" how it felt.
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Kim Mulkey: Never in the history of LSU basketball, men or women, have ever played for a championship. And to win it? [CHUCKLES] I think my tears are tears of joy. I'm so happy for everybody back home in Louisiana.
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LSU's victory was a surprise to many. Iowa was the favorite. LSU was a Number 3 seed, and some questioned how good the team was, saying it didn't play enough tough opponents during its regular season. But LSU crushed expectations and broke a record along the way. The team won 102 to 85, becoming the highest-scoring team in the history of women's national championship games.
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Tonight is the men's title game. UConn takes on San Diego State.
You can find more March Madness coverage in the Apple News app, along with all of the day's big stories. And if you're already listening in the News app right now, stick around.
We've got a narrated article about "Dungeons & Dragons." The new movie opened at number one in America, racking up more than 70 million dollars worldwide. "Bloomberg Businessweek" looks at all the ways the toy company Hasbro is trying to capitalize on the long-running role-playing game brand.
So, sit back, enjoy listening to that, and I'll be back with the news tomorrow.
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