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☆ Elon Musk praises the first prime minister of Singapore as 'brilliant' in response to a glowing blog post about the country's airport
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-19 | by ( Aditi Bharade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewElon Musk said that Singapore's first prime minister, touted as the country's founding father, was a "brilliant" man. Mack wrote about Lee's efforts in conceiving Singapore's Changi Airport, which has been named the world's best airport 12 times by London-based research firm Skytrax. Singapore's award-winning Changi Airport. John Seaton Callahan/Getty ImagesBefore Singapore's Changi Airport became operational in 1981, the island state had a small commercial airport located inland on the east side of Singapore, called Paya Lebar Airport. The country's largest public universities, National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University, ranked 8th and 15th, respectively, in the 2025 QS top universities rankings.

Persons: —, Elon Musk, George Mack, Lee Kuan, Mack, d1C60XIvNA — Elon, Musk, Lee, Singapore's, John Seaton Callahan, Skytrax, Martin Puddy, Liu Thai Ker, Jon Hicks, it's Organizations: Service, SpaceX, Business, Changi, Changi Airport, Singapore's Changi, Airport, Changi Airport's, Business Times, The New York Times, Financial, Singapore Crowds, Getty, National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, QS, Cornell, Princeton, Yale Locations: London, Singapore, Paya, Changi, Southeast Asia, Malaysia, Asia, Hong Kong, Singapore's Orchard

We talked to several experts to help estimate the cost of creating a will and other estate planning documents. Average costsJack Hales, an estate and probate attorney at Hales and Sellers, said the cost of your estate plan can vary widely depending on what you need done. These frequently require notarization, which comes with a small fee, but other than that, they cost nothing but the cost of the paper on which they are written. Small changes using a lawyer may cost you a few hundred dollars, while updating your will through an online platform may only cost you $20. FAQsWhat is the average cost of creating a will?

Persons: Patrick Hicks, Hicks, Jack Hales, Hales, Sellers, Erin Bury, Rochelle Schultz, Weinstock Manion, it's, you'll, Notarization, Indrika Arnold, Will, Bury, who's, they're Organizations: Trust, Will, Bury, Financial, The Colony, National Council, Aging, Inc Locations: San Francisco, Topeka, Chevron

CNN —Donald Trump urged the judge in his New York hush money case to dismiss his conviction in light of the Supreme Court’s ruling on presidential immunity last month, according to a new court filing. “In order to vindicate the Presidential immunity doctrine, and protect the interests implicated by its underpinnings, the jury’s verdicts must be vacated and the Indictment dismissed,” Trump’s attorneys wrote to Judge Juan Merchan. “Much of the unconstitutional official-acts evidence concerned actions taken pursuant to ‘core’ Executive power for which ‘absolute’ immunity applies.”The district attorney’s office declined to comment for this story. The district attorney’s office will respond later this month, and Merchan said he will decide the matter in September, with a potential sentencing scheduled on September 18, if necessary. Trump’s sentencing would be postponed until September 18, Merchan wrote – “if such is still necessary.”The district attorney’s reply to Trump is due on July 24.

Persons: Donald Trump, ”, Juan Merchan, “, Trump’s, Trump, Merchan, Hope Hicks, Madeleine Westerhout –, “ Trump, ’, Westerhout, Hicks, David pecker, ’ ”, DANY, Alvin Bragg’s Organizations: CNN, Trump, White, White House Communications, Manhattan Locations: New York, Manhattan

☆ Trump's hush-money sentencing will still happen in September despite his new immunity superpowers, New York legal experts predict
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-07 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

It could help former President Donald Trump's hush-money conviction survive the US Supreme Court immunity opinion. Trump's lawyers are about to file what's known as a 330.30 motion to set aside the verdict. The Supreme Court presidential immunity opinion bars official-act evidence. US Supreme Court/BITrump's lawyers now say there were at least four times that the judge improperly let Manhattan prosecutors show official-act evidence to the jury. Trump's hush-money conviction appeal will take years and could even lead back to the US Supreme Court.

Persons: —, Donald Trump's, SCOTUS, Juan Merchan, he'll, John Moscow, Lewis Baach Kaufmann Middlemiss, It's, Donald Trump, Michael Cohen, Stormy Daniels, Trump, Cohen, Carlos Barria Trump, Diana Florence, Florence, Donald J, Hope Hicks, Andrew Harnik Trump, Joshua Steinglass, he's, Hicks, Said Florence, Charles Solomon, Solomon, Thomas Franczyk, Merchan, Trump's, Moscow, Justice Clarence, Thomas, Cannon, Aileen Cannon Organizations: Service, Business, New, Trump, Trump Organization, Attorney's, BI Trump, White House, White House Communications, AP, Prosecutors, Manhattan, BI Locations: York, Manhattan, New York, Moscow, Florence, Buffalo, Erie County, Florida

CNN —Donald Trump will not be sentenced on his business fraud conviction until September, a New York judge ruled Tuesday in the wake of Monday’s Supreme Court decision on presidential immunity. The ruling could impact the indictments of Trump in the classified documents and Georgia election interference cases as well. Trump’s legal team filed a letter Monday seeking to challenge the former president’s conviction after the Supreme Court ruled that presidents have an absolute immunity from prosecution for core official acts. Will Scharf, an attorney who represents Trump in the immunity case, told CNN Monday night the high court’s ruling “absolutely” impacts the hush money case. Video Ad Feedback Biden reacts to Supreme Court's immunity ruling 04:35 - Source: CNN“Under Trump, this official-acts evidence should never have been put before the jury.

Persons: Donald Trump, Joe Biden’s, Trump, Juan Merchan, Jack Smith’s, –, defendant’s, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Trump’s, Will Scharf, “, ”, Hope Hicks, Biden, Trump ‘, ’ ”, ’ Organizations: CNN, Monday’s, Trump, Manhattan, Attorney’s, Attorney, ” Locations: New York, Georgia, Manhattan, Trump

☆ Just 1 piece of evidence could scuttle Trump's hush-money conviction and force a time-sucking retrial
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-02 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

In fact, a single piece of evidence could be Trump's handiest monkey wrench of all. Manhattan district attorney's office/BIDays before closing arguments, Business Insider highlighted People's 81 as one of ten pieces of incriminating "smoking gun" evidence. SCOTUS/Business InsiderIt took less than a day for defense lawyers to use this ban on "official act" evidence to challenge Trump's May 30 conviction. "Under Trump," defense lawyer Todd Blanche wrote Monday, referring to the SCOTUS decision, "this official-acts evidence should never have been put before the jury." Why People's 81 may be Trump's best monkey-wrenchIn hopes of setting aside Trump's verdict, Trump's lawyers raised other instances where they say "official acts" were improperly used at trial against him.

Persons: —, Donald Trump's, Trump, Michael Cohen, Cohen, Donald Trump, Joshua Steinglass, SCOTUS, Trump's, It's, Hope Hicks, Todd Blanche, Blanche, Attorney Alvin Bragg, — Bragg, Juan Merchan, Merchan, Michel Paradis, — Trump, Hicks, Stormy Daniels, Paradis, Daniels Organizations: Service, Business, Manhattan, Attorney's, Supreme Court, People's, Trump, Prosecutors, Attorney, New York, Columbia Law School Locations: Manhattan, SCOTUS

☆ RV sales are picking up. That’s a good sign for the economy
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-16 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

When consumer sentiment falters or the economy starts to teeter, RV sales follow suit, said Michael Hicks, an economics professor at Ball State University and director of Indiana University’s Center for Business and Economic Research. “People don’t make these large, luxury purchases unless they’re actually feeling better about the economy,” said Hicks, who follows the RV industry closely. “It’s so sensitive to interest rate changes, which often precede a downturn.”A Winnebago travel trailer at Motor Sportsland RV dealership in Salt Lake City on April 6, 2020. Nika Shneyder and her father and business partner, Alex Shneyder, standing by a Chill RV in Malibu RV Park, California, in 2019. They moved down to a historically strong, but noticeably smaller, 493,000 the next year, according to data from the RV Industry Association.

Persons: That’s, Nika Shneyder, “ We’re, ” Shneyder, “, Michael Hicks, ”, Hicks, George Frey, bode, ” Michael J, Happe, hasn’t, We’ve, we’ve, Covid, Alex Shneyder, Nika, they’d, Monika Geraci, David Titus, Ty Wright, there’s, Ball State’s Hicks, ’ Titus, they’re, we’ll, Titus, ” Titus Organizations: CNN, Ball State University, Indiana University’s Center for Business, Economic Research, Bloomberg, Getty, Winnebago Industries, RV Industry, Dealers, RVs, Consumers, HL Enterprise, Manufacturing, of Labor Statistics Locations: Los Angeles, teeter, Salt Lake City, YOLO, Malibu, , California, Elkhart , Indiana, The Northern Indiana, South Bend, Elkhart, “, Elkhart .

☆ Maintenance and repair costs can be an unwelcomed surprise for first-time homeowners. Here are some ways to avoid bill shock
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-13 | by ( Ana Teresa Solá | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Experts say the "hidden costs" of owning a home, especially repairs and maintenance, can come as a shock for homeowners. Based on that calculation, Bankrate estimated, annual maintenance costs in some of the states with the highest home prices — like California, Hawaii and Massachusetts — can go over $26,000 annually. Keep your 'critical eye' as a homeownerOnce you become a homeowner, it will be important to keep up with routine maintenance in your house. To avoid surprises, try to regularly inspect your home and look for spots or corners that may need to be fixed. While homeowners are "the most critical" of a house when they're buying, they often don't keep the "critical eye" after moving in, said Hicks.

Persons: Alex Marrero, " Marrero, expats, Marrero, Angi.com, they're, Angie Hicks, Bankrate.com, Massachusetts —, you've, Jeff Ostrowski, Hicks, Dan Bawden, That's, Bawden, Tom Grill Organizations: Finance, Bankrate.com, CNBC, National Association of Realtors, Legal Eagle Contractors, Co Locations: Coral Springs , Florida, California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Kentucky, Bellaire , Texas

☆ The US military has a plan to turn the Taiwan Strait into an 'unmanned hellscape' if China invades, top admiral says
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-10 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewIf China invades Taiwan, it may face a large, lethal drone force meant to make its military "miserable." At least that's the plan, according to the top US admiral in the Pacific, who said the "Hellscape" strategy is designed to distract China and buy the US time to respond. "I want to turn the Taiwan Strait into an unmanned hellscape using a number of classified capabilities," Adm. Samuel Paparo, the commander of US Indo-Pacific Command, told The Washington Post at the International Institute for Strategic Studies' Shangri-La Dialogue Summit. She said that "we'll counter the [People's Liberation Army's] mass with mass of our own, but ours will be harder to plan for, harder to hit, harder to beat." Paparo's remarks on the "Hellscape" strategy come on the heels of a massive Chinese military drill around Taiwan, during which it effectively surrounded the island and showed off joint force capabilities.

Persons: —, Adm, Samuel Paparo, SERGEI SUPINSKY, Kathleen Hicks, Hicks, Replicator, Paparo Organizations: Service, Pacific Command, Washington Post, International Institute for Strategic Studies, Dialogue, Business, Department of Defense, Army, Drones, Getty, Pentagon, Japan's Nikkei Locations: China, Taiwan, Pacific, Taiwan Strait, Kyiv, AFP, Replicator

What Ukraine Has Lost A drone photograph shows numerous severely damaged buildings with labels highlighting residential buildings, a football field and a high school. This is the first comprehensive picture of where the Ukraine war has been fought and the totality of the destruction. More buildings have been destroyed in Ukraine than if every building in Manhattan were to be leveled four times over. In mid-May, the Russians bombed some towns in northeastern Ukraine so ferociously that one resident said they were erasing streets. “No matter how unpatriotic it may sound, there’s not much future for her in Ukraine,” Ms. Hrushkovska said.

Persons: it’s, Corey Scher, Den, Finbarr, Jamon, Diego Ibarra Sánchez, Marinka, ”, Iryna Hrushkovksa, “, Hrushkovska’s, Hanna Horban, ” Ms, Hrushkovska, ” Marinka, Celestino Arce, Tyler Hicks, Laura Boushnak, Finbarr O’Reilly, Horban, Horban’s, Vova, Svitlana Moskalevska, Olha Herus, “ Fish, Jan, Serhii Nuzhnenko, Gleb Garanich, Leonid Ragozin, Varvara, Herus’s, Tetiana, Ms, Herus, Reni, Izmail, Vavara, Varvara Hrushkovska, Hanna Kovalenko, “ It's, ” Artem Hoch, Danylo Organizations: New York Times, City University of New York Graduate Center, Den Hoek of Oregon State University, The New York Times, Copernicus Sentinel, Maxar Technologies, Google, Russia’s Defense Ministry, Ukraine ., Museum of Local, People’s Museum, Getty, Ukrainian Army, Reuters, SHEVCHENKA, SHCHORSA, New York, Kyiv Kharkiv, Ukrainian, Chernihiv Kyiv Kharkiv UKRAINE Dnipro, Kherson Mariupol, Kyiv Kharkiv UKRAINE Mariupol, Microsoft Bing, Institute for, American, The New York Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Marinka, Kyiv, Mariupol, Rubizhne, Kherson, Kharkiv, Manhattan, Dresden, London, Gaza, Den Hoek of, Geneva, Donetsk, Izium, Den Hoek, Crimea, Russian, Donetsk City, Vilkhivka, Huliaipole, “, Ukrainian, Berlin, Pavlograd, Soviet Union, NurPhoto, Kolos, Marinka — Donetsk, Donetsk People’s Republic, іі, Marinka’s, Irpin, Ukraine’s, Bakhmut, Ukrainians, Zaporizhzhia, Orikhiv, Dnipro, Nova, Oleshky, Donbas, Chernihiv Kyiv Kharkiv UKRAINE, CRIMEA, Kyiv Kharkiv UKRAINE

When a Russian soldier appeared outside 98-year-old Lidiia Lomikovska’s shattered home in eastern Ukraine in late April, the first thing he did was shoot and kill the family dog. “What have you done?” her daughter-in-law, Olha, 66, shouted at the Russian. “He was protecting me.”“Now, I will protect you,” he told her, Olha recalled in an interview. Ms. Lomikovska — who lived through a famine orchestrated by Stalin that killed millions in the 1930s and the German occupation of her town, Ocheretyne, during World War II — said she did not know why her life has been bracketed by sorrow. But when war once again arrived at her doorstep, she knew she did not want to live under the “protection” of Russia.

Persons: Lomikovska’s, ”, Olha, Lomikovska —, Stalin, — Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Ocheretyne, Russia

But in closing arguments, one of Mr. Bragg’s prosecutors said that Mr. Cohen had told his lies for Mr. Trump. After the election, Mr. Pecker testified, Mr. Trump summoned him to Trump Tower. The ShowdownEven that did not prove that Mr. Trump had falsified records to disguise his reimbursement of Mr. Cohen. Mr. Trump washed his hands of Mr. Cohen, who turned on the man he had once idolized. Mr. Blanche also argued that Mr. Cohen had profited from his hatred for Mr. Trump with two books and a lucrative podcast deal.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Juan M, Merchan, anoints, Alvin L, Bragg, Trump’s, Stormy Daniels, Michael D, Cohen, Eduardo Munoz, Daniels, Mr, Michael Cohen, ”, Joshua Steinglass, Cohen “, ” Mr, glowered, Mike Johnson, Biden, “, Donald Trump, Dave Sanders, Biden’s, Todd Blanche, Blanche, Todd Heisler, David Pecker, Pecker, nonchalantly, Hope Hicks, Hicks, Ms, The New York Times “, Justice Merchan, “ You’re, ” Ms, Allen H, Weisselberg, Susan Hoffinger, Cohen’s, Joe Piscopo, giddily, Hoffinger, Jean Carroll, Bragg’s, Wesley Parnell, Michael Rothfeld Organizations: White, Republican, Convention, Office, Reuters, Mr, Credit, The New York Times, Democratic, New York Times, National Enquirer, Trump, Playboy, Street Journal, New, Hells Angels Locations: American, Manhattan —, Lower Manhattan, —, Florida, Washington, Georgia, New York, Manhattan, Trump’s Midtown Manhattan, Tahoe, Nev, America

☆ Live Updates: Jury to Review Testimony as Deliberations Resume in Trump Trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Jesse Mckinley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +6 min

Mr. Bragg has accused Mr. Trump of concealing a federal campaign finance violation and a state election-law crime. The defense argued that Mr. Trump was a victim of extortion, led by Mr. Cohen. The defense’s main witness was a lawyer linked to Mr. Trump’s circle, Robert J. Costello, who in 2018 had acted as Mr. Cohen’s back channel to Mr. Trump’s legal team. The maximum sentenceThe charges against Mr. Trump are all Class E felonies, the lowest category of felonies in New York. But nothing in the law requires Justice Merchan to imprison Mr. Trump if he’s convicted by a jury.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Stormy Daniels, Trump’s, Michael D, Cohen, Daniels, Alvin L, Bragg, Juan M, Karen McDougal, Playboy’s, ”, McDougal, Cohen’s, Hope Hicks, Mr, Robert J . Costello, Merchan, Justice Merchan Organizations: Prosecutors, The National Enquirer, Trump Tower, White, Trump, Defense, Mr Locations: New York City, Manhattan, Nevada, New York

☆ Live Updates: Jury to Consider Felony Charges Against Trump
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-29 | by ( Ben Protess | Jonah E. Bromwich | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +6 min

☆ Trump braces for final act of his historic criminal trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-28 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —Donald Trump’s first criminal trial has arrived at its dramatic final act with lawyers for both sides primed on Tuesday to hammer home their cases before jurors consider a verdict that could make history. They argued during the trial that there was no evidence of criminal intent. The trial has not gripped the attention of the country as it might have were television cameras allowed in the courtroom. And Trump used his multiple criminal indictments to his political advantage in clearing the Republican nominating field. The time off only seems to have escalated Trump’s fury as one of the defining weeks of his life dawns.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Juan Merchan, Trump, president’s, Todd Blanche, Michael Cohen, CNN’s Kara Scannell, Joshua Steinglass, Blanche, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Stormy Daniels, Cohen, ”, Elliot Williams, “, ” Cohen, Jeremy Saland, you’d, Matthew Colangelo, Daniels, David Pecker, Hope Hicks, Joe Biden, Yorkers, Mike Johnson, Biden, he’s, Merchan, ” Trump, Jean Carroll Organizations: CNN, Manhattan, Attorney, Democrat, “ CNN, Trump, White House, Prosecutors, Justice Department, Republican Locations: New York

☆ Opinion: Trump trial verdict now hinges on these three questions
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-28 | by ( Opinion Norman Eisen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —On Tuesday, we at last came to closing arguments in the Manhattan criminal trial of former President Donald Trump after 20 days of trial, testimony from 22 witnesses and over 200 exhibits. Were the 34 allegedly false records actually false? The first pivot point is whether the 34 business records at the heart of the case actually contain false information. And Steinglass pushed back on Blanche’s emphasis on the much-discussed October 24, 2016, Cohen call to Trump’s bodyguard, Keith Schiller. Indeed, Blanche continued, Trump repeatedly disclosed the reimbursement — including on Twitter, a 1099 form to the IRS and a federal financial disclosure form.

Persons: Donald Trump, Todd Blanche, Joshua Steinglass, Trump, Stormy Daniels, Michael Cohen, Blanche, Daniels, ”, Norm Eisen, Madame Tussaud’s, Cohen, Steinglass, Keith Schiller, Schiller, Allen Weisselberg, “, ” Steinglass, …, ” Blanche, Hope Hicks, Madeline Westerhout, Cohen — Organizations: CNN, Trump, Trump Foundation, Trump Organization, Twitter, IRS, New, White House, Facebook Locations: Manhattan, New York

☆ Opinion: Here’s how I, as an attorney, would try to persuade the Trump jury in closing arguments
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-27 | by ( Opinion Joey Jackson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

If the jury agrees, Trump would become a convicted felon, and could face up to four years in prison. But Trump’s defense attorneys will have much to say Tuesday about the evidence presented by prosecutors in an attempt to avoid that outcome. As to ledgers and invoices keeping track of these checks, Trump is the owner of the organization, not the bookkeeper or finance person. Cohen claims Trump was with the bodyguard at the time, and that he handed Trump the phone. The evidence shows that in order for checks to be issued to Cohen, Trump would have had to give his approval.

Persons: Joey Jackson, Donald, Joey Jackson Jeremy Freeman, Trump, District Attorney Alvin L, Bragg, ledgers, Michael Cohen, Stormy Daniels, he’d, Cohen, It’s, Daniels, reimbursing Cohen, Hope Hicks, Karen McDougal, McDougal, Keith Davidson, Davidson, I’ll, Cohen wasn’t, ” Organizations: CNN, Manhattan Supreme, District Attorney, Prosecutors, Trump, Department of Justice, Trump Organization, Playboy, White, FedEx, Twitter, Facebook Locations: United States

☆ Trump trial: CNN’s in-the-courtroom reporters describe key moments
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-25 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

A judge found Trump liable for fraud for inflating his net worth to get friendly loans, and juries found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defaming Carroll. DEL VALLE: This is actually my fourth Trump trial. Here, it’s almost been interesting how at moments it just felt like a regular trial. Reporters in the courtroom sat behind Trump – with a view often blocked by the many officers in the aisles of the gallery. The response prompted one of the biggest laughs in the courtroom in the entire trial – even several jurors were laughing.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, CNN’s Kara Scannell, Lauren del Valle, Jeremy Herb, Jean Carroll, Trump, defaming Carroll, del, he’s, it’s, That’s, I’ve, Kara, Lauren, Daniels, It’s, Susan Hoffinger, Christine Cornell, Michael Cohen’s, Todd Blanche, Blanche, Cohen, Keith Schiller, Cohen …, flailing, Kaitlan Collins, Robert Costello, Emil Bove’s, Costello, Judge Juan Merchan, ” Merchan, –, admonish, David Pecker, Trump’s, Pecker, Jane Rosenberg Hope Hicks, Hope Hicks, CNN Madeleine Westerhout, Madeleine Westerhout, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Boris Epshteyn, “, Joshua Steinglass, Emil Bove, Jaden Jarmel, Schneider, Bove, ”, ” Jarmel, ” Bove Organizations: CNN, Trump, New, DEL VALLE, Midway, National Enquirer, Trump … DEL VALLE, White House, VALLE, White, Attorney, Republican Locations: York, New York, del Valle, Manhattan

☆ Lloyd Austin to Undergo Procedure Related to Bladder Issue
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-24 | by ( Eric Schmitt | More About Eric Schmitt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III will undergo a nonsurgical procedure on Friday night to address a bladder-related issue, and during the hospitalization will temporarily turn over duties to his deputy, the Pentagon said on Friday. “The secretary has determined he will be temporarily unable to perform his functions and duties during the procedure, so Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks will assume the functions and duties of the secretary of defense,” the Pentagon said in a statement. Mr. Austin will undergo “a scheduled, elective and minimally invasive follow-up” procedure at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, the statement said. It is the latest in a string of medical procedures for Mr. Austin in recent months, and his initial secrecy surrounding them has drawn scrutiny to both him and the Pentagon.

Persons: Lloyd J, Austin III, “, Kathleen Hicks, Austin Organizations: Pentagon, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center

☆ The jury in the Trump trial faces a task unique in American history
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

“The judge hates Donald Trump, just take a look, take a look at him, take a look at where he comes from. The intricate task that awaits jurorsIt’s impossible to know how jurors are interpreting the daily drama of the courtroom in any trial. Trump has denied the alleged affair with Daniels, and hush money payments are not illegal in themselves. When Cohen finally took the stand, he directly implicated Trump in the alleged scheme to buy Daniels’ silence. But he may have ended up creating a hole in the Trump defense, according to several legal experts.

Persons: there’ll, Donald Trump’s, He’s, Juan Merchan, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Donald Trump, Trump, It’s, he’s, —, Stormy Daniels, Daniels, “, Matthew Colangelo, they’ve, Michael Cohen, ”, Todd Blanche, Cohen, David Pecker, Pecker, Hope Hicks, Hicks, ” Hicks, ’, ” Trump, ‘, ’ ” Cohen, Trump’s, he’d, beseeched, Cohen’s, ” Blanche, Merchan, — Robert Costello, Costello Organizations: CNN, Trump, Attorney, Democrat, Republican, GOP, New York, Prosecutors, American Media Inc, National Enquirer, White House Locations: New York, Manhattan, Lake Tahoe

☆ A Swift Defense and a Decision Ahead: 5 Takeaways From Trump’s Trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Jesse Mckinley | Kate Christobek | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

And, despite dangling the possibility, Mr. Trump did not testify. Testimony started April 22 with a tabloid publisher called by the prosecution, David Pecker, and ended with a lawyer called by the defense, Robert Costello. Mr. Trump, 77, has denied the charges and the encounter. Here are five takeaways from Mr. Trump’s 20th day on trial. Mr. Costello, once Mr. Cohen’s informal adviser, continued on the stand on Tuesday, after a reprimand Monday from Justice Juan M. Merchan, who said he had been “contemptuous.”

Persons: Donald J, Trump, David Pecker, Robert Costello, Stormy Daniels, Trump’s, Michael D, Cohen, Hope Hicks, Daniels, . Costello, Justice Juan M, Merchan, ” Organizations: Memorial, Mr, Justice

Once Mr. Trump was elected, he agreed to repay Mr. Cohen for the $130,000 hush-money deal and more. And at a meeting in Trump Tower just weeks before he was sworn in, Mr. Trump signed off on the fakery, Mr. Cohen recounted from the stand. “What, if anything, did Mr. Trump say at that time?” a prosecutor asked Mr. Cohen. There, he said, Mr. Trump’s chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg, explained how Mr. Trump would reimburse Mr. Cohen for the payoff. To reach Mr. Trump, Mr. Cohen testified, he called the candidate’s bodyguard, Keith Schiller.

Persons: Donald J, Todd Blanche, Blanche, Michael D, Cohen, Trump, Trump’s, —, Alvin L, Bragg, Cohen —, Marc F, Scholl, ”, ” Mr, Stormy Daniels, Mr, “, Michael M, Joshua Steinglass, Juan M, Merchan —, “ Trump, David Pecker, Pecker, Hope Hicks, Penny, Daniels, Allen Weisselberg, Weisselberg, Susan Hoffinger, Cohen’s, Keith Schiller, Schiller, William K, Rashbaum Organizations: Trump, Mr, Trump “, New, National Enquirer, Playboy, fixer Locations: Manhattan, New York

CNN —The prosecution rested their case against Donald J. Trump on Monday in the former president’s hush money trial, which is barreling toward a conclusion as soon as next week. Regardless of the break, the Trump hush money trial is near its end – and roughly a week away from being in the hands of the jury. Cohen was the key witness, spending more than 17 hours on the witness stand over four days before wrapping up on Monday. Trial endgame comes into focusTrump’s side began its defense case Monday afternoon – and the former president’s lawyers appear likely to rest on Tuesday. The defense first called a paralegal to introduce call records between Cohen and Costello, before Costello took the stand.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Michael Cohen’s, Cohen, Stormy Daniels, Juan Merchan, Robert Costello, audibly, Costello, Merchan, Daniels, Hope Hicks, National Enquirer David Pecker, Todd Blanche, Trump’s, Rudy Giuliani, “, Bob, Donald Trump, Emil Bove, ”, there’s, ” Merchan, Susan Hoffinger Organizations: CNN, Trump, National Enquirer, CNN Defense, FBI, New Locations: Manhattan, New York

☆ Opinion: I changed my mind about the strength of the prosecution’s case against Donald Trump. Here’s why
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-18 | by ( Opinion Stacy Schneider | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The heated exchange between Trump’s attorney Todd Blanche and Cohen marked the biggest blow to the prosecution’s case so far. But the DA also must prove the actual business records crime, for which Trump has been charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. How I see it, Cohen’s testimony only satisfied half the equation beyond a reasonable doubt. Weisselberg could be the linchpin to validate Cohen’s claims about Trump agreeing to reimburse him through Trump Organization, as a business expense. If so, there would have been no intent to falsify the business records.

Persons: Stacy Schneider, Michael Cohen, Donald Trump, Cohen, Trump, Todd Blanche, Stormy Daniels, David Pecker, Keith Davidson, Daniels, Hope Hicks, Trump’s, Allen Weisselberg, Weisselberg, Juan Merchan, Pecker, won’t, Madeleine Westerhout Organizations: CNN, Attorney’s, Trump, American Media Inc, Trump Organization, Twitter, Facebook, DC Locations: Manhattan, New York

☆ How One Crack in the Line Opened a Path for the Russians
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Marc Santora | Tyler Hicks | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Thunderous explosions shook the ground as the Ukrainian crew prepared to maneuver its American-made Bradley fighting vehicle out of camouflage and, once again, into the fire. The commander of the team, a sergeant with the call sign Lawyer, nervously scanned the sky. “If we are seen, the KABs will come,” he said, referring to the one-ton bombs Russia has been using to target Ukraine’s most valuable armor and defenses. The crew’s mission was to help contain the breach: protect outmanned and outgunned infantry soldiers, evacuate the wounded and use the Bradley’s powerful 25-millimeter cannon against as many Russians as possible. Mortars and rockets exploded all around, and the gunner was badly injured, said the commander, identified only by his call sign according to military protocol.

Persons: Bradley, ” Locations: Russia, Ocheretyne

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