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☆ Sex tapes! Celebrity rehab! Trump hush-money trial goes full National Enquirer as Hulk Hogan, Lindsay Lohan, Charlie Sheen are name-dropped.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Charlie Sheen, Hulk Hogan, Lindsay Lohan, and Tila Tequila were all name-dropped. Charlie Sheen, Hulk Hogan, Lindsay Lohan, Floyd Mayweather, Tila Tequila — all were name-dropped in morning testimony. Bove asked. Bove asked Davidson. Advertisement"I've represented several clients who had claims against Charlie Sheen," Davidson answered carefully.

Persons: Stormy Daniels, Keith Davidson, Charlie Sheen, Hulk Hogan, Lindsay Lohan, Tila Tequila, —, Donald Trump's, Floyd Mayweather, Playboy Bunny Karen McDougal, Trump, Daniels, Davidson, Emil Bove, Donald Trump, Jane Rosenberg Bove, You've, Bove, you've, shakedowns, McDougal, lister, Hogan, Kevin Winter, Terry Bollea, Bollea, Hulk, Amy Sussman, Lindsay Lohan Davidson, Betty Ford, Lohan, Valerie Macon, Kevin Blatt, Tequila, Charlie Sheen's, Jamie McCarthy, Sheen, Blatt, I've, Anderson, Heidi Gutman, Capri Anderson, I'm Organizations: Service, National Enquirer, Manhattan, Enquirer, Trump, Reuters, Hulk Hogan's, TMZ, Morning America Locations: Manhattan, Sheen, Capri, Anderson

☆ Trump trial resumes with testimony from lawyer behind Stormy Daniels hush money payment
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The New York criminal trial of Donald Trump is set to resume Thursday with more testimony from the attorney who helped broker a hush money payment from the former president's lawyer to porn star Stormy Daniels. The $130,000 payment to Daniels in particular is at the center of the historic criminal trial in Manhattan Supreme Court, where Trump is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records. Trump unlawfully tried to influence that election by buying and suppressing damaging information about him, Bragg alleges. Merchan on Thursday morning was expected to hold another hearing on whether Trump violated the gag order four more times. Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, must sit in court throughout the trial, which is expected to last six weeks.

Persons: Donald Trump, Stormy Daniels, Keith Davidson, Daniels, Karen McDougal, Trump, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Michael Cohen, Bragg, Juan Merchan Organizations: New, Manhattan, Attorney, Trump Locations: Manhattan, New York City, U.S, New York, Merchan

☆ Live Updates: Stormy Daniels's Lawyer to Return to Stand in Trump Criminal Trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Matthew Haag | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +6 min

Mr. Trump, 77, is charged with falsifying 34 business records to hide the payment to Ms. Daniels. He has denied the felony charges, and having had sex with Ms. Daniels and Ms. McDougal. The tabloid had agreed to buy negative stories about Mr. Trump and then bury them. Image Michael D. Cohen, Mr. Trump’s former fixer, was the point of contact for a lawyer seeking to sell stories. Mr. Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, is planning rallies in Wisconsin and Michigan — both battleground states — on Wednesday.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Juan M, Trump’s, Stormy Daniels, Keith Davidson, Karen McDougal, she’d, Daniels, McDougal, Davidson, Dylan Howard, . Bauer, Griffin, ”, Howard, Mr, Ms, Michael D, Cohen, Justice Merchan, Michael Cohen, Gary Farro, Dave Sanders, Todd Blanche, Farro, Blanche, Cohen “, Melania Trump, Barron’s, Merchan Organizations: National Enquirer, Trump, Trump . Credit, Getty, Trump Organization, First Republic Bank, The New York Times, Prosecutors, SPAN, Republican Locations: Los Angeles, Trump ., Wisconsin, Michigan

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has long sought relations with Saudi Arabia, home of Islam’s holiest sites, as the move could domino across the wider Muslim world. The first component includes a package of agreements between the US and Saudi Arabia, another component has the normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel, and a third component for a pathway to a Palestinian state. The subsequent Israeli assault on Gaza, which has left the enclave in ruins and killed more than 34,000 Palestinians, may have changed the parameters of the deal for Saudi Arabia, analysts say. However, there has been no indication that the Biden administration would opt to bypass Congress for the bilateral agreement with Saudi Arabia to pass. Saudi Arabia is rich in uranium deposits and has insisted on being able to enrich it domestically, which would be a first for an Arab state.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Matthew Miller, ” Miller, Antony Blinken, ”, Blinken, Prince Mohamed bin Salman, Netanyahu, Biden, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Israel, Lindsey Graham, ” Graham, Firas Maksad, “, Jamal Khashoggi, ” Maksad, Crown Prince, Karen Young, Edward J, Markey Organizations: CNN, State, Saudi, State Department, Abraham Accords, Israel, MBS, Saudi Foreign, Republican, Senate, Bahrain, Biden, Strategic Outreach, Middle East Institute, Washington DC, Congress, Washington Post, Crown, Columbia University’s Center, Global Energy, Neighboring United, Democratic, Nuclear Weapons, NATO Locations: Saudi Arabia, United States, Israel, Iran, Russia, China, Palestinian, Gaza, ”, Riyadh, Saudi, Washington, Turkey, “ Saudi Arabia, Emirates, Bahrain, U.S

☆ Peloton CEO Barry McCarthy to step down, company to lay off 15% of staff as it looks to refinance debt
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Gabrielle Fonrouge | In Gabrielle-Fonrouge | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

In a letter to staff, McCarthy said the company needed to implement layoffs because it wouldn't be able to generate sustainable free cash flow with its current cost structure. "Achieving positive [free cash flow] makes Peloton a more attractive borrower, which is important as the company turns its attention to the necessary task of successfully refinancing its debt," McCarthy said in the memo. McCarthy had also expected Peloton to reach positive free cash flow by June — a goal the company said it reached early during its third quarter. In a letter to shareholders, Peloton said it generated $8.6 million in free cash flow but it's unclear how sustainable that number is. The company didn't provide specific guidance on what investors can expect with free cash flow in the quarters ahead but said it does expect to "deliver modest positive free cash flow" in its current quarter.

Persons: Barry McCarthy, McCarthy, Karen Boone, Chris Bruzzo, Jay Hoag, It's, John Foley, hasn't, Goldman Sachs, Boone, Barry, Bruzzo, —, hadn't, Creditsafe, it's, Foley Organizations: Interactive, Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference, Spotify, Netflix, JPMorgan, LSEG, outperformance, CNBC Locations: Sun Valley , Idaho, lockstep

☆ How the overturned Harvey Weinstein conviction could echo in Donald Trump’s hush money trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Gloria Pazmino | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Some legal observers believe the Weinstein decision could prove relevant as the hush money trial against former President Donald Trump unfolds in Manhattan. Judge Juan Merchan, who is overseeing the trial and making day-by-day decisions about what evidence is allowed in court, is bound to the same guidelines as the Weinstein trial judge. Stephen Gillers, professor of law at New York University, said the Weinstein ruling will certainly be important to Merchan. Judge Madeline Singas dissented from the Weinstein appeals court ruling, saying the information was needed for the jury to consider. Gillers said the Weinstein decision is not just weighing on the judge’s mind.

Persons: Harvey Weinstein’s, Weinstein, ”, “ Sandoval ”, Donald Trump, Judge Juan Merchan, Sandoval, Douglas Wigdor, “, Trump, Stormy Daniels, It’s, Karen McDougal, Trump’s, McDougal, Daniels, Ronan Farrow, Harvey Weinstein, Merchan, Stephen Gillers, ” Gillers, Deborah Tuerkheimer, Madeline Singas, ” Singas, ‘ Sandoval ’, Weinstein judge’s Sandoval, Augustin Sandoval, Jean Carroll, Tuerkheimer, Merchan’s, he’s, ” Tuerkheimer, Arthur Aidala, Aidala, ” Aidala, “ Harvey, Gillers, –, won’t Organizations: CNN, New, Trump, Molineux, New York University, Northwestern University, ” Prosecutors, Weinstein Locations: New York, Manhattan, Weinstein’s

☆ UK to suffer slowest growth of all rich nations next year, OECD says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The U.K.'s "sluggish" growth prospects have put it on course to be the worst-performing economy of all advanced nations next year, according to new forecasts from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. The downbeat prediction comes as the global economy shows signs of recovery, with growth forecast to remain steady at 3.1% in 2024, before rising modestly to 3.2% in 2025. "We start seeing some recovery in many parts of the world," Alvaro Pereira, director of the OECD's policy studies branch, told CNBC's Silvia Amaro Thursday. Growth among advanced nations next year is set to be led by North America, which Pereira said follows "strong growth" forecasts of 2.6% in the U.S. in 2024. Growth in Europe, meanwhile, is expected to pick up next year after a sluggish 2024.

Persons: Alvaro Pereira, CNBC's Silvia Amaro Thursday, Pereira Organizations: Organisation for Economic Cooperation, Development, North Locations: Germany, Paris, Canada, France, Japan, U.S, North America, Europe

Rumors that the Hollywood star Lindsay Lohan was in rehab. A lawsuit by Hulk Hogan, the former pro wrestler, against the gossip website Gawker for publishing a tape of him having sex. Testimony on Thursday at former President Donald J. Trump’s criminal trial in Manhattan dove deeply into the celebrity-obsessed digital media environment of the past fifteen years or so that helped fuel Mr. Trump’s rise to political prominence. In his testimony, particularly as he was cross-examined, Mr. Davidson and a defense lawyer, Emil Bove, together led the jurors on a whirlwind tour of several gossipy and tawdry deals he had a hand in. Prosecutors say that the former president’s efforts to continue to keep the story hidden were criminal.

Persons: Charlie Sheen, Lindsay Lohan, Hulk Hogan, Donald J, Keith Davidson, Davidson, Emil Bove, Karen McDougal, Stormy Daniels, Trump, Michael D, Cohen Organizations: Hollywood, Prosecutors Locations: Manhattan, Los Angeles

☆ Youthforia: ‘Shark Tank’ Makeup brand faces backlash over shade compared to ‘black face paint’
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Kaila Nichols | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

In her series, “The Darkest Shade,” George reviews the darkest shade in a brand’s lineup to see if it could match her complexion. The darkest Youthforia shade, she claimed, was lighter than what was advertised online and didn’t match her skin tone. In March, the beauty brand added 10 new shades to its “Date Night” collection, many for darker complexions. “Which side of my face is the black face paint or the Youthforia foundation?” she asked in a Tiktok video posted April 30. Last week, Youthforia replied to a comment about the brand’s darkest shade by resharing the video from March.

Persons: Youthforia, Golloria George, TikTok, ” George, Fiona Co Chan, Mark Cuban, George, Chan, “, —, ”, ” Karen Chambers, Rhianna’s, influencers, ” Chambers, IMAN Cosmetics, Posner, Chambers, you’ve, we’re, We’ve, It’s Organizations: CNN, Hourglass Locations: Texas, ”

Without saying so specifically, the upshot from Trump’s attorney was that the Trump deals followed a pattern that bordered on extortion. The upshot from Trump’s attorney was that the Trump deals followed a pattern that bordered on extortion. After the lunch break, Trump attorney Susan Necheles said Trump’s legal team feels the gag order is ambiguous about whether Trump can repost article written by lawyers analyzing the trial. During Tuesday’s session, Davidson testified that he ended up getting involved with the Daniels deal because Cohen was being so difficult. “The moral of the story was: No one wanted to talk to Cohen,” Davidson said.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Stormy Daniels, ” Trump, Emil Bove, Keith Davidson, – Hulk Hogan, Lindsay Lohan, Charlie Sheen, Tila Tequila –, Davidson, Michael Cohen, Daniels, Judge Juan Merchan, Trump, Karen McDougal, Bove, Cohen, McDougal, ” Davidson, Hulk Hogan, “, ”, Hogan, ” Bove, Joshua Steinglass, ” Merchan, Merchan, Chris Conroy, David Pecker, “ He’s, ” Conroy, Conroy, Trump “, Todd Blanche, Blanche, Susan Necheles, “ I’m, Trump’s, ’, ’ ” Cohen, Daniels “, they’d, ” Prosecutors, Daniels ’, Witnesses, Michael Cohen Davidson, Cohen –, –, ‘, I’m, I’ve, ’ ” Davidson, Cohen’s, Pecker, he’s, Hunt Organizations: CNN, Trump, AMI, Bove, Democratic, ” Locations: Washington

☆ Opinion: How one text exchange gave Trump an ominous day in court
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Opinion Norman Eisen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Norm Eisen Courtesy Norm EisenIn Donald Trump’s Manhattan election interference trial, the case is coming in better than expected, and that is ominous for the former president. The prosecution asked Davidson to explain the meaning of a text he had sent to Howard that evening. As the election was about to be called for Trump, Davidson sent a text to Howard asking, “What have we done?”Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass asked Davidson what the meaning of those words were. It also highlighted the stakes here: Unlike Trump’s 2020 election interference cases pending in Georgia and federal court, the unlawful effort to impact the election alleged in this case might have actually worked. I was watching the jury closely when Davidson spoke, and they were riveted.

Persons: Norman Eisen, “, Donald Trump, CNN CNN —, Norm Eisen, Donald Trump’s, Keith Davidson, Davidson, Karen McDougal, Stormy Daniels, Trump, Michael Cohen, Daniels, David Pecker, Cohen, Dylan Howard —, Howard, Joshua Steinglass, ”, Matthew Colangelo Organizations: CNN, CNN CNN, American Media, Inc, National Enquirer, Trump, Twitter Locations: ”, Donald Trump’s Manhattan, Georgia

☆ Live Updates: Police Clear U.C.L.A. Encampment and Arrest Protesters
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Jonathan Wolfe | Mike Ives | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +12 min

But by Wednesday morning, the peace at the University of California, Los Angeles, had been shattered. Many critics were incredulous that even after officers with the Los Angeles Police Department arrived, there were no arrests or suspensions. Campus officials ordered protesters on Wednesday evening to leave the encampment or face arrest. Image A group of counterprotesters attacked a pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of California, Los Angeles, on Tuesday night. seemed to wait too long to call in the Los Angeles police, whose officers did not arrive until after midnight.

Persons: fistfights, “, ”, Marie Salem, Mark Abramson, ANGELES Royce Hall Dickson, Ms, Salem, Aidan Woodruff, Mr, Woodruff, counterprotesters, Philip Cheung, Gene Block, Block, Israel counterprotesters, Karen Bass’s, Counterprotesters, Michael Nasir, Mary Osako, Katy Yaroslavsky, streetlight, Hussam Ayloush, Rob Bonta, Ayloush, Benjamin Kersten, Bella Brannon, Brannon, Jill Cowan, Shawn Hubler, Livia Albeck, Claire Fahy, John Yoon, Yan Zhuang Organizations: University of California, Student, The New York, The New York Times, Los Angeles Police Department, OF, ANGELES Royce Hall Dickson, ANGELES Royce Hall, ANGELES Royce Hall Dickson Court, ., Israel, Royce Hall, Los Angeles police, Police Department, Patrol, California, Credit, . Palestinian Solidarity, Jewish, Fairfax District, Jewish Federation Los, Los, Los Angeles Area, Islamic Relations, Jewish Voice, Peace Locations: Los Angeles, U.C.L.A, Israel, California, . Palestinian, counterprotesters, ”, Westside, Beverly Hills, Iranian, Gaza, Palestine

☆ Peloton's CEO steps down as the company cuts 15% of staff
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Peloton CEO Barry McCarthy is stepping down, the fitness company announced on Thursday. After reaching new highs during the pandemic, the company has recalled products, laid off workers, and seen sales and its stock tank. McCarthy replaced John Foley as Peloton CEO and president in February 2022. But since then, the company has recalled products, laid off thousands of workers, and seen sales and its stock tank. It posted a net loss for the quarter of $167.3 million, down from $275.9 million for the same quarter in 2023.

Persons: Barry McCarthy, —, McCarthy, John Foley, Karen Boone, Chris Bruzzo Organizations: Service Locations: Ohio

☆ Maybe Kristi Noem doesn't want to be Trump's vice president
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Kristi Noem keeps hurting her chances to become Donald Trump's running mate. Kristi Noem has campaigned so badly to be former President Donald Trump's vice president that even some of the most controversial Trumpworld figures are turned off. If Noem truly wants to be vice president, this has been one of the worst efforts to obtain the job. AdvertisementIt's a difficult balance trying to become vice president. At worst, a potential vice president could lose all the leverage to shape the role in a way that would benefit him or her the most.

Persons: Kristi Noem, Donald Trump's, Noem, —, I've, Steve Bannon, Donald Trump Jr, Bannon, Trump, Tim Walz, Nicole Malliotakis, Joe Biden, Barack Obama, Harry Truman, FDR, Sen, JD Vance, Trump . Sen, Marco Rubio, Doug Burgum, Tim Scott of, George Costanza, Saul Goodman, Saul, Biden, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Karen Bass, Susan Rice, Gretchen Whitmer, Elizabeth Warren Organizations: South Dakota Gov, Service, White, Trump Jr, Cricket, The Guardian, Minnesota Gov, GOP, New, New York Republican, Politico, Gov, Ohio Republican, Trump ., Trump, Trump . North Dakota Gov, Wall Street, Los Angeles Mayor, New York Times, Michigan Gov Locations: New York, Texas, Ohio, Trump ., Tim Scott of South Carolina, Los Angeles, Biden's White

☆ Hush-money texts reveal tawdry bidding war over a porn star, a Playboy model, and their tales of Donald Trump
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

"Every single time I talked to Michael Cohen, he leaned on his close affiliation with Donald Trump," Davidson testified. Advertisement"It was part of his identity," the lawyer told jurors of Cohen. When Daniels' lawyer responded "Yup," the Enquirer editor responded, "I reckon that trump[sic] impersonator I hired has more cash." At another point, Cohen claimed the Trump Organization computer systems were, "quote, all fucked up," Davidson told the jury. "I called him and said, Michael, this is a very bad situation," he said he told Cohen.

Persons: —, Donald Trump —, Playboy Bunny, Keith Davidson, Bunny Karen McDougal, Stormy Daniels, Melania Trump, Trump, Davidson, Trump's, Michael Cohen, Cohen, Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, Daniels, Donald Trump, Dylan Howard, texted, Ethan Miller, Raymond Hall, Joshua Steinglass, Yom Kippur, Michael, Steinglass, he's, Karen McDougal, Playboy Bunny —, Howard, McDougal, Davidson — Organizations: Service, Business, Trump, National Enquirer, Manhattan DA, Getty, Trump Organization, Enquirer, National, GOP Locations: LA

☆ CVS posts big earnings miss, cuts profit outlook on higher medical costs
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

CVS Health on Wednesday reported first-quarter revenue and adjusted earnings that missed expectations and slashed its full-year profit outlook, citing higher medical costs that are dogging the U.S. insurance industry. The drugstore chain expects 2024 adjusted earnings of at least $7 per share, down from a previous guidance of at least $8.30 per share. The company said its new outlook assumes that higher medical costs in its insurance business during the first quarter will persist throughout the year. Medicare Advantage, a privately run health insurance plan contracted by Medicare, has long been a key source of growth and profits for the insurance industry. Excluding certain items, such as amortization of intangible assets and capital losses, adjusted earnings per share were $1.31 for the quarter.

Persons: LSEG, Karen Lynch, Caremark, Tyson Foods, CVS's Caremark, Cuban's Organizations: CVS Health, CVS, Aetna, UnitedHealth, Medicare, LSEG, Blue, Amazon Pharmacy, Oak Street Health Locations: California

☆ Live Updates: Third Week of Trump Criminal Trial to Begin With More Testimony
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Ben Protess | Jonah E. Bromwich | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +6 min

Mr. Trump is charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in an effort to conceal the payment. Mr. Trump has pleaded not guilty and denied that he had sex with Ms. Daniels. The week also brought more accusations that Mr. Trump had violated a gag order prohibiting him from attacking witnesses, prosecutors and jurors. Credit... Jefferson Siegel for The New York TimesBut Mr. Trump’s lawyer Todd Blanche said his client’s actions were “run-of-the-mill” business. Mr. Trump will use the midweek break to campaign in Wisconsin and Michigan, two battleground states in this year’s election.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Donald Trump’s, David Pecker, Trump’s, Pecker, Michael Cohen, Stormy Daniels, Daniels, Juan M, Merchan, Mr, Prosecutors, Todd Blanche, Jefferson Siegel, “ It’s, Blanche, Cohen, ”, Dave Sanders, Karen McDougal, McDougal, Emil Bove, mutter, Merchan’s, Rhona Graff, Gary Farro, Farro, Hope Hicks Organizations: National Enquirer, Mr, Trump Tower, Prosecutors, The New York, Trump Organization, The New York Times, Playboy, Trump, White House, Republican Locations: Donald Trump’s Manhattan, Manhattan, Trump’s, Wisconsin, Michigan

CNN —The third week of the Donald Trump criminal hush money business fraud trial will resume Tuesday with the Manhattan district attorney’s office continuing to be secretive about it its plan of attack. In court, they said they would not give Trump’s legal team much in an effort to avoid subjecting witnesses to Trump’s social media wrath before they take the stand. He described a tabloid media landscape where America Media Inc. did Trump’s bidding ahead of the 2016 election with Cohen as Trump’s liaison. Trump’s longtime assistant Rhona Graff also testified Friday, telling the jury she remembers seeing Daniels at Trump’s office once years before the 2016 election. Graff – whose lawyers are paid for by Trump – testified that she input the contact information for Trump.

Persons: Donald Trump, Michael Cohen’s, Trump, Juan Merchan, he’s, Michael Cohen, Stormy Daniels, Merchan, Cohen, Gary Farro’s, Farro, Daniels, Karen McDougal’s, David Pecker, Trump’s, Rhona Graff, McDougal, Graff –, Trump – Organizations: CNN, Prosecutors, Trump, AMI, America Media Inc, Trump Organization Locations: Manhattan, Delaware

☆ Opinion: Even if Trump can’t stay awake this week, the jury will have reason to
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Opinion Norman Eisen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Welcome to week two of the Trump 2016 election interference trial. And the case Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg brought is, at heart, a documents case – Trump has been charged with 34 counts of felony record falsification, actions allegedly taken to cover up hush money payoffs connected to the 2016 election. But as demonstrated by longtime Trump assistant Rhona Graff’s testimony Friday afternoon, the methodical nature of the testimony and evidence doesn’t mean it will be dull for the jury. The testimony of Gary Farro, Cohen’s onetime banker, is emblematic of what we are likely to hear from other witnesses this week. When defense counsel elicited from Graff on cross-examination that Trump was a good boss, she became a free character witness.

Persons: Norman Eisen, “, Donald Trump, David Pecker, Norm Eisen, Attorney Alvin Bragg, – Trump, Rhona Graff’s, Trump’s, paramours, Karen McDougal, Stormy Daniels, Pecker, Dallas ”, ” –, Trump, Michael Cohen, Daniels, Gary Farro, Cohen’s, Farro, Graff, Cohen, Rebecca Mangold, McDougal, Mangold, It’s, Team Trump Organizations: CNN, National Enquirer, Attorney, Trump, Dallas, Prosecutors, Team, DA Locations: Manhattan

☆ Amazon Reports $143.3 Billion in Revenue for First Quarter of 2024
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Karen Weise | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Amazon reported its highest first-quarter profit on Tuesday as it continued to wring efficiencies out of its retail business and recharge growth in its cloud computing operations. The company was also for the first time on track to have $100 billion in annual cloud computing sales. The company had $143.3 billion in revenue in the first three months of the year, up 13 percent from a year earlier. Profit more than tripled, to $10.4 billion. “It was a good start to the year across the business, and you can see that in both our customer experience improvements and financial results,” Andy Jassy, Amazon’s chief executive, said in a statement.

Persons: ” Andy Jassy Organizations: Amazon

☆ 7 of the biggest mistakes tourists make visiting national parks, according to empty-nesters who have been to all 63 of them
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Maria Noyen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Matt and Karen Smith have been to 63 US national parks — some multiple times. Here are the biggest mistakes the Smiths have seen tourists make at national parks over the years. "They would take their family to the national parks. Matt, 63, said they were "fortunate" to have enough savings to spend over a year visiting every major US national park. The Smiths recently spoke with Business Insider to share the biggest mistakes they've made themselves or seen people make when visiting national parks — and how to avoid them.

Persons: Matt, Karen Smith, —, Bob, Sue, Karen, they've Organizations: Service, Smiths, — Locations: Kansas, Seattle, Instagram

☆ Lawyer for Stormy Daniels Exposes Seamy Underside of Celebrity
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Michael Rothfeld | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The tantalizing text message was sent by a lawyer for a former Playboy model to the editor of The National Enquirer. “I have blockbuster Trump story,” read the message sent in 2016 by the Los Angeles lawyer, Keith Davidson, who was on the witness stand as prosecutors posted it Tuesday morning for jurors at Donald J. Trump’s criminal trial. The editor, Dylan Howard, asked in response: “did he cheat.”The texts were an evocative beginning to testimony that laid bare the seamy ways celebrity scandal is leveraged and sold. In this case, it was a deal negotiated by Mr. Davidson for Karen McDougal, the model, who wanted to rejuvenate her career by leveraging her story of a romantic affair with Mr. Trump. She has said the liaison began in 2006 after he was already married to his current wife, Melania.

Persons: “, ”, Keith Davidson, Donald J, Dylan Howard, Davidson, Karen McDougal, Trump, Melania Organizations: National Enquirer, Los, Mr Locations: Los Angeles

CNN —Judge Juan Merchan handed down his first punishment to Donald Trump for violating the judge’s gag order in the New York hush money trial Tuesday, fining Trump $9,000 for nine violations. Instead, Davidson negotiated a $130,000 hush money deal with Cohen on Daniels’ behalf, and she did not speak out publicly before the 2016 election. In his order, the judge warned Trump that he could be imprisoned if he continues to willfully violate the gag order. “All you have to do is talk to that a**hole Cohen,” Davidson recalled. His son, Eric Trump, attended the trial – the first family member of the former president to appear during the trial.

Persons: Juan Merchan, Donald Trump, fining, Daniels, Karen McDougal, Keith Davidson, Trump’s, Michael Cohen, Davidson, Cohen, Trump, –, Merchan, David Pecker, “, ” Merchan, Stormy’s, McDougal, ’, Dylan Howard –, Gina Rodriguez, “ It’s, ” Davidson, Rodriguez, Peggy Peterson, David Dennison, Joshua Steinglass, Dennison, ” Steinglass, ” Cohen, Gary Farro, Daniels ’, Farro, ” Trump, “ Michael Cohen, He’s, Judge Merchan didn't, Jean Carroll, Prosecutors, Melania Trump, Eric Trump, Susie Wiles, Ken Paxton, David McIntosh, Barron’s Organizations: CNN, fining Trump, Trump, AMI, Prosecutors, American Media Inc, Daniels . Records, Bank, Twitter, Club for Growth, Mar Locations: New York, LA, Texas

☆ Contempt Fines and Hush-Money Details: 5 Takeaways From Trump’s Trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Jesse Mckinley | Kate Christobek | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The third week of the criminal trial of Donald J. Trump began with a rebuke: The judge, Juan M. Merchan, held the former president in contempt and fined him $9,000 for repeatedly violating a gag order. He also threatened jail time if the violations continue. The lawyer, Keith Davidson, also described an earlier deal to buy the silence of another woman, Karen McDougal, who said she’d had a longer-term affair with Mr. Trump. Mr. Trump, 77, is charged with falsifying 34 business records to hide the payment to Ms. Daniels. He has denied the felony charges, and having had sex with Ms. Daniels and Ms. McDougal.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Juan M, Trump’s, Stormy Daniels, Keith Davidson, Karen McDougal, she’d, Daniels, McDougal

☆ Catch up on the day’s news: Trump fined for violating gag order, marijuana getting reclassified, college protests intensify
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Daniel Wine | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

It’s expected to become a Schedule III controlled substance, a classification shared by prescription drugs such as ketamine and Tylenol with codeine. Here’s what else you might have missed during your busy day:5 thingsKeith Davidson, who represented Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal, is questioned. Jane Rosenberg1️⃣ Trump on trial: Donald Trump removed the online posts that a judge ruled violated his gag order in the New York criminal hush money case. The former president also was fined $9,000, and a former attorney who represented Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal testified. 5 Things PM is produced by CNN’s Tricia Escobedo, Meghan Pryce and Kimberly Richardson.

Persons: ane R, Ed, bil, Lis, r., Gupta, Loo, Cheng S Organizations: acc, ld, CNN

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