Alec Baldwin’s manslaughter trial will remain on track for early July after a judge denied a request to dismiss the case on complaints that key evidence was damaged by the FBI during forensic testing, the AP reported.

Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer sided with prosecutors in rejecting another motion to dismiss the case. The rejection comes a little over a month after a separate motion was denied.

Defense attorneys argued that the gun used in the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was heavily damaged during forensic testing. This, the legal team argued, was done before it could be tested for possible modifications or problems that might exonerate the actor.

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With Judge Sommer’s rejection of the motion, one of the last remaining hurdles for prosecutors has been removed. Jury selection is set to begin on July 9 in Santa Fe.

During the trial, Baldwin’s attorneys expect to call on witnesses from a court-approved list of nearly 60 people. Potential witnesses include director Joel Souza, who was wounded in the shooting, as well as assistant director Dave Halls, who has already pleaded no contest to negligent use of a deadly weapon. Other witnesses will include first responders, investigators, firearms experts and people who witnessed the shooting on set.

Baldwin, who is now fully set to go on trial next month, has claimed that he did not pull the trigger of the prop gun he was holding.  A firearms expert has disputed Baldwin’s claims, stating that the trigger would have needed to be pulled in order for the gun to fire.

In October, a forensic report concluded that the trigger of the prop Colt .45 revolver had been pulled “sufficiently” enough to cause the gun to fire.

“Although Alec Baldwin repeatedly denies pulling the trigger, given the tests, findings and observations reported here, the trigger had to be pulled or depressed sufficiently to release the fully cocked or retracted hammer of the evidence revolver,” reads a firearms report that was commissioned by the state of New Mexico.

If convicted of involuntary manslaughter, Baldwin faces up to 18 months in prison.

California Governor Gavin Newsom was asked whether he would be interested in replacing President Biden if the Democratic Party opts to force him out during their August convention.

While Thursday night’s opening presidential debate did not feature a studio audience, Newsom joined U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX), Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Mary Trump and others at the Biden Campaign spin room in Atlanta.

While Newsom framed President Biden as a strong and competent option to leave his party before the debate, he was bombarded with questions over the future after Biden put on what has widely been viewed as a catastrophic performance. Despite the fact that he has repeatedly turned down the notion that he could replace Biden as the Democratic nominee, Newsom has long been viewed as a frontrunner on the off chance the president did decide to step down.

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“Are you going to be the next Democratic nominee?” Newsom was asked by a reporter shortly after the debate. “No, our nominee is Joe Biden. I’m looking forward to voting for him in November. He’s going to be our nominee,” the California governor answered.

“Because you know that everybody is talking about you as a possible nominee now,” the reporter followed up, at which point Newsom turned and started to walk off without answering the question.

Questions surrounding Biden’s future and his potential role moving forward were continuously directed Newsom’s way throughout the night.

“You were out there getting a chorus of questions about whether Biden should step down. There is panic that has set in,” MSNBC’s Alex Wagner told Newsom. “They shouldn’t be,” he replied.

Wagner then referenced a report about Democrat strategists, donors and elected officials holding internal discussions on the possibility of replacing Biden and asked the governor for his thoughts.

“Well I think it’s unhelpful,” Newsom said. “And I think it’s unnecessary. We’ve gotta go in and keep our head high, and as I say, we’ve gotta have the back of this president.”

Newsom continued, “You don’t turn your back because of one performance. What kind of party does that? It’s been a masterclass.”

The governor then repeated the false claim that Biden created more than 15-million jobs, a figure that includes workers who were returning after COVID-19 shutdowns. “This president has delivered. We need to deliver for him at this moment,” he said.

“With all due respect, the more time we start having these conversations, go down these rabbit holes. It’s unhelpful to our democracy, our fate and future of this country, the world. They need us right now to step up. And that is exactly what I intend to do.”

Newsom is not the only Democrat who has been considered as a top option in the event President Biden steps down, a notion the campaign has thoroughly rejected. CNN’s Anderson Cooper pressed Vice President Harris over Biden’s performance and asked whether he should resign in the hours following the debate.

Biden’s running mate rejected the idea and attempted to frame his performance as substantive and competent, stating that President Biden is “strong.”

“Listen, people can debate on style points, but ultimately, this election and who is the President of the United States has to be about substance. And the contrast is clear,” Harris said.

Former President Barack Obama also attempted to assuage his party’s fears after the debate. “Bad debate nights happen. Trust me, I know. But this election is still a choice between someone who has fought for ordinary folks his entire life and someone who only cares about himself,” the former president wrote in an X post.

“Between someone who tells the truth; who knows right from wrong and will give it to the American people straight — and someone who lies through his teeth for his own benefit. Last night didn’t change that, and it’s why so much is at stake in November.”

In a statement released Friday, President Biden made clear that he intends to remain in the race and debate former President Donald Trump once again in September. “Not only does @POTUS not plan to drop out, Biden remains committed to a second debate in September,” the campaign wrote in an X post.

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President Biden’s post-debate woes continued on Friday afternoon when Time Magazine released a devastating cover.

The new cover took night of widespread Democrat concern over Biden’s debate performance that included multiple freeze-ups and inaudible statements. It features a picture of President Biden wandering off to the side — as if he is walking off the stage — with only the word “Panic” in the title.

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“Panic” was the exact word used by many Democrat strategists, pundits and voters in the immediate aftermath of Thursday night’s debate.

MSNBC’s Joy Reid told her fellow panelists that her phone was blowing up from Democrats expressing “panic” over the debate. “I too was on the phone throughout much of the debate with Obama world people with Democrats, with people who are political operatives, with campaign operatives, my phone really never stopped buzzing throughout. And the universal reaction was somewhere approaching panic,” she said.

“The people who were texting with me were very concerned about President Biden seeming extremely feeble, seeming extremely weak.”

Reid stressed that the panic was not coming from everyday Democrat voters, but from veteran campaign strategists and “Obama world” White House officials.

CNN’s John King used similar words to describe what he was hearing from Democrat insiders and elected officials, many of whom are reportedly mulling the possibility of forcing Biden to step down.

“Minutes into the debate — and it continues right now — it involves party strategists, involves elected officials, it involves fundraisers, and they’re having conversations about the president’s performance, which they think was dismal, which they think will hurt other people down the party in the ticket, and having conversations about what they should do about it,” King reported.

“Some of those conversations include whether we should go to the White House and ask the president to step aside,” King continued.

Despite the concern, President Biden has vowed to stay in the race and has even doubled down on his commitment to the next presidential debate, which is scheduled for September. High-profile candidates who have long been floated as a potential replacement for the president — including California Governor Gavin Newsom and Vice President Kamala Harris — have likewise thrown cold water on the idea.

Legendary ESPN college basketball announcer Dick Vitale has cancer in a lymph node, he announced in a social media post on Friday afternoon.

“My report on the Biopsy of the Lymph Node in my neck has arrived & it is cancerous,” Vitale wrote. “With all the (prayers) I have received & the loving support of my family, friends & ESPN colleagues I will win this battle. Surgery on (Tuesday) will be a success. Thanks for All the prayers.”

Vitale, 85, has battled a number of off-and-on health issues in recent years. Vitale has suffered from melanoma, lymphoma, lesions on his vocal cords and laryngeal cancer since 2021 alone. He most recently announced that he was cancer free back in December.

While battling his illnesses, Vitale has participated in a number of charities that go towards treatment and support for others who are battling cancer. The legendary announcer — who was worked for ESPN since 1979 — has notable championed the the V Foundation, which was created by his late friend and former NC State coach Jim Valvano.

Vitale — whose high-energy calls have long been credited with elevating the sport of college basketball to national prominence — coached the Detroit Pistons in the 1970s before becoming a broadcaster.

Vitale said he will undergo surgery on Tuesday, adding that it “will be a success.”