About half approve of Trump’s conviction, but views of him remain stable

About half of U.S. adults approve of Donald Trump’s recent felony conviction, according to a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The survey shows some potential vulnerabilities, along with some signs of resilience in his support, as Trump tries to become the first American with a felony record to win the presidency.

Less than five months before Election Day, the poll paints a picture of a nation with firmly entrenched opinions of the divisive former Republican president. Overall views of Trump and Democratic President Joe Biden remain unchanged since before the guilty verdict in Trump’s New York hush-money trial.

But the findings also suggest that Trump’s conviction is one more weakness among disaffected Republicans. Although most people in the United States have heard about the conviction, political independents are less likely to be paying attention and more likely to have a neutral opinion of Trump’s conviction, indicating that there may still be room for the campaigns to sway them.

Kim hails Russian ties as Putin reportedly is planning to visit

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un hailed the country’s expanding relationship with Russia on Wednesday, as reports suggest that Russian President Vladimir Putin soon will visit the country for his third meeting with Kim.

Military, economic and other cooperation between North Korea and Russia have increased sharply since Kim visited Russia in September for a meeting with Putin. The U.S., South Korea and their partners believe North Korea has supplied artillery, missiles and other conventional weapons to Russia to support its war in Ukraine in return for advanced military technologies and economic aid.

Kim has been pushing to boost partnerships with Russia and China in a bid to strength his regional footing and launch a united front against the United States.

Six years after Parkland shooting, high school will be demolished

The three-story building where 17 people died in the 2018 mass shooting at Parkland, Fla.’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School looms over campus behind a screened fence, a horrific and constant reminder to students, teachers, the victims’ families and passers-by.

But now after serving as evidence at the murderer’s trial, the building’s destruction starts Thursday as crews begin bringing it down piece by piece — implosion would have damaged nearby structures. Officials plan to complete the weeks-long project before the school’s 3,300 students return in August from summer vacation. Most were in elementary school when the shooting happened.

“Whenever I would walk past it, it was just kind of eerie,” said Aisha Hashmi, who graduated this month. She was in sixth grade in February 2018, but her older siblings were on campus.

North Dakotans approve age limit for members of congress

Voters in North Dakota approved a ballot measure that sets a maximum age for representing the state in Congress, The Associated Press said on Tuesday.

Experts said they believe North Dakota is the first state to impose such a requirement on members of Congress, although they said the measure is likely to be challenged in court.

The ballot measure, to amend the North Dakota Constitution, bars congressional candidates who would turn 81 or older by the end of the year before their term ends from being eligible for office.

The measure provided a rare glimpse into how one state’s voters think about age at a time when questions over the effectiveness of older political leaders have been part of the national conversation.

—Denver Post wire services