Trump's Trial in NY

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Yeknow, it's not entirely impossible that Stormy Daniels might just be the next great America heroine.. I mean, stranger things have happened with the near ~decade long trump train wreck. There isn't really anything that's super out of the question at this point.. Hell, aliens could pop down and intervene for the good of mankind and it wouldn't really be all that surprising.

Twelve New Yorkers have been selected to serve as jurors in former President Donald Trump's criminal trial in Manhattan, filling out the panel on the third day of proceedings.

The 12 jurors include seven men and five women, chosen from a pool of dozens of potential jurors who submitted to questioning about their personal lives and political views. The selection process will continue Friday, since six alternate jurors are needed before the trial can move to opening arguments. One alternate had been selected as of Thursday afternoon.

"We have our jury," Judge Juan Merchan said after the new jurors swore an oath to decide the case in a "fair and impartial manner." Trump, seated at the defense table, stared at the newly sworn-in members as they exited the courtroom.

Merchan said the court is on track to begin opening statements as soon as Monday. Prosecutors will present their case first.

Before court ended for the day, Trump's attorney Todd Blanche asked if the defense could find out the names of the first three witnesses prosecutors plan to call to the stand. Joshua Steinglass, a prosecutor in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office, replied that doing so is a courtesy they normally extend, but refused in this case.

"Mr. Trump has been tweeting about the witnesses. We're not telling them who the witnesses are," Steinglass said.

Merchan said he "can't blame them." Blanche seemed mystified, and asked if the defense is not going to find out who the witnesses are until they walk in the door. He offered to "commit to the court and the [prosecution] that President Trump will not [post] about any witness" on Truth Social, Trump's social media platform.

"I don't think you can make that representation," Merchan said.

Blanche offered another solution: giving the witness names only to the lawyers, who wouldn't share them with Trump.

"I'm not going to order them to do it, no," said Merchan. "I'll see you tomorrow morning."