Closing arguments in Trump criminal trial
The prosecution and defense made their closing arguments to the jury yesterday in the first criminal indictment against a US president. This is an immediate update.
Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass said Donald Trump defrauded the American people by suppressing a porn star’s account of a sexual encounter with him in the run-up to the 2016 election. He said the $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels was part of a conspiracy that “probably was the reason for President Trump’s election.”
As of our press time, Stanglass had not finished his remarks, spinning a sweeping story about how Trump, with the help of his former fixer Michael Cohen and the tabloid National Enquirer, was trying to win the election. Bury negative press coverage before. “This was blatant election fraud,” he said. “It was part of a conspiracy to advance Mr. Trump’s election through illegal means.”
Earlier in the day, Trump attorney Todd Branch spent hours attacking Cohen’s credibility, calling him “Schadenfreude” and “the biggest liar ever.”
Branch’s calculation was simple: If a juror doesn’t believe Cohen, that could amount to reasonable doubt, which could lead to a failure to convict his client. Branch at one point called Cohen “the literal human embodiment of reasonable doubt.”
Judge Juan Merchan will instruct jurors on the law as early as Wednesday before they begin deliberations. It can take anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks for a jury to reach a verdict. If convicted, Trump faces up to four years in prison.
Israel continues to attack Rafah
Israel’s military said it continued its ground assault in the Rafah area yesterday despite international outrage over a deadly airstrike on a camp on Sunday that sparked a fire that killed at least 45 people. This is the latest.
The Israeli military’s chief spokesman claimed that the bombs Israel used in the attack were too small to cause a fire of such magnitude.
In addition, Gaza officials also said that yesterday, a tent area for displaced people in Al-Mawasi, a designated safety area near Rafah, was attacked, killing 21 people. The Israeli military said it was conducting close combat in the area but denied it had launched any attacks in the area.
Displaced Palestinians fled parts of Rafah yesterday after what residents described as a night of heavy bombardment.
assistance: A temporary dock built by the United States to deliver humanitarian supplies to Gaza collapsed in rough seas.
South Africa’s key election
Thirty years ago, the people of South Africa voted in the country’s first free and fair election. Today, as the African National Congress heads to the polls, they could lose their absolute majority for the first time since then. Here’s what to know.
A new generation of voters with no personal experience of apartheid blames the ANC for job losses, rampant crime and an economy devastated by blackouts. In 2021, voter turnout fell below 50% for the first time.
Go deeper: Our Johannesburg bureau chief John Eligon examines the slow decline of Nelson Mandela’s party in The Times.
More headlines
The lively and rambunctious Lord Howe Island stick insect, dubbed “the world’s rarest invertebrate”, is nearly on the verge of extinction due to an invasive species off the coast of Australia. An intensive conservation program is bringing the insect back, highlighting the possibilities and challenges of protecting invertebrates.
conversation starter
sports news
art and ideas
wizard of jeans
In the world of fashion, Benjamin Talley Smith is the man behind denim, his name passed from brand to brand and designer to designer like a secret code.
By 2030, the global jeans market is expected to reach US$121.5 billion. Khaite’s Danielle jeans are named after his wife, Danielle Robinson.
My colleague Vanessa Friedman, the Times’ chief fashion critic, reports that denim is a language of its own, full of “beards,” “ghost patches.” , “V” and “magic triangle,” the term refers to optimal results.
Everything fits just right, and it “makes your butt look really nice,” Smith says.
suggestion
That concludes today’s press conference. Thank you for spending time with us this morning, see you tomorrow. — Justin
Correction: Yesterday’s newsletter misstated the date Jimmy Carter installed solar panels at the White House. That was the 1970s, not 1970.
You can contact Justin and the team at: Briefing@nytimes.com.
