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U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken waves as he prepares to depart Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport en route to Beijing, on April 25, 2024. The U.S. and China will hold their first high-level talks on artificial intelligence within the "coming weeks," U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said Friday, providing no update over the future of Chinese social media giant TikTok. During wide-ranging talks with Chinese officials in Beijing, Blinken said the two sides had agreed to the first U.S.-China intergovernmental dialogue on AI to discuss the risks and safety concerns surrounding the emerging technology. The U.S. imposed restrictions on Beijing's ability to access high-end tech and is moving close to banning social media app TikTok, unless its Chinese parent ByteDance sells it. Speaking at a press conference, Blinken said that TikTok "did not come up" in the talks.

Persons: Antony Blinken, State Anthony Blinken, Blinken Organizations: State, U.S Locations: Shanghai Hongqiao, Beijing, U.S, China

Mr. Pecker was also asked whether he believed Mr. Trump was concerned that his wife or family would find out about the affairs. director, and Reince Priebus, who was chairman of the Republican National Committee, Mr. Pecker reassured Mr. Trump that everything was fine. Mr. Trump then told the group that Mr. Pecker probably “knows more than anyone else in this room.”“It was a joke,” Mr. Pecker testified, adding, “They didn’t laugh.”Pecker did a lot for Trump, who could be hard to please. Mr. Pecker variously described Mr. Trump as becoming “very angry” and “very aggravated.”Still, Mr. Pecker said he felt no ill will. Mr. Pecker described a 2002 meeting in which Mr. Schwarzenegger asked Mr. Pecker not to run negative stories about him before his run for governor of California.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Stormy Daniels, Donald Trump, David Pecker, Pecker, Karen McDougal, Daniels, McDougal, Trump’s, Michael D, Cohen, Marion Curtis, “, Mr, McDougal —, —, ” Mr, ”, Ahmed Gaber, James Comey, Reince Priebus, ” Pecker, Emil Bove, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Schwarzenegger Organizations: National Enquirer, AMI, ., Associated, Prosecutors, Trump, White, The New York Times, Republican National Committee, Mr, Republican Locations: Trump’s, California

The criminal trial of Donald J. Trump on Friday will feature the continued cross-examination of the prosecution’s first witness, David Pecker, as defense lawyers try to discredit the idea that there had been a plot to protect Mr. Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. On Thursday, Mr. Pecker, the former publisher of The National Enquirer, described his own involvement in the suppression of the stories of two women who claimed to have had sex with Mr. Trump: Karen McDougal, a Playboy model, and Stormy Daniels, the porn star whose 2016 hush-money payoff is at the root of the prosecution’s case. Mr. Trump, 77, is charged with falsifying 34 business records to cover up a $130,000 payment to Ms. Daniels, who has said they had a sexual encounter in 2006 and was shopping that story in the weeks before the 2016 presidential election. Mr. Trump, the first American president to face criminal trial, has denied the accusations and the sexual encounter with Ms. Daniels.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, David Pecker, Trump’s, Pecker, Karen McDougal, Stormy Daniels, Daniels Organizations: National Enquirer

☆ Anglo American rejects BHP's $39 billion takeover bid to form mining juggernaut
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Australia-based BHP on Thursday said it had made an all-share takeover offer which valued the smaller company at £31.1 billion ($38.9 billion). "The BHP proposal is opportunistic and fails to value Anglo American's prospects, while significantly diluting the relative value upside participation of Anglo American's shareholders relative to BHP's shareholders," he said. Anglo American Chairman Stuart Chambers said the proposed restructure was "highly unattractive, creating substantial uncertainty and execution risk borne almost entirely by Anglo American, its shareholders and its other stakeholders." Shares of Anglo American Platinum rose more than 2% on the announcement, while Kumba Iron Ore moved 0.9% lower. Chambers said that, in its current state, Anglo American was "well positioned" to benefit from that energy transition.

Persons: BHP's, Stuart Chambers, Chambers, — CNBC's Jenni Reid Organizations: BHP Group, BHP, CNBC, Limited, Iron Ore Limited Locations: Australia, London, American, South Africa

The decision by New York’s top court on Thursday to overturn the conviction of Harvey Weinstein on sex crime charges raised many thorny legal questions. Perhaps chief among them: Will it bolster his chances of a successful appeal in a similar case in California? Mr. Weinstein’s lawyer in California, Jennifer Bonjean, plans to file that appeal next month, and has said she believes the New York decision helps her chances of winning. In both cases, prosecutors offered witnesses who said they had been assaulted by Mr. Weinstein, the disgraced Hollywood producer, even though their accounts were not tied to criminal charges. The tactic was at the heart of the 4-to-3 decision on Thursday by New York’s Court of Appeals, which concluded that the judge who presided over Mr. Weinstein’s case in 2020 had deprived him of a fair trial by allowing those witnesses to testify.

Persons: Harvey Weinstein, Weinstein’s, Jennifer Bonjean, Weinstein Organizations: New, Hollywood, Appeals, Mr Locations: California, York

☆ European markets set to open higher as positive momentum returns
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

European markets were poised to open higher Friday, regaining momentum after a dip in yesterday's session. The pan-European benchmark Stoxx 600 index ended Thursday's session lower as investors digested a slew of first-quarter earnings, as well as a potential mining takeover bid. Looking ahead, corporate releases on Friday come from L'Oreal, TotalEnergies and NatWest. Asia-Pacific markets were higher after the Bank of Japan kept its benchmark policy rate at 0%-0.1%, as expected. Meanwhile, U.S. stock futures rose overnight as Big Tech names Alphabet and Microsoft saw shares rally on strong earnings.

Organizations: L'Oreal, TotalEnergies, NatWest, Bank of Japan, U.S, Big Tech, Microsoft Locations: Asia, Pacific

☆ FAFSA delays could have some students thinking about a gap year—3 factors to consider before you do
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Kamaron Mcnair | In Kamaronmcnair | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Many students take what's known as a gap year before attending college for a variety of reasons. While the practice is more common in the United Kingdom and other European countries, gap year interest is growing in the U.S., according to the nonprofit Gap Year Association. Others may take stock of their admission offerings and financial aid packages and decide they want to try their luck in the next application cycle. As many students and families anxiously await delayed financial aid offers due to hiccups in the Free Application for Federal Student Aid process, taking a gap year could help give some students more time to weigh their college decision. You also may be banned from applying to other colleges if your place is being held at one school.

Persons: Karen McCarthy, you've Organizations: Federal, National Association of Student Financial, CNBC Locations: United Kingdom, U.S

☆ On Stand, Pecker Fires Back After Trump Lawyer Implies He Was Untruthful
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Matthew Haag | More About Matthew Haag | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The lawyer for Donald J. Trump who on Friday led the cross-examination of David Pecker, the former publisher of The National Enquirer and first witness in the trial, used confrontational questioning to try to catch Mr. Pecker in contradictions. But that strategy, which led to a tense exchange in the Lower Manhattan courtroom, did not seem to pay off. Mr. Pecker repeatedly rejected characterizations and questions posed by the lawyer, Emil Bove, and resisted the suggestion that he had not been forthright in earlier testimony. For most of Friday, Mr. Bove had struck a polite tone with Mr. Pecker, spending most of the second day of cross-examination focusing on arcane questions about deals to suppress stories, including one with Karen McDougal, the former Playboy model who said she had an affair with Mr. Trump. But as Mr. Bove wrapped up his cross-examination, he asked Mr. Pecker about his obligations in cooperating with the prosecution in the hush-money trial.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, David Pecker, Pecker, Emil Bove, Bove, Karen McDougal Organizations: National Enquirer, Playboy Locations: Lower Manhattan

Nvidia Eddie George picked chipmaker darling Nvidia for its long-term prospects. Oracle shares are up roughly 9% this year. Apple George selected Apple for his second pick. Faced with waning demand and rising competitive pressures, Apple stock has shed nearly 12% this year, making it a weak link among the "Magnificent Seven" tech cohort. The company's legacy of sustainable excellence has also paved the way for cutting-edge technology like Apple Pay and the Apple Watch.

Persons: gunning, Breanna Stewart, Stewart, Mark Zuckerberg, Nvidia Eddie George, George, Jensen Huang, Charlotte Flair, Flair, Oz Pearlman, bitcoin, Pearlman, It's, Caterpillar's, Ekeler, Schulman, Carter, Microsoft Jillian Michaels, Giancarlo Chersich, Michaels, Nancy Pelosi's, Oracle Joey Chestnut, Larry Ellison, Wall, DraftKings, Karen Finerman, Apple George, Apple, DraftKings Eddie George, Apple Charlotte Flair, IBM Oz Pearlman, Carvana Austin, Intel Nev Schulman, Crocs Jillian Michaels, Google Joey, Starbucks Kenny, Smith Organizations: Meta, Nvidia, Tennessee Titans, Tennessee State University, Computer WWE, Computer, Micro, IBM, bitcoin, Caterpillar, Washington, Microsoft, Oracle, FactSet, CNBC, Apple, Apple Watch, Intel, JPMorgan Druski, Nike, Google, Starbucks, Warner Bros, Delta Air Locations: American, Nashville

☆ Barclays swings back to profit in first quarter amid strategic overhaul
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON — Barclays on Thursday reported first-quarter net income attributable to shareholders of £1.55 billion ($1.93 billion), beating expectations and returning the British lender to profit amid a major strategic overhaul. Analysts polled by Reuters had expected net profit attributable to shareholders of £1.29 billion for the quarter, according to LSEG data. Barclays reported a net loss of £111 million in the fourth quarter of 2023 due to an operational shake-up designed to reduce costs and improve efficiencies. The overhaul saw the reorganization of the business into five operating divisions, separating the corporate and investment bank to form: Barclays U.K., Barclays U.K. Corporate Bank, Barclays Private Bank and Wealth Management, Barclays Investment Bank and Barclays U.S. Consumer Bank. The bank also pledged to return £10 billion to shareholders between 2024 and 2026 through dividends and share buybacks.

Persons: C.S, Venkatakrishnan, — CNBC's Elliot Smith Organizations: LONDON, Barclays, Reuters, Tesco Bank, Corporate Bank, Barclays Private Bank, Wealth Management, Barclays Investment Bank, Barclays U.S . Consumer Bank

☆ Microsoft Reports Rising Revenues as A.I. Investments Bear Fruit
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Karen Weise | More About Karen Weise | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Profit hit $21.9 billion, up from $18.3 billion. A year after Microsoft began its push to put A.I. into everything it does, the company said sales of its flagship cloud computing product, Azure, had grown 31 percent. push has helped it gain market share from Amazon, the leading cloud services provider. In January, the company said 53,000 customers were using its cloud A.I.

Persons: Microsoft’s Organizations: Microsoft, Revenue, Amazon

☆ European markets set to open higher as investors look to fresh earnings
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

European markets looked set to open higher Thursday, rebounding from a dip in yesterday's session as investors look ahead to a fresh set of earnings. Markets lost momentum and shifted lower on Wednesday, with the U.K.'s FTSE 100 snapping a five-day winning streak.

Days before Donald J. Trump became president in early 2017, a handful of advisers, officials and allies descended on his office at Trump Tower: the F.B.I. The future president, triumphant, thanked Mr. Pecker for his service. That remarkable scene was private until Thursday, when Mr. Pecker recounted it to jurors in Mr. Trump’s Manhattan criminal trial. He described in vivid detail how Mr. Trump laid bare their effort to buy and bury damaging stories that could have derailed Mr. Trump’s campaign — a plot at the center of the case. “He said, ‘I want to thank you for handling the McDougal situation,’ and then he also said, ‘I wanted to thank you for the doorman situation,’” Mr. Pecker testified Thursday.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, —, David Pecker, Karen McDougal, Mr, Pecker, Trump’s, “, ‘, McDougal, ” Organizations: Trump, National Enquirer

☆ 5 Takeaways From David Pecker’s Testimony in Trump’s Criminal Trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Jesse Mckinley | Kate Christobek | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The criminal trial of Donald Trump featured vivid testimony on Thursday about a plot to protect his first presidential campaign and the beginnings of a tough cross-examination of the prosecution’s initial witness, David Pecker. Mr. Trump, 77, is charged with falsifying 34 business records to cover up a $130,000 payment to Ms. Daniels, who has said they had a sexual encounter in 2006 and was shopping that story in the weeks before the 2016 presidential election. He has denied the charges and having sex with Ms. Daniels and Ms. McDougal; the former president could face probation or prison if convicted. Here are five takeaways from Mr. Trump’s seventh day on trial:Pecker teed up falsified records charges. As part of a so-called catch-and-kill scheme, Mr. Pecker testified that his company, AMI, paid Ms. McDougal $150,000 to purchase her story, with no intention of publishing anything about an affair with Mr. Trump.

Persons: Donald Trump, David Pecker, Pecker, Trump, Karen McDougal, Stormy Daniels, Daniels, McDougal, Trump’s Organizations: National Enquirer, AMI

“As we walked out, President Trump asked me, ‘How’s Karen doing, how’s Karen doing?’ So, I said, ‘She’s doing well, she’s quiet, everything’s going good.’” Pecker said. I thought you had this under control.”Pecker also received a call from Trump after McDougal was interviewed by CNN’s Anderson Cooper in March 2018. Pecker told Trump on the call that he had amended McDougal’s agreement on speaking to other media. “But the US Supreme Court had a monumental hearing on immunity and the immunity having to do with presidential immunity. “So, you ran articles about President Trump because it was good for business?” Bove asked.

Persons: David Pecker, Donald Trump’s, Karen McDougal’s, Trump, Stormy Daniels, Michael Cohen, Pecker, Cohen, Daniels, McDougal, Juan Merchan, Merchan, Trump’s, ‘ How’s Karen, how’s Karen, ‘ She’s, ” Pecker, CNN’s Anderson Cooper, “, Chris Conroy, ” Conroy, CNN’s Kristen Holmes, Jackson, CNN Trump, ” Trump, Emil Bove, Quizzing, Bove, Dino Sajudin, ” Bove, Stelter, Bove’s, –, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Schwarzenegger, Ari Emanuel, Mark Wahlberg, Rahm Emanuel, Tiger Woods, Woods, ”, Wahlberg Organizations: CNN, Former American Media Inc, Trump, AMI, White House, Wall, Office, National Enquirer, National, Pecker, California, Chicago, ” CNN Locations: Manhattan, Washington, New York, New York City, Bedminster, CNN’s, Japan

☆ The Links Between Trump and 3 Hush-Money Deals
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Molly Cook Escobar | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The Links Between Trump and 3 Hush-Money DealsThe first criminal trial of former President Donald J. Trump has resurfaced three potential sex scandals that he faced ahead of the 2016 presidential election and buried with the help of allies. Manhattan prosecutors charged him in relation to the one involving the porn star Stormy Daniels; he pleaded not guilty and has said the three stories are untrue. Two other hush-money deals were made as part of a “catch and kill” effort by The National Enquirer. While those episodes are not formally part of the charges Mr. Trump is facing, prosecutors will argue that they were part of the effort to bury negative news about Mr. Trump to influence the election. Those deals involve Karen McDougal, who said she had an affair with Mr. Trump in 2006-7, and Dino Sajudin, a former doorman who in 2015 tried to sell an apparently false tip about Mr. Trump fathering a child out of wedlock.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Stormy Daniels, Michael Cohen, Stormy Daniels David Pecker, Karen McDougal Dino Sajudin, Donald Trump, David Pecker, Stormy Daniels Karen McDougal Dino Sajudin, Daniels, Karen McDougal, Dino Sajudin Organizations: Trump, National Enquirer, The New York Times Locations: Manhattan

☆ How a Playboy Model’s Story of an Affair With Trump Became a Commodity
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Michael Rothfeld | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In the middle of the 2016 presidential campaign, Donald J. Trump called David Pecker, publisher of The National Enquirer. The candidate was seeking advice about a former Playboy model who was trying to sell her story of an affair with him, Mr. Pecker told jurors in Mr. Trump’s Manhattan criminal trial. Mr. Pecker suggested a way to silence the model, Karen McDougal. “I think that the story should be purchased,” he said he told Mr. Trump. Mr. Trump is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up the Daniels payment as part of an effort to influence the election.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, David Pecker, Pecker, Trump’s, Karen McDougal, “, ”, Ms, McDougal, Michael Cohen, Stormy Daniels, Daniels Organizations: National Enquirer, Playboy

☆ Trump feared for campaign, not family, as sex scandals were caught and killed, ex-Enquirer CEO tells hush-money jury
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

When a porn star and Playboy Bunny both came forward, Trump feared for voters, not family, Pecker told jurors. Then, in swift succession and with the 2016 election just months away, a Playboy Bunny and a porn star appeared with more sex scandals. But in the months before the 2016 election, all Trump worried about was his voters, Pecker testified on his third day on the stand. "I thought his concern was with the campaign," Pecker added. Pecker told jurors he had been investigated by California officials for just this sort of thing more than a decade before Trump's 2016 campaign.

Persons: David Pecker, Playboy Bunny, Trump, Pecker, —, Donald Trump, Dino Sajudin, Bunny Karen McDougal, Stormy Daniels, Joshua Steinglass, Steinglass, Daniels, Michael Cohen, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Bragg, Dylan Howard, Trump's, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Arnold, Howard, Howard texted, Cohen, Karen, McDougal, Michael, Jeff Sessions Organizations: National Enquirer, Service, Trump, Enquirer, Trump Organization, Attorney, American Media International, AMI, Prosecutors, McDougal's, Federal, Commission Locations: Manhattan, California, Australia

☆ Volvo Cars core operating profits rise in first quarter on higher retail sales
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A Volvo EX30 fully electric EV Car is displayed during the Everything Electric London 2024 at ExCel on March 28, 2024 in London, England. Swedish automaker Volvo Cars on Wednesday reported an uptick in first-quarter core operating profits driven by strong retail sales. Retail sales nevertheless rose 12% year-on-year to 182,687 cars, the company said, after a new all-time monthly sales record in March. The growth included a modest uptick in electric vehicles sales, as the company has doubled down on the category. Looking ahead, Volvo Cars said it expects a further rise in 2024 retail sales compared to the previous year, with the share of fully electric vehicles forecast to increase "considerably."

Persons: Jim Rowan, Rowan Organizations: Volvo, ExCel, Revenue, Volvo Cars Locations: London, England, Swedish

☆ Kering shares sink 9% after profit warning on declining Gucci sales
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The new Gucci store on Bond Street on 27th September 2023 in London, United Kingdom. Shares of French luxury group Kering sank more than 9% at open on Wednesday, after the company warned that it expects a sharp downturn in first-half profits as a result of waning demand for its Gucci brand. Kering chairman and CEO François-Henri Pinault on Tuesday said the warning comes after the company's performance "worsened considerably" in the first quarter. Group sales fell to 4.5 billion euros in the first quarter, down 10% on a comparable basis. The Paris-based company flagged the anticipated downturn in a rare profit warning last month, noting that the shortfall would be led by declining Gucci sales, particularly in Asia.

Persons: Gucci, François, Henri Pinault, Pinault Organizations: Gucci, Bond Locations: London, United Kingdom, China, Paris, Asia

☆ Swiss pharma giant Roche's first-quarter sales edge higher as its emerges from post-Covid-19 slump
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche on Wednesday reported a modest uptick in first-quarter sales, even as waning demand for its Covid-19 products continued to weigh on the company. Sales were up 2% at constant exchange rates, led by stronger demand for Roche's newer medicines and diagnostics, the company said. Excluding Covid-19 products, sales were up 7%. But sales tightened when reported in the company's local currency, down 6% off the back of a strong Swiss franc. Roche CEO Thomas Schinecker on Wednesday confirmed the company's 2024 outlook, saying it was largely out of the woods following a post-Covid-19 slump.

Persons: Roche, Thomas Schinecker, Schinecker Organizations: Roche, AG, Wednesday, Reuters Locations: Basel, Switzerland, Swiss

☆ Former National Enquirer boss reveals sleazy tactics the tabloid used to protect Donald Trump and smear his rivals
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

But on Tuesday, former National Enquirer boss David Pecker lifted the curtain on the actual media collusion that took place in the 2016 election. Pecker revealed in granular detail how Trump worked hand-in-hand with the infamous national tabloid to boost his candidacy and, perhaps far more importantly, simultaneously smear his political opponents with shameful lies and innuendo. Meanwhile, Pecker worked with Cohen to smear Trump’s Republican rivals in the 2016 primary, including Ben Carson, Ted Cruz, and Marco Rubio. At times, Pecker said that Cohen went as far as to contact him and direct the Enquirer to attack Trump’s GOP rivals. When the Enquirer published negative stories about Bill and Hillary Clinton, Pecker said that Trump was elated.

Persons: Donald Trump, David Pecker, Pecker, Trump, “, ” Pecker, Michael Cohen, Karen McDougal’s, ”, Dino Sajudin, Cohen, Ben Carson, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, “ Michael Cohen, — Michael Cohen —, Hillary Clinton, Dylan Howard, we’re, Rupert Murdoch’s, Joe Biden, Biden Organizations: New York CNN, Democratic Party, National Enquirer, Trump Organization, Trump, GOP, Rupert Murdoch’s Fox News, MAGA Media, Fox, Fox News Locations: New York, Pecker, Manhattan

☆ Opinion: Melania’s complicated ‘stand by your man’ routine
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Opinion Jill Filipovic | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The days of women standing up next to their philandering husbands should be well in the rear view. Melania’s decision to stay married to Donald despite very public evidence of an affair is her choice to make. (Her decision to stay married to a man who very publicly cheated on his first wife, is virulently misogynistic and has stoked hatred of immigrants tells us something else about her character.) Former First Lady Melania Trump stands alongside her husband, former President Donald Trump at a fundraising event in Palm Beach, Florida on April 6, 2024. Would Donald stay married to Melania if she faced multiple very public affair accusations?

Persons: Jill Filipovic, Donald Trump, Stormy Daniels, Melania, Barron, Trump, Karen McDougal, Daniels, McDougal, Donald, Lady Melania Trump, Alon Skuy, Bill Clinton, Idaho Sen, Larry Craig, Craig, Eliot Spitzer, Silda Wall Spitzer, stoically, Abedin, Anthony Weiner, Former Louisiana Sen, David Vitter, Wendy, presser, ” premised, –, Chip Somodevilla, She’s Organizations: Twitter, CNN, Republican, Former New York Gov, York, Former Louisiana, Rochester Opera House Locations: New York, Manhattan, Palm Beach , Florida, Idaho, Paris, Rochester , New Hampshire

☆ Trump meets with foreign leaders looking to boost their relationships with GOP leader ahead of election
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Alayna Treene | Steve Contorno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

In recent weeks, Trump, seizing the role of both an erstwhile diplomat and ascending opposition party leader, has extended welcomes to a series of foreign leaders at his homes in Florida and New York. It’s not unusual for foreign leaders to meet with the leader of the party that doesn’t control the White House – especially one with a serious chance of becoming commander in chief. Biden and his top envoys have also met and spoken with opposition leaders, something that has been a longstanding practice for US officials. Last week, Trump met with Poland’s Duda at Trump Tower, where the two discussed NATO spending over dinner. Trump, both while president and during his 2024 campaign, has called on NATO countries to spend more on defense.

Persons: Donald Trump, hasn’t, Trump, Andrzej Duda, David Cameron, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Taro Aso, It’s, Sen, Barack Obama, Mitt Romney, Biden, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Antony Blinken, Keir Starmer, Joe Biden, “ They’re, he’s, “, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, ” Biden, ”, Kim Jong Un, ” Trump, Brian Hughes, Viktor Orban, Putin, Javier Milei, Orban, Viktor Orbán, Orbán, Aso, Fumio Kishida, Kishida, Lindsey Graham, Salman, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Poland’s Duda, Duda, meanwhile, Cameron, Karen Pierce, Cameron’s, Pierce didn’t, Queen Elizabeth II Organizations: CNN, Air Force, British, Saudi Crown, Middle East, Republican, UK Labour Party, US State Department, Biden, Trump, NATO, Conservative Political, Japanese, White, Liberal Democratic Party, Saudi, New York Times, South Carolina Republican, Hamas, The New York Times, Trump Tower, Republicans, Democrats, UK Locations: House, huddling, Florida, New York, Lago, Manhattan, Japan, China, North Korea, Berlin, United Kingdom, Israel, Poland, Belarus, Munich, Europe, America, Ukraine, Korean, United States, Palm, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, American, Russia, British, Washington

☆ Trump can’t be in two places at once in double courtroom drama
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

But Donald Trump’s return to his hush money trial Thursday does not even represent the most critical courtroom drama of his day. The ex-president’s attention is certain to stray from what he has repeatedly complained is a “freezing” court in New York to the neoclassical splendor of the US Supreme Court. Trump blames Judge Juan Merchan for dashing his hopes of being at the Supreme Court Thursday. Trump’s Supreme Court gambit is also part of his wider campaign strategy. CNN reporters in the courtroom said Trump was deeply engaged at times during Pecker’s earlier testimony.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Trump, —, David Pecker, Juan Merchan, ”, Joe Biden, he’s, Boris Epshteyn, Mark Meadows, Rudy Giuliani, Giuliani, Merchan, quagmire, Michael Cohen, Cohen, “ Michael Cohen, ” Trump, WPVI, David Pecker –, Pecker, Karen McDougal – Organizations: CNN, US, Republican, Law, The New, Fox News Digital, Trump, Trump voters, Trump’s, White House, Prosecutors, American Media, National Enquirer, Pecker’s AMI Locations: New York, Washington, Manhattan, The New York, Arizona, Michigan, WPVI Philadelphia

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