Your Morning: Trump trial date expected to be set at hearing

The latest: The federal judge overseeing the classified documents prosecution of former President Donald Trump is expected to set a trial date Friday. 

Timing: The crucial decision could affect whether Trump will face a jury while he campaigns in the 2024 presidential election. Before the hearing, prosecutors suggested a July 8 trial date. Trump’s defense argued there was no way to hold a fair trial this year due to the election, but they proposed Aug. 12 as a possible date to start jury selection. 

Refresh: In Florida, Trump faces 40 felony counts that accuse him of willfully retaining dozens of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate and rejecting demands to give them back. Prosecutors in the case brought by Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith said “there has never been a case in American history in which a former official has engaged in conduct remotely similar to Trump’s.” Trump has denied any wrongdoing. His lawyers asked to have the case dismissed, claiming that presidential immunity protects him from prosecution. 

What to know: A transcript from the closed-door deposition of Hunter Biden has been released to the public. Hunter Biden appeared Wednesday on Capitol Hill, marking a critical phase for Republicans in their impeachment inquiry into his father, President Joe Biden, and the family’s business affairs. Find five takeaways from the transcript here >

Wildfires scorch Panhandle: Firefighters are trying to corral the largest wildfire in Texas history, which has forced community members like Danny Phillips of Stinnett to evacuate. “We had to watch from a few miles away as our neighborhood burned,” he said. A dusting of snow covered parts of the scorched area Thursday. Crews are racing against the clock to stamp out the fire ahead of higher temperatures and winds expected to hit the area in the coming days. The Smokehouse Creek fire grew to nearly 1,700 square miles and merged with another fire. According to the Texas A&M Forest Service, it’s just 3% contained. 

Dueling border visits: President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump made dueling appearances at the U.S.-Mexico border Thursday. The visits offered a preview of how they will handle immigration and compete over the issue in the 2024 presidential election.

Blame game: With the possibility of a Biden-Trump rematch in November, both front-runners pointed fingers at each other for the state of the southern border. Biden’s team has argued Trump discouraged Republicans from supporting a bipartisan border security bill. “Here’s what I would say to Mr. Trump: Instead of playing politics with the issue, instead of telling members of Congress to block this legislation, join me, or I’ll join you in telling the Congress to pass this bipartisan border security bill. We can do it together,” the president said. Trump blamed Biden for the migrant surge and crimes involving migrants. “This is a Joe Biden invasion. This is a Biden invasion,” Trump said, claiming the U.S. was being “overrun by Biden migrant crime.” Trump specifically pointed to the death of nursing student Laken Riley, where police have charged a Venezuelan migrant in the case. 

Funeral: Family, friends and classmates of nursing student Laken Riley will gather Friday for the 22-year-old’s funeral in Woodstock, Georgia. Riley “loved nursing and caring for others,” according to her obituary.

Remembering Laken Riley: Riley was a nursing student at Augusta University’s Athens campus but started her college career at the University of Georgia. She was found dead Feb. 22 after a roommate reported she didn’t come home from a morning run in a wooded area of the University of Georgia campus. Authorities say Jose Ibarra, a stranger, dragged Riley into a secluded area and killed her. Find a timeline retracing key moments of the case here >

Zoom in: Riley’s death is now at the center of the U.S. immigration debate. Ibarra, the suspect in Riley’s killing, is a Venezuelan man who authorities say entered the U.S. illegally and was reportedly allowed to stay to pursue his immigration case.