BOISE, Idaho (AP) — The trial of a man charged with the deaths of his wife and his girlfriend’s two youngest children began with jury selection in Idaho this week, serving as a second act in a bizarre case that has drawn worldwide attention and already resulted in a life sentence for the mother of the children.

Chad Daybell’s trial is expected to last up to 10 weeks, and jury selection began in Boise Monday morning with 7th District Judge Steven Boyce reading the charges to the potential jurors and telling them that it is up to prosecutors to prove the charges — Daybell does not need to prove his innocence.

The 55-year-old self-published author is charged with three counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of Tammy Daybell, 7-year-old Joshua “JJ” Vallow and JJ’s big sister, Tylee Ryan, who was last seen a few days before her 17th birthday.

The younger children’s mother, Lori Vallow Daybell — who married Chad Daybell shortly after the deaths — was found guilty last year and sentenced to life in prison without parole.

The couple claimed they could tell if people had been possessed by dark spirits that could turn them into “zombies,” former friend Melanie Gibb testified in court. They believed the only way to get rid of a zombie was to destroy the possessed person’s body by killing them.

The children’s bodies were found buried in Chad Daybell’s eastern Idaho yard in the summer of 2020.

Chad Daybell also is charged with insurance fraud in connection with Tammy Daybell’s death and two counts of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and grand theft by deception in the children’s deaths.

If convicted, he could face the death penalty.

Daybell has pleaded not guilty. Last week, his attorney John Prior told KIVI-TV in Boise that Daybell is ready to go forward with the case and “wants to tell his story.”

Two days later, 7th District Judge Steven Boyce issued a gag order barring any of the attorneys or parties in the case from talking about it until after jury selection and opening statements.

Chad and Lori Daybell originally were scheduled to stand trial together, but in 2022 Prior asked the court to split the cases, saying the co-defendants will have " mutually antagonistic defenses.” The legal term generally means a jury would have to disbelieve one defendant in order to believe the other.

“Our version of the facts of this case will differ greatly from what Ms. Vallow and her legal counsel are going to be presenting,” Prior told the judge, who later agreed to split the cases.

Monday, the judge dismissed a couple of potential jurors because they said the long time commitment would present undue hardship. He asked the others if they were aware of Daybell’s case, had already decided his guilt or innocence or if they had any bias that might prevent them from being fair. Several indicated they had heard about the case, but only a couple said that they couldn’t be impartial.

Jury selection is expected to take about a week. Eighteen jurors will be picked, with six of them serving as alternates.

The grim case began in the fall of 2019, after extended family members noticed Lori Vallow’s two youngest kids seemingly had disappeared and prodded law enforcement to launch a search. The subsequent months-long investigation spanned several states and took several grim and unexpected turns.

Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell were having an affair when both of their spouses died unexpectedly, investigators learned. Vallow’s husband was shot to death by her brother in Arizona in July 2019 and the brother told police it was in self-defense.

Tammy Daybell died in her sleep in November 2019, the untimely death first chalked up to natural causes but later determined to be from asphyxiation, according to an autopsy. Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell married just two weeks after Tammy Daybell died, surprising family members and authorities.

The couple’s friends later told detectives that the pair also held unusual religious beliefs, including that they had been reincarnated and were tasked with gathering people before a biblical apocalypse.

Lori Vallow Daybell referred to her two youngest kids as zombies before they vanished in September 2019, one friend would later testify during her trial, Gibb testified.

Prosecutors say Lori and Chad Daybell espoused those doomsday-focused beliefs to justify the deaths of her kids and his wife, but it was all part of a scheme to eliminate any obstacles to their relationship and to obtain money from survivor benefits and life insurance.

NEW YORK (AP) — UPS will become the primary air cargo provider for the United States Postal Service.

The Atlanta shipping company said Monday that it had received an air cargo contract from the U.S. Postal Service that significantly expands an existing partnership between the two.

UPS will move the majority of air cargo in the U.S. for the postal service following a transition period, according to UPS.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

USPS’s current air cargo contract with FedEx Corp. is set to expire in late September.

FedEx said in a regulatory filing that it wasn’t able to reach an agreement on mutually beneficial terms to extend its contract with USPS. The company said that negotiations ended on Friday, after extensive talks.

FedEx Express will continue to provide air transportation services domestically and to Puerto Rico until the contract expires on Sept. 29.

During FedEx’s third-quarter conference call on March 21, Chief Customer Officer Brie Carere said that the company had provided its services to USPS for more than two decades and that the two sides were still in negotiations.

USPS announced a four-year extension of its air cargo network contract with FedEx in 2020. The mail and delivery service said that the contract provided for domestic air transportation for U.S. Mail, Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express.

Air cargo shipments have been rising. Last month the International Air Transport Association said that total demand for air cargo, which is measured in cargo ton-kilometers, climbed 18.4% in January compared with the prior-year period. That’s the highest annual growth in the figure since the summer of 2021.

Shares of United Parcel Service Inc. rose nearly 2% before the opening bell Monday, while FedEx’s stock fell 2.1%

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KKCO/Gray News) - Snow scientists from NASA and Boise State University were up on the Grand Mesa testing new radar technology to monitor snow cover Thursday, which is a part of NASA’s SnowEx campaign.

NASA said that no single satellite-borne sensor has yet been demonstrated to accurately measure the planet’s snow water equivalent.

Mapping the amount of snow on a mountain range can give an accurate idea of how much snow melt will go into rivers and streams, necessary for water management, flood forecasting, hydro-power forecasting, avalanche-related problems and much more.

Grand Mesa is one of 20 field sites where the technology is being tested.

The team of snow scientists gathered on the Grand Mesa, the largest mesa in the world, from their base of operations, the Grand Mesa Lodge, to work with an aircraft that took off from Grand Junction Regional Airport.

The aircraft used an instrument featuring radar sensors developed by the University of Massachusetts.

The team on the ground launched from the lodge to a testing site around 40 minutes away.

Hans Peter “HP” Marshall explained why Grand Mesa was an ideal location to test snow-measuring radar technology.

“Having a place like Grand Mesa that’s at 11,000 feet gives us a much better chance of having dry snow conditions and it’s a flat area. It’s the largest mesa in the world, and that allows us to test these instruments in a relatively simple topography.”

Snow melt-generated water supply provides around 70% of the western United States’ water supply, and it’s a prized commodity that is expected to decrease this century, NASA said.

In recent years, Northern Hemisphere snow cover has been declining at a rate greater than Arctic sea ice.

WACO, Texas (KWTX/Gray News) - A man who went viral after giving an unhoused person a haircut graduated barber school on Saturday.

James Rangel was incarcerated in the early 2000s and has since turned his life around.

On Saturday, he graduated from barber school after spending the last year and a half balancing school with a full-time job.

“I made it all the way to the 11th grade and I went to three different high schools and I dropped out,” he said.

In 2020, a photo of Rangel cutting an unhoused person’s hair for free went viral on Facebook.

Rangel wanted to go to barber school but could not afford it.

“Living check to check is hard. One little thing and you could end up in a hole,” he said.

A barber school’s owner pitched in $4,000 to help while the community covered the other $6,000.

“I feel like I’m just out there with a good heart and people see it and they like it and it’s a positive thing,” Rangel said.

Rangel says his good heart allowed him to graduate from barber school.

“I really do believe that if you work for God, he’ll work for you,” Rangel said.

Rangel is working on a comic book about his story of giving back to unhoused people. He also plans to start his own mobile barber business or work at a barber shop in the area.

BALTIMORE (AP) — The U.S. Coast Guard has opened a temporary, alternate channel for vessels involved in the clearing of debris at the site of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, part of a phased approach to opening the main channel leading to the vital port, officials said.

Crews are undertaking the complicated work of removing steel and concrete at the site of the bridge’s deadly collapse into the Patapsco River after a container ship lost power and crashed into a supporting column. On Sunday, dive teams surveyed parts of the bridge and checked the ship, and workers in lifts used torches to cut above-water parts of the twisted steel superstructure.

Officials said the temporary channel is open only to vessels that are helping with the cleanup effort. Authorities believe four workers plunged to their deaths in the collapse. Recovery of their bodies is a key part of the ongoing salvage operation.

Officials earlier said the channel would have a controlling depth of 11 feet (over 3 meters), a horizontal clearance of 264 feet (80 meters) and a vertical clearance of 96 feet (29 meters). A video released Sunday showed the Coast Guard dropping buoys in the water.

“This marks an important first step along the road to reopening the port of Baltimore,” Capt. David O’Connell, the federal on-scene coordinator of the response, said in a statement Monday. “By opening this alternate route, we will support the flow of marine traffic into Baltimore.”

On Monday, the Small Business Administration is opening a center in Dundalk, Maryland, to help small businesses get loans to help them with losses caused by the disruption of the bridge collapse.

And President Joe Biden will visit the site of the bridge collapse on Friday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre announced Monday. He will meet with state and local officials and get an “on-the-ground look” at federal response efforts, Jean-Pierre said.

Also Monday, the Small Business Administration opened two centers in the area to help companies get loans to assist them with losses caused by the disruption of the bridge collapse. One of the centers is in Dundalk, a suburb of Baltimore on the northeast end of the bridge.

Yvette Jeffery, a spokesperson for the agency’s disaster recovery office, said affected businesses can receive loans for as much as $2 million. She said the effects could range from supply-chain challenges to decreased foot traffic in communities that depended heavily on the bridge.

The bridge fell as the crew of the cargo ship Dali lost power and control on March 26. They called in a mayday, which allowed just enough time for police to stop vehicles from getting on the bridge, but not enough time to get a crew of eight workers off the structure.

Two workers survived, two bodies were found in a submerged pickup, and four more men are presumed dead. Weather conditions and the tangled debris underwater have made it too dangerous for divers to search for their bodies.

The Dali is managed by Synergy Marine Group and owned by Grace Ocean Private Ltd. Danish shipping giant Maersk chartered the Dali, which was on its way out of port when it lost power.

Along with clearing the shipping channel to reopen the port, officials are trying to determine how to rebuild the major bridge, which was completed in 1977. It carried Interstate 695 around southeast Baltimore and became a symbol of the city’s working-class roots and maritime culture.

Congress is expected to consider aid packages to help people who lose jobs or businesses because of the prolonged closure of the Port of Baltimore. The port handles more cars and farm equipment than any other U.S. facility.

Contributing to this report were Associated Press journalists Mike Pesoli in Baltimore; Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina; and Sarah Brumfield in Washington.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Gray News) - The White House is holding its annual Easter Egg Roll Monday, a tradition since the 1800s.

First lady Dr. Jill Biden, a career educator, gave the 144th event the theme of “EGGucation,” and the grounds of the White House have been transformed into a school community, full of fun and educational activities, the White House said.

The start of the event was delayed for 90 minutes because of thunder and lightning in the area, the Associated Press reported.

“Easter reminds us of the power of hope and renewal, and sacrifice and resurrection,” President Joe Biden told attendees, speaking from the White House balcony, where he was flanked by two large Easter bunnies, one wearing sunglasses like his. “But mainly love and grace towards one another.”

Biden said this year’s egg roll was a time to “cherish the blessings, the possibilities that we have as Americans.”

“That’s what I see in our country. We’re a great nation because we’re a good people,” he said. “Our values are solid.”

The president then headed out on the lawn, bending down to help a few youngsters with their eggs.

The American Egg Board, on behalf of America’s egg farmers, presented the 2024 First Lady’s Commemorative Egg to the first lady.

The special egg design, which features two eggs surrounded by smaller eggs, was handcrafted by master egg artist Carolyn Bickel from Nashville and “honors Dr. Biden’s passion for education and inspiring future leaders of all ages. This year’s one-of-a-kind design celebrates the power of education, imagination, and dreams for the future,” the American Egg Board said.

About 40,000 are expected to take part in this year’s event, the White House said, including thousands of military and veteran families, caregivers and survivors. The general public’s tickets were distributed through an online public lottery.

The events will be broken into nine sessions, beginning at 7 a.m. and lasting until 7 p.m.

The White House event dates back to 1878 when President Rutherford B. Hays first welcomed children onto the White House grounds.

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC/AP/Gray News) - Disbarred Lowcountry attorney and convicted killer Alex Murdaugh has learned how much more time he faces in prison for his federal financial crimes.

Murdaugh, who was accused of stealing millions of dollars from his clients during his time as a lawyer, has been sentenced to another 40 years. A judge is also requiring he pay $8.7 million in restitution to his victims.

The sentencing took place at Monday at the U.S. District Courthouse in Charleston.

The 55-year-old disbarred attorney is already serving a life sentence without parole in a state prison for killing his wife and son.

A report by federal agents recommended a prison sentence between 17 1/2 and just under 22 years.

The 40-year sentence will be insurance on top of insurance. Along with the life sentence, Murdaugh pleaded guilty and was ordered to spend 27 years in prison in state court on financial crime charges. The federal sentence will run at the same time as his state prison term, and he likely will have to serve all 40 years if his murder convictions are overturned on appeal.

U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel said he sentenced Murdaugh to a harsher punishment than suggested because Murdaugh stole from “the most needy, vulnerable people” like a client who became a quadriplegic after a crash, a state trooper who was injured on the job, and a trust fund meant for children whose parents were killed in a wreck.

“They placed all their problems and all their hopes on Mr. Murdaugh, and it is from those people he abused and stole. It is a difficult set of actions to understand,” Gergel said.

Murdaugh entered guilty pleas to 22 federal charges on Sept. 21.

“I want to take responsibility. I want my son to see me take responsibility,” Murdaugh told Gergel. “It’s my hope by taking responsibility that people I’ve hurt can begin to heal.”

In court documents filed last week, federal prosecutors said Murdaugh wasn’t truthful when FBI agents asked him where more than $6 million he stole ended up and whether another attorney helped him steal from clients and his law firm.

The prosecutors wanted a judge to revoke their end of a plea deal with Murdaugh on theft and other charges and order him to the maximum of well over 100 years in prison when he is sentenced.

In their response, Murdaugh’s lawyers included court documents from state prosecutors in his murder case who fought against having the defense use polygraph results that said a Murdaugh friend failed his own test when asked if he was involved in killing Murdaugh’s wife and son.

The Murdaugh results were made unreliable by the FBI examiner who just before the exam asked Murdaugh if he could keep a secret, then told him he had just come from Alabama where he tested van der Sloot, who admitted to killing Natalee Holloway in 2005 in Aruba, defense lawyers said.

The examiner also told Murdaugh he believed he didn’t kill his wife and son and asked him a confusing question about hidden assets, the defense said.

Murdaugh’s lawyers said they might have more objections to the polygraph but they only learned about the prosecution’s allegations Tuesday and hadn’t had time to get their expert to review the results. They are asking the sentencing judge on Monday to ignore the results.

A pre-sentencing motion filed by prosecutors after the Murdaugh brief did not answer the defense’s arguments. The matter will likely be taken up at Monday’s sentencing.

The pre-sentencing report recommends a 17.5 to nearly 22-year prison sentence for Murdaugh on the federal charges.

Prosecutors now want Murdaugh to face the stiffest sentence possible since the plea agreement was breached and serve his federal sentence at the end of any state sentences.

Each of the 22 counts Murdaugh pleaded guilty to in federal court carries a maximum of at least 20 years in prison. Some carry a 30-year maximum.

Prosecutors also want to keep secret four statements, including the polygraph, the Murdaugh gave the FBI.

Investigators think Murdaugh is trying to protect an attorney who helped him steal and that his assertion that more than $6 million in the stolen money went to his drug habit is not true. Releasing the statements could damage an ongoing investigation, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

Federal prosecutors said Murdaugh did appear to tell the truth about the roles banker Russell Laffitte and attorney and old college friend Cory Fleming played in helping him steal.

Laffitte was convicted and sentenced to seven years in prison, while Fleming is serving nearly four years behind bars after pleading guilty.

Police are reportedly looking to speak with Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice in connection with a high-speed crash in Dallas involving six vehicles, according to a report.

Authorities have not yet identified any of the suspects involved to NBC News, but The Dallas Morning News reported on March 31 that police told the outlet one of the cars involved in the crash is believed to be owned or leased by Rice.

NBC News reached out to the Kansas City Chiefs, the NFL and Rice's reps, but have not heard back.

Here's what to know about the incident.

When and where did the crash happen?

The dangerous crash occurred on the night of March 30 on an expressway in Dallas, police said.

According to a preliminary investigation, two drivers, one speeding in a Corvette and the other in a Lamborghini, caused the collision, police said.

"Occupants of the Lamborghini and the Corvette all ran from the scene without stopping to determine if anyone needed medical help or providing their information," the Dallas Police Department said in a statement to NBC News on March 31.

Dashcam video obtained by NBC News appears the show the moment police say the drivers lost control, with one car slamming into the center median and another spinning out.

Was anyone injured in the crash?

Six vehicles total were involved in the collision and two people were taken to the hospital with minor injuries, according to police.

Kayla Quinn told The Dallas Morning News that she was with her 4-year-old son in one of the cars that was hit during the crash. Quinn's mother, Shuqulia Quinn, shared a video of the scene on Facebook that was seemingly recorded by a bystander.

The video shows a battered gray Hyundai Accent with dents on the front and back doors on the driver's side.

Another video shared on Facebook by Shuqulia Quinn seems to show the occupants of a car leaving the scene by walking down the shoulder of the freeway.

Who is Rashee Rice, and why are police reportedly looking to speak with him about the crash?

Rice, 23, is a Texas native who was drafted in the second round by the Kansas City Chiefs last year and played an important role in their march to a second straight Super Bowl title.