First Thing: Trump’s hush-money trial continues following Stormy Daniels' testimony.
Relationship between former president and adult film actor is central to the case. Plus, faculty-led Gaza encampment at the New School.
Good morning,
The hush-money trial against Donald Trump resumes today at the end of a dramatic week that included testimony from the adult film actor Stormy Daniels.
The relationship between Trump and Daniels is central to the case because Trump’s then lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen, paid her $130,000 to keep quiet about their alleged sexual encounter during the 2016 election campaign. Prosecutors say that payment was an election expense.
Daniels’ testimony described their relationship in graphic detail and over lengthy periods of court time.
Remind me of the details? Trump is charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in connection with the payments, and has pleaded not guilty.
Is the trial impacting Trump’s electoral prospects? It doesn’t look like it. Trump is polling at an average 41.3% compared with Joe Biden’s 40.6%.
The other criminal cases. The hush-money case is the first of four criminal cases to reach a jury against Trump. The other three have hit serious delays, which could perhaps prevent them from starting before November’s presidential election.
The White House national security spokesperson, John Kirby, warned Israel that an all-out assault on Rafah would “strengthen Hamas’s hands”.
The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has vowed Israel will stand alone and “fight with our fingernails,” in defiance of US threats to further restrict arms deliveries if Israeli forces proceed with the Rafah offensive.
Meanwhile, the UN general assembly is set to show support for a Palestinian bid to become a full UN member – by recognising it as qualified to join and sending the application back to the UN security council to “reconsider the matter favourably”.
What’s happening in Rafah? Israel has intensified its bombardment of the city – where 1.4 million people are sheltering – leading to more than 100,000 people fleeing, UN officials say.
What does the international community think about an Israeli invasion of Rafah? The UN urged a ceasefire “to stop the unbearable suffering of Palestinians in Gaza and of the hostages and their families”. The UK said a Rafah offensive would break international law. Qatar called for “urgent international action to prevent the city from being invaded and a crime of genocide being committed”.
