(NEW YORK) — An Air Force instructor pilot has died after the ejection seat on his aircraft activated while the plane was operating on the ground, officials said.
The incident occurred on Monday at Sheppard Air Force Base near Wichita Falls, Texas, when Capt. John Robertson of the 80th Operations Support Squadron was in a T-6A Texan II aircraft during ground operations and he was suddenly ejected from the plane, causing him severe injuries, according to a statement from Sheppard Air Force Base released on Tuesday describing the incident.
Robertson died early Tuesday morning from the injuries he suffered in the accident, Air Force officials said.
“This is a devastating loss for Captain Robertson’s family and loved ones, and for the entire 80th Flying Training Wing,” said Col. Mitchell J. Cok, the acting wing commander. “Captain Robertson was a highly valued Airman and instructor pilot. Our deepest condolences go with all who knew and loved him.”
An interim safety board investigation was convened immediately following the incident, according to Sheppard Air Force Base, and a “full Air Force Safety Investigation Board is expected to be in place later this week.”
The board will release its report when the investigation is complete but they did not disclose when they expected this to happen.
“We are thankful for the M1 maintenance team who immediately provided live-sustaining care, and for the heroic efforts of the security forces, fire and medical personnel here on base and at United Regional Hospital,” Cok said. “Their efforts allowed time for Captain Robertson’s family to be at his side when he passed.”
(NEW YORK) — A school principal has been arrested on charges of aggravated child abuse and false imprisonment of a child under 13 years of age after allegedly physically attacking and detaining a student against their will for over an hour, police said.
The incident occurred last Friday at Destiny Leadership Academy — a private school in Ocala, Florida — when authorities from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call regarding a “physical disturbance between a student and the principal,” Dontay Akeem Prophet, 33, according to a statement from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office detailing the altercation.
“During the investigation, surveillance footage from the classroom was obtained, revealing Prophet preventing the child from leaving the room for over 40 minutes,” authorities said. “Surveillance footage captured him grabbing the victim, restraining him on the ground, and employing a chokehold. Prophet can be seen on camera using a charging cable to strike the child, causing the child to fall and sustain injuries. Additionally, Prophet twisted the child’s ankle, slapped the child in the face, and subjected him to further physical abuse.”
Prophet told police that the altercation was “an attempt to prevent harm to the child.” However, the evidence obtained by police in the course of their investigation “clearly contradicted this assertion,” authorities said.
Prophet was subsequently arrested and transported to the Marion County Jail where he is being held without bond, police said.
The identity, condition and age of the child were not released by authorities and the investigation into what caused the incident in the first place is currently ongoing.
(LOS ANGELES) — The man accused of shooting two Jewish men in Los Angeles last year has agreed to plead guilty to hate crime and firearm charges, the Justice Department announced Tuesday.
Jamie Tran is expected to plead guilty as charged to two counts of hate crimes with intent to kill and two counts of using a firearm illegally, according to a press release. Tran is expected to receive a sentence of 35 to 40 years in prison.
“These horrific acts – motivated by poisonous, antisemitic beliefs – shocked our community,” United States Attorney Martin Estrada said in a statement. “Law enforcement will continue to work together to prevent and punish hate crimes. Our resolve remains firm, standing with our Jewish community and others to oppose acts of hate.”
Tran allegedly researched the locations of kosher markets and in February 2023 went to the Pico-Robertson area of Los Angeles where he allegedly shot a Jewish man near a synagogue. He returned to the same area the next day and shot another Jewish man at close range, according to authorities. Both victims survived the shootings.
He was arrested the following day and has remained in custody, according to authorities. Tran had been restricted from owning firearms due to mental health issues, but allegedly acquired two guns in January 2023 through a third party.
Tran had a history of making antisemitic remarks going back to 2018 when he made “hate-filled statements” about other students while he was in dental school, according to the press release.
In 2022, Tran emailed antisemitic statements to former classmates, according to authorities, including excerpts from a website which described Jewish people as “primitive.”
“I’m thankful for the hard work our investigators and prosecutors have put into this case,” Los Angeles Police Chief Dominic Choi said. “Hate crimes tear at the fabric of our communities and safety. The Los Angeles Police Department is stronger through our federal partnerships, better serving the people of Los Angeles.”
(COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.) — A search is underway for a 23-year-old hiker in Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park after he did not return from an attempt to summit Longs Peak on Sunday.
Lucas Macaj, of Colorado Springs, was expected back late Sunday. He was last heard from around 1 p.m. on Sunday when he texted a friend that he was on the summit of Longs Peak.
Macaj’s vehicle was found parked at the Longs Peak Trailhead early Monday.
Significant storms moved through high elevations in the park on Sunday, according to Rocky Mountain National Park.
Macaj is likely wearing a dark-colored top, tan or brown pants, khaki-colored boots and a black backpack. He is about 5 feet, 9 inches tall and weighs around 155 pounds.
Search and rescue team members are on the ground and in the air searching for Macaj.
Former US President Donald Trump looks on during his criminal trial for allegedly covering up hush money payments at Manhattan Criminal Court, in New York City, on May 13, 2024. (STEVEN HIRSCH/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — Former President Donald Trump is on trial in New York City, where he is facing felony charges related to a 2016 hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. It marks the first time in history that a former U.S. president has been tried on criminal charges.
Trump last April pleaded not guilty to a 34-count indictment charging him with falsifying business records in connection with a hush money payment his then-attorney Michael Cohen made to Daniels in order to boost his electoral prospects in the 2016 presidential election.
Here’s how the news is developing:
May 14, 3:35 PM Cohen questioned about Trump phone call
Defense attorney Todd Blanche, cross-examining Michael Cohen, sought to cast doubt on Cohen’s testimony about calling Trump following the release of the infamous “Access Hollywood” tape in 2016.
Blanche showed Cohen notes from Cohen’s interview with the special counsel who investigated Cohen in 2018.
“You told them you didn’t recall speaking with President Trump about the tape?” Blanche asked.
Cohen responded that he was still being “loyal” to Trump at the time, in August 2018.
But by 2019, “you had changed your views about President Trump, correct?” Blanche asked.
“Correct,” Cohen responded.
“You now said President Trump was a conman and you were ashamed?” Blanche asked.
“I said that, yes,” Cohen answered.
May 14, 3:27 PM Cohen struggles to say when an untruth is a lie
During an extended back-and-forth, Michael Cohen struggled to admit that he lied to the special counsel in 2018 about Trump’s involvement in a Trump Tower project in Moscow.
“Yes, the information I have was not accurate,” Cohen said.
“Is it a lie?” Defense attorney Todd Blanche asked.
“It was inaccurate, yes,” Cohen said.
“Was it a lie?” Blanche asked.
“I don’t know if I would characterize it as a lie. It was inaccurate,” Cohen said.
“How are you distinguishing that in your head?” Blanche asked.
“It wasn’t truthful,” Cohen said. “If you want to call it a lie, it was a lie.”
After a long pause, Cohen said, “Sure, I will say it’s a lie.”
May 14, 3:20 PM Defense presses Cohen on past admiration for Trump
“You’re actually obsessed with President Trump?” Blanche asked, pursuing a line of inquiry that he drew attention to in the defense’s opening statement.
“I don’t know that I would characterize obsessed,” Cohen said. “I can’t recall using that word, but I can’t say it would be wrong.”
Blanche asked if Cohen was “knee-deep in the cult of Donald Trump” when he said flattering things about Trump in the past.
“That’s how I felt,” Cohen said.
“Fair to say you admired President Trump when you were working for him?” Blanche asked.
“Yes sir,” Cohen said.
Blanche questioned Cohen about Trump’s book “The Art of the Deal,” which Cohen has read more than once. Blanche noted that Cohen has publicly called the book a “masterpiece.”
Cohen replied, “I viewed it as an excellent book.”
“You’ve actually called it a masterpiece?” Blanche asked.
“Yes, a masterpiece,” Cohen said.
As Blanche asked Cohen about his past praise of the former president, Trump quickly grabbed a stack of Post-it notes from the counsel table, jotted down a note, and passed it to attorney Emil Bove, who Trump poked to get his attention.
May 14, 3:13 PM Defense asks Cohen about anti-Trump T-shirt
Jurors were shown a series of items that Michael Cohen sells.
“This is a $32 shirt that has a picture of President Trump in an orange jumpsuit behind bars?” Defense attorney Todd Blanche asked.
“That’s what the picture shows,” Cohen answered.
“You actually wore that T-shirt on your TikTok last week?” Blanche said.
“I did,” Cohen said.
Defense lawyers asked for the judge to order Cohen to stop commenting about Trump last week after they flagged Cohen wearing the shirt on a TikTok live stream, ABC News reported on Friday.
May 14, 3:05 PM Cohen says he wants to see Trump convicted
Under cross-examination, Michael Cohen conceded he wants to see Trump found guilty.
“Have you regularly commented on your podcast that you want President Trump to be convicted in this case?” Blanche asked.
“Yes, probably,” Cohen said. “I don’t specifically know if I used those words but, yes, I would like to see that.”
Blanched pressed for a definitive answer.
“I would like to see accountability. That’s not for me. That’s for the jury and this court,” Cohen said.
Blanche pressed, asking, “Do you want President Trump to get convicted in this case?”
Cohen ultimately responded: “Sure.”
May 14, 3:01 PM Defense presses Cohen on TikTok, pointing to ABC News coverage
Defense attorney Todd Blanche homed in on Michael Cohen’s use of TikTok, referring to ABC News’ initial coverage in his questioning.
He accused Cohen of using it as an outlet to “make money.”
Cohen responded that he uses it to “build an audience.”
“What’s the goal of doing that?” Blanche asked,
“Build an audience, create a community,” Cohen responded. “To really vent because I’m having a difficult time sleeping. So I found an outlet.”
“You are also hoping to make money on that?” Blanche asked.
“I do make money on that, but it’s not significant,” Cohen said.
“One of the reasons you do it is to make money?” Blanche later asked.
“Yes,” Cohen said.
Cohen also conceded that he mentions Trump on most if not all of his TikTok streams.
May 14, 2:49 PM Cohen admits DA asked him not to discuss case
Defense attorney Todd Blanche tried to get Cohen to admit that the Manhattan district attorney’s office advised him to stop making media appearances in March 2023 because he was “unwittingly helping President Trump by going on TV.”
Cohen repeatedly testified that he could not recall such a conversation, prompting Blanche to question how Cohen could vividly recall conversations with Donald Trump in 2016.
Cohen subsequently conceded that the DA’s office advised him approximately five times not to talk about the case.
Blanche, highlighting how often Cohen has publicly spoken about the case, including on television appearances and podcasts, asked, “It’s more than 200, correct?”
“Yes,” Cohen responded.
“Would you agree that you have talked about President Trump in every single one?” Blanched asked.
“I would say he’s mentioned in every single one,” Cohen said.
May 14, 2:38 PM Defense asks Cohen if he leaked info about the case
Defense attorney Todd Blanche asked Michael Cohen if he leaked information about the DA’s investigation into the Stormy Daniels payment, or discussed the case in detail during television appearances in February 2021, despite promising his lawyer he would no longer comment on the case.
“You were going on TV talking about the investigation?” Blanche asked.
“I go on TV often so I am not sure what the topic was,” Cohen said.
“Would it surprise you to learn that you were on TV talking about the investigation in February 2021?” Blanche asked.
“No, it does not surprise me,” Cohen said.
The jury is seeing a slightly more defensive and combative witness than the Michael Cohen they saw on direct examination.
May 14, 2:33 PM Defense questions Cohen about disparaging Trump
Restarting his cross-examination, defense attorney Todd Blanche asked Michael Cohen if he had been following the progress of the trial.
“I have made comments about the jury selection,” Cohen said.
“On April 23, so after the trial started, you said that you had actually heard what a witness had testified about?” Blanche asked.
“Possible yes,” Cohen replied.
“Do you recall saying on TikTok on April 23 and that’s when Mr. Pecker was still on the stand that from everything you have heard David Pecker has corroborated everything you have been saying for six years?” Blanche asked.
“Somebody called me and told me that Mr. Pecker had corroborated what I’d been saying for a long time,” Cohen said.
Under questioning, Cohen conceded that, while the trial has been ongoing, he has said disparaging things about former President Trump.
“You referred to President Trump as a dictator douche bag, didn’t you?” Blanche asked.
“Sounds like something I said,” Cohen answered.
Blanche asked Cohen if he commented that Donald Trump belongs in a “little cage … like a f—— animal.”
“I recall saying that,” Cohen said.
Trump, at the defense table, has been leaning back in his chair and listening with his eyes closed.
May 14, 2:25 PM Cohen cross-examination gets off to a combative start
With court resuming after the lunch break, Michael Cohen has retaken the stand for cross-examination by the defense.
Questioning has gotten off to a combative start.
“You know who I am, don’t you?” defense attorney Todd Blanche asked Cohen.
“I do,” Cohen said.
“In fact on April 23 you went on TikTok and called me a crying little s— didn’t you?”
“Sounds like something I would say,” Cohen said, prompting some laughter in the overflow room.
The prosecution objected, prompting a conference at the bench.
The question was stricken from the record and cross-examination resumed.
May 14, 1:04 PM ‘I regret doing things’ for Trump, Cohen tells jury
Michael Cohen testified about the fallout from his work for Trump, telling the jury he is no longer a lawyer.
“I lost my law license as a direct result of this,” he said.
He said he wrote his book, “Disloyal,” to “pass the time” in prison, then wrote his second book, “Revenge,” which he described as a “forensic dissection of the prosecution … against a critic of the president.”
The jury then saw a 2023 social media post by Donald Trump about “convicted liar and felon” Michael Cohen.
Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger questioned Cohen about Trump suing him in Florida for half a billion dollars — and for the first time in a while, Trump, at the defense table, opened his eyes, took notes, and passed them to his attorney Todd Blanche.
Cohen told the jury that he regrets what he did for Trump.
“I regret doing things for him that I should not have. Lying. Bullying people in order to effectuate a goal,” Cohen said. “I don’t regret working with the Trump Organization, as I expressed before some very interesting great times.”
“But to keep the loyalty and do things that he had asked me to do — I violated my moral compass, and I suffered the penalty, as has my family,” Cohen said.
Trump appeared to have his eyes closed for the majority of Cohen’s last answer. The prosecution completed its direct examination of Cohen, and the court recessed the lunch.
May 14, 12:51 PM Trump listens as Cohen describes prison sentence
Michael Cohen said that after he pleaded guilty to campaign finance charges related to the Stormy Daniels payment — as well as other tax charges — he served 13 months in federal prison before being sent to home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Trump, sitting at the defense table, had his eyes closed as Cohen testified about his time in prison.
Cohen then testified that he was sent back to prison after he declined to sign an agreement that would have prohibited him from speaking or writing publicly.
“Didn’t seem like a federal document,” Cohen said, adding that it did not include any numbers and included several typos.
Cohen suggested he was sent to solitary confinement around the time he was writing his book, prompting a sustained objection from defense lawyers.
Asked about the tax charges, Cohen told jurors that while he agrees his tax filings had an “error,” he believes he was treated unfairly by prosecutors.
“I have constantly maintained that I did not dispute the fact there was an error in the taxable amount — in the tax that was due,” Cohen said.
“What I did dispute, and I continue to dispute, is for a first-time offender … never having been audited, that this would go immediately to a criminal charge. From the day that we found out, I was given 48 hours within which to plead guilty” — or face an eighty-page indictment that would have included charges against his wife, he said.
“And I was going to protect my wife,” Cohen said.
May 14, 12:36 PM ‘Worst day of my life,’ Cohen says of 2018 guilty plea
Michael Cohen told the jury about his 2018 guilty plea for campaign finance violations related to the Stormy Daniels payment, as well as other tax evasion charges.
“What was that day like for you?” prosecutor Susan Hoffinger asked.
“Worst day of my life,” Cohen said.
The jury then saw the tweets that then-President Trump posted in August 2018 following Cohen’s guilty pleas.
“If anyone is looking for a good lawyer, I would strongly suggest that you don’t retain the services of Michael Cohen!” one said.
“It caused a lot of angst, anxiety,” Cohen said about the tweets.
Asked to describe his understanding of Trump’s message, Cohen said, “Certainly displeasure. That I no longer was important to the fold.”
Trump, at the defense table, leaned forward to read his own tweets as they appeared on the monitor.
Cohen told jurors that he reported to federal prison on May 6, 2019. He told the jury he was sentenced to three years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
“I apologized to Congress, I apologized to the country, I apologized to my family” in congressional testimony in February 2019 before he reported to prison, because “the citizenry had a right to know in order to make a determination about the individual who was seeking the highest office in the land,” he said.
May 14, 12:25 PM Cohen says hush payments were to ensure Trump’s election
“Did you admit that you paid that money to Stormy Daniels in order to influence Mr. Trump’s electoral prospects?” Susan Hoffinger asked Cohen after he finished testifying about his decision to plead guilty to campaign finance and related charges in 2018.
Defense attorney Todd Blanche objected, prompting a sidebar. Judge Merchan sustained the objection.
Cohen reiterated that he paid Stormy Daniels “on behalf of Mr. Trump” to influence the election.
“To ensure that the story would not come out — would not affect Mr. Trump’s chances of becoming president of the United States,” Cohen said.
“Why did you work with AMI to pay off Karen McDougal?” Hoffinger asked.
“In order to ensure that the possibility of Mr. Trump succeeded in the election — that this would not be a hindrance,” Cohen said.
May 14, 12:20 PM ‘I would not lie for President Trump any longer,’ Cohen testifies
Michael Cohen testified that in the summer of 2018, then-President Trump carried out a “pressure campaign” on him through Cohen’s then-attorney Robert Costello.
“You are making a very big mistake if you believe the stories these ‘journalists’ are writing about you. They want you to cave. They want you to fail. They do not want you to preserve and succeed,” Costello wrote in an email to Cohen that was shown to the jury. “If you really believe you are not being supported properly by your former boss, then you should make your position known.”
“I believed based upon all of our conversations that he would immediately run back to Mr. Giuliani and that communication would be divulged to Mr. Trump,” he said.
“My family — my wife, my daughter, my son — all said to me, ‘Why are you holding onto this loyalty? What are you doing? We’re supposed to be your first loyalty,” Cohen testified.
“So what decision did you make?” asked prosecutor Susan Hoffinger.
“That it was about time to listen to them,” Cohen said. “To my wife, my son, my daughter, to the country,” Cohen said in emotional testimony.
Cohen testified that he pleaded guilty to federal charges in August 2018.
“I would not lie for President Trump any longer,” Cohen said.
May 14, 12:06 PM Cohen says he didn’t want info getting back to Trump
Jurors saw an April 21, 2018, email where Michael Cohen’s attorney at the time, Robert Costello, told Cohen, “Sleep well tonight, you have friends in high places.”
“The friend in high places was President Trump,” Cohen testified.
“It let me know that I was still important to the team, and stay the course, that the president had my back,” Cohen said about Costello’s emails.
Jurors then saw another email from Costello dated June 13, 2018.
“Since you jumped off the phone rather abruptly, I did not get a chance to tell you that my friend has communicated to me that he is meeting with his client this evening and he added that if there was anything you wanted to convey, you should tell me and my friend will bring it up for discussion this evening,” Costello wrote.
According to Cohen, the aforementioned client was Donald Trump.
Asked about the vagueness of the email, Cohen testified that it was “sort of to be covert — it is all back channel. Sort of eye spy-ish. Didn’t want to put anybody’s name.”
Jurors then saw a June 2018 email between Cohen and Costello that suggested their relationship had begun to fray.
“I must tell you quite frankly that I am not used to listening to abuse like today’s conversation,” Costello wrote, referencing an “unfortunate outburst” by Cohen.
“Please remember if you want or need to communicate something, please let me know and I will see that it gets done. I hope I am not wrong but it seems to both Jeff and I that perhaps we have been played here,” Costello wrote, referencing the back channel to Trump.
Cohen told the jury he was concerned about his communications with Costello making their way to Trump, and he began looking for other lawyers.
Cohen said Costello was “again pressuring me as he had done with constant calls and sending me emails and so on. He wanted to absolutely be retained to represent me in this matter. He was angered that I was willing to sit down with another attorney but not sit down with them, so I had enough.”
May 14, 11:54 PM Cohen questioned about attorney Robert Costello
Following the mid-morning break, prosecutor Susan Hoffinger resumed her direct examination by asking Cohen about attorney Robert Costello, who represented him in 2018.
Cohen testified that Costello told him “this would be a great way to have a backchannel of communication to the president in order to ensure you’re still good and still secure”
Cohen said that Costello also touted his relationship with Rudy Giuliani, who was close with Trump at the time.
Costello suggested his representation would be “very beneficial for you going forward with this matter.”
Cohen said he was skeptical of Costello because he seemed “really sketchy and wrong.”
Cohen also said worried that “anything I said to him was going to be spoken and told to Rudy Giuliani.”
Jurors saw an April 2018 email from Costello to Cohen, which Cohen said was sent to “reinforce the whole concept of the back channel.”
“I am sure you saw the news that Rudy is joining the Trump legal team. I told you my relationship with Rudy which could be very useful to you,” Costello wrote in the email.
May 14, 11:36 AM Cohen recounts 2018 FBI raid on hotel room, office
Michael Cohen testified about the April 9, 2018, FBI raid on his hotel room and office as part of a federal investigation related to the Stormy Daniels matter. At the time, Cohen’s apartment was flooded, so he was residing in a hotel.
“At 7 o’clock in the morning, there is a knock on the door and I look through the peephole and I see a ton of people out in the hallway. I saw a badge … they identified themselves at the FBI,” Cohen said.
Cohen told jurors that the FBI seized two phones, a series of tax books, and other records.
“I found out that simultaneously they had also raided my apartment that was under construction, my law office, and my bank that had a safety deposit box I had just opened in order to hold valuables in because I didn’t want to keep them in the hotel,” he testified.
“How would you describe your life being turned upside down?” prosecutor Susan Hoffinger asked.
“Concerned. Despondent. Angry,” Cohen said, describing his response to the raid.
“Were you frightened?” Hoffinger asked.
“Yes, ma’am,” Cohen said.
Cohen said that he left a message for Trump after the raid, and received a phone call from Trump.
“I received a phone call from President Trump in response to me leaving a message for him to call,” Cohen said. “I wanted obviously for him to know what was taking place. He said, don’t worry, I am the president of the United States — there is nothing here. Everything is going to be OK. Stay tough. You are going to be OK.”
Cohen said Trump’s statements at the time” reinforced my loyalty and my intention to stay in the fold.” At the time, the Trump Organization was paying his legal fees.
Cohen said this was the last time he spoke to Trump.
Jurors then saw an April 21, 2018, tweet from then-President Trump that referenced the possibility Cohen might “flip” — i.e., decide to turn on him.
Cohen said he understood those tweets as being directed “to me” — meant to indicate, “stay in fold, stay loyal, I have you … don’t flip.”
“Mr. Trump did not want me to cooperate with the government, certainly not to provide information or flip,” Cohen said.
May 14, 11:10 AM Appellate Court denies Trump’s challenge to gag order
In a ruling related to the ongoing criminal trial, a panel of New York appellate judges has denied Donald Trump’s challenge to the limited gag order in the case.
In April, Trump filed an Article 78 petition to challenge the constitutionality of the limited gag order, which prevents public statements about witnesses, jurors, lawyers in the case other than Alvin Bragg.
Trump argued that the limited gag order overstepped on his First Amendment rights.
In their ruling today, the appellate judges acknowledged that while Trump does not surrender his First Amendment rights once he enters the courtroom, those rights “may be subordinated” by the issues that arise during the trial.
“We find that Justice Merchan properly weighed petitioner’s First Amendment Rights against the court’s historical commitment to ensuring the fair administration of justice in criminal cases and the right of persons related or tangentially related to the criminal proceedings from being free from threats, intimidation, harassment, and harm,” the decision said.
May 14, 10:59 AM ‘I will always protect Mr. Trump,’ Cohen said in 2018
Jurors saw a statement that Michael Cohen released to the press in 2018 about the Stormy Daniels payment and the related FEC complaint.
“Just because something isn’t true doesn’t mean it can’t cause you harm or damage. I will always protect Mr. Trump,” Cohen read to the jury from his 2018 statement.
The jury also saw a Signal message from then-Trump attorney Jay Sekulow to Michael Cohen that read, “client says thanks for what you do.”
“The client here is President Trump, and for what you do, it dealt with the statement that I was putting out to the press,” Cohen testified.
“To deny his involvement?” prosecutor Susan Hoffinger asked Cohen.
“Yes,” Cohen responded.
May 14, 9:52 AM Cohen says Trump said payment was forthcoming at WH meeting
Former Trump attorney Michael Cohen, picking up where he left off yesterday, recounted a meeting with Trump in Feb. 17, 2017, at the White House — a key moment where prosecutors allege Trump personally discussed the repayment scheme.
“So I was sitting with president Trump and asked me if I was OK. He asked me if I needed money. And I said no, all good. He said, ‘I can get a check.’ I said, no I’m OK,” Cohen recounted of the conversation.
“He said all right, just make sure you deal with Allen,” Cohen continued.
“Did he say anything about anything that would be forthcoming to you?” prosecutor Susan Hoffinger asked.
“Yes, there would be a check for January and February,” Cohen said.
The jury was shown a photo of Cohen in the White House briefing room, backing up that the meeting occurred.
May 14, 9:44 AM Cohen is back on the stand
Michael Cohen has taken the stand for his second day of testimony.
He appeared to glance in the direction of Trump as he made his way to the stand, but the two did not appear to make eye contact.
May 14, 9:37 AM Proceedings are underway
Judge Juan Merchan has gaveled in the day’s proceedings.
“Good morning, Mr. Trump,” he said in his usual fashion.
May 14, 9:25 AM Trump, prosecutors have arrived
Prosecutors have arrived in court for today’s proceedings. Unlike yesterday, Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg is not currently in the courtroom.
Donald Trump has arrived at the courthouse with members of his entourage.
May 14, 8:53 AM North Dakota governor to join Trump at trial: Sources
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and Florida Reps. Byron Donalds and Cory Mills are planning to come with former President Trump to court today, in addition to House Speaker Mike Johnson, according to sources familiar with the matter.
The group is expected to be in court as former Trump attorney Michael Cohen resumes his testimony this morning.
May 14, 8:10 AM House Speaker Mike Johnson to attend court, says source
House Speaker Mike Johnson is going to criminal court in New York with former President Trump this morning, a source with direct knowledge confirms to ABC News.
Johnson will commute with Trump in his motorcade from Trump Tower to the lower Manhattan courthouse, and is expected to be in the courtroom for the morning session.
May 14, 7:22 AM Stormy Daniels wore bulletproof vest to court, lawyer says
An attorney for Stormy Daniels told CNN that Daniels wore a bulletproof vest to court before her testimony last week.
“She was concerned about the security coming into New York,” attorney Clark Brewster said. “She wore a bulletproof vest every day until she got to the courthouse.”
Brewster said that Daniels was concerned about a rogue actor targeting her due to her testimony in the trial.
“Before she came on Sunday, I mean she cried herself to sleep,” Brewster said. “She was paralyzed with fear.”
Daniels testified over two days last week that she and Trump had a sexual encounter in 2006 and that she was subsequently paid $130,000 for her silence. Trump has denied all allegations of a sexual encounter.
May 14, 7:12 AM Michael Cohen to return for 2nd day of testimony
Ex-Trump attorney Michael Cohen is set to resume his direct examination this morning in former President Trump’s criminal hush money trial.
Across six hours of testimony yesterday, Cohen laid out the trial’s most incriminating testimony so far regarding Trump’s involvement in a scheme to hide information from voters by falsifying business records in order to disguise a hush money payment to Stormy Daniels just days before the 2016 election.
Cohen testified that he helped coordinate a “catch and kill” scheme with David Pecker of the National Enquirer, making a $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels in exchange for her silence about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump, then devising a reimbursement arrangement with then-Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg in 2017. Trump, who has steadfastly denied Daniels’ allegations, has denied all wrongdoing.
Cohen told jurors that Trump approved the Daniels hush money payment in October 2016, and that Cohen wired the money from a shell company he funded using a home equity line of credit.
He then recounted a 2017 meeting with Trump and Weisselberg in Trump Tower just days before the inauguration where Trump agreed to the plan to reimburse Cohen for the hush money payment.
“He approved it,” Cohen said of Trump. “What I was doing, I was doing at the direction and for the benefit of Mr. Trump.”
(WASHINGTON) — Several conservative-led states are rallying against new federal Title IX regulations announced by the Biden administration that codify protections for transgender people in schools.
The new federal rules officially add “gender identity” to the list of protections from sex-based discrimination for the first time. Title IX prohibits discrimination based on sex at any institution that receives federal funding.
“For more than 50 years, Title IX has promised an equal opportunity to learn and thrive in our nation’s schools free from sex discrimination,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona in an announcement on the revision. “These final regulations build on the legacy of Title IX by clarifying that all our nation’s students can access schools that are safe, welcoming and respect their rights.”
Schools could violate Title IX if a transgender person isn’t allowed to use the bathroom aligned with their gender identity or if they are not referred to by their chosen pronoun, according to senior administration officials.
This change directly conflicts with state laws in Arkansas, Missouri, Texas, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and more. These laws ban transgender students from using facilities — like bathrooms or locker rooms — that align with their gender identity and restrict the use of chosen pronouns and names, either by requiring parental permission or by allowing teachers to not use the preferred pronouns and name.
Legal battles are expected to continue to spread across the country in light of the new rules – both in favor of and against trans student protections.
Some states are already suing the federal government to keep their policies involving transgender people in place, claiming the new additions are unconstitutional. On the other hand, LGBTQ students, their families and advocacy groups are suing those states to get rid of such policies, calling them discriminatory.
In a statement announcing Texas’ lawsuit against the Title IX changes, state Attorney General Ken Paxton said the rule clarification “violates existing federal law, ignores the Constitution, and denies women the protections that Title IX was intended to afford them” by allowing transgender people to use accommodations or pronouns that align with their gender identity.
“When you’re talking about the rights of people and the right of someone based on their gender identity to enter into women’s spaces, all of a sudden that starts taking away opportunities and privacy from women,” said Independent Women’s Law Center Director May Mailman in an interview with ABC News.
Equality Texas, an LGBTQ advocacy organization in the state, believes that Texas’ policies regarding the transgender community aren’t about protecting women, citing the state’s restrictive record on abortions and reproductive health care. Instead, Ricardo Martinez, CEO of Equality Texas, argues that the community is being used for political gain.
“We’ve seen it before, where anti-LGBTQ extremists tried to sensationalize parts of our lives that most Americans — most Texans — wouldn’t necessarily know very much about,” Martinez said in an interview with ABC News. “They take that knowledge gap and fill it with disinformation and misinformation in hopes that it leads to outrage, hysteria, and then they use that hysteria that is manufactured by them to legislate against us.”
Several legal organizations, including Lamba Legal, have already cited Title IX in their fights against anti-transgender legislation. They argue that Title IX guarantees that transgender youth “have an equal right to go about their everyday lives at school in peace and with dignity” in its case against Idaho bathroom restrictions.
The Title IX change was welcomed by LGBTQ advocates, students and families who have been bombarded with headlines of anti-LGBTQ legislation throughout the year. They say policies restricting bathroom use and pronoun or name use heighten concerns about anti-trans bullying and harassment against students forced to use the pronoun, name or bathroom that do not align with their gender identity.
There have been 515 anti-LGBTQ bills in state legislatures this year – many of which aimed to restrict trans bathroom use or trans student pronouns and name changes, according to the ACLU.
However, the majority of these bills have been defeated and not become law.
The Title IX rule change shows LGBTQ youth “that they’re important enough to care about and protect,” said Martinez.
Sandra Schmidt, a Columbia University professor of social studies education, said she expects the rule change to prompt schools to look more closely at how they talk about gender or implement gendered policies in schools.
Schmidt told ABC News she believes it could make schools also revisit bullying policies, LGBTQ representation in curriculum and more.
A decision on whether transgender athletes can or cannot be restricted from participating on teams aligned with their gender identity was not included in the new Title IX decision. However, that process is still ongoing, according to a senior administration official.
The new regulations for Title IX take effect on August 1 – meaning schools have about three months to be in compliance with the updated policies.
(BALTIMORE, M.D.)– A Maryland woman accused of plotting to carry out attacks on multiple energy substations surrounding Baltimore pleaded guilty on Tuesday to federal conspiracy and firearms charges, court records show.
Sarah Beth Clendaniel, of Catonsville, was charged last year with conspiring with a Florida-based founder of the neo-Nazi group Atomwaffen to carry out the attacks, in what prosecutors described as a racism-fueled plot to spark mass chaos in the majority-Black city.
She initially pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to damage an energy facility. She was subsequently also charged with being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm and pleaded guilty to both charges in federal court on Tuesday.
“If we can pull off what I’m hoping … this would be legendary,” Clendaniel was quoted in charging documents telling a federal informant about her plot with Brandon Russell to target five substations around Baltimore.
She was further quoted telling an FBI confidential source she was “determined” to carry out the attacks, adding, “It would probably permanently completely lay this city to waste” if they were successful.
According to plea documents, Clendaniel agreed that if she were to carry out the attacks the total costs of repairs to the energy facilities would have exceeded $100,000.
The guilty plea paves the way for Clendaniel to now provide cooperation with federal authorities against Russell — who was incarcerated when the two first met, stemming from a 2018 conviction related to his possession of an unregistered destructive device.
The pair crafted their plot to shoot up the five substations while both were out on probation, when Russell began communicating with a confidential FBI source in 2022 about his hopes of attacking critical infrastructure sites, according to charging documents.
Russell allegedly told the informant that “putting holes in transformers … is the greatest thing somebody can do,” and told the informant they should carry out an attack “when there is greatest strain on the grid” to incur mass disruption. Russell further told the informant of Clendaniel and his alleged coordination with her to attack an energy facility and offered to connect the two to coordinate their attacks in order to “maximize impact.”
Upon meeting the informant, Clendaniel told them in early 2023 that she expected she would die of a terminal illness in a few months and was hoping to obtain a rifle as soon as possible in order to attack five substations she had singled out around Baltimore — all on the same day.
“[Clendaniel] described how there was a ‘ring’ around Baltimore and if they hit a number of them all in the same day, they ‘would completely destroy this whole city,'” the affidavit stated.
Prosecutors agreed they would not recommend Clendaniel serve a sentence over 18 years in connection with her plea agreement, according to court documents, though the judge overseeing her case will ultimately determine the length of her prison term.
Russell has pleaded not guilty to a conspiracy charge in the case and is set to stand trial in July.
(SANTA FE, N.M.) — Hannah Gutierrez has appealed her conviction of involuntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the Alec Baldwin film “Rust.”
Gutierrez, the film’s armorer, was sentenced to 18 months in prison, the maximum, in connection with the October 2021 shooting.
The Santa Fe, New Mexico, County jury deliberated for under three hours on March 6 before reaching a split verdict. They found her guilty of involuntary manslaughter but acquitted her of tampering with evidence in the case.
Prosecutors told jurors that Gutierrez “repeatedly” failed to maintain proper firearm safety and that her negligence led to the death of Hutchins, who was shot by Baldwin, while the defense countered that the 26-year-old was a “convenient scapegoat” during closing arguments in the trial.
Baldwin was practicing a cross-draw in a church on the set of the Western film on Oct. 21, 2021, when the Colt .45 revolver fired a live round, striking Hutchins and director Joel Souza. Souza was injured in the incident, but survived.
Souza spoke about Hutchins during Gutierrez’s sentencing in April.
“She was a touchstone for all who knew her. And those of us who were lucky enough to have shared in her fleeting time on this planet are better for it,” he said.
Many of Hutchins’ friends and family members spoke during the lengthy sentencing hearing, either in person or via video.
Hutchins’ close friend and film school classmate, Emilia Mendieta, told the judge, “Someone didn’t do their job right — a lot of someones.”
“Why was a live bullet on set?” Mendieta said. “It was her job to check the guns, check the bullets and make sure that the set was safe.”
Defense attorney Jason Bowles had said in his closing arguments that the New Mexico Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s investigation into the shooting found that the management “demonstrated plain indifference to employee safety” and was responsible for the safety on the set, saying there was a rush to judgment and Gutierrez was a “convenient fall person.”
ABC News’ Emily Shapiro contributed to this report.
(ORLANDO, Fl.) — Eight people were killed when a bus carrying about 53 farmworkers crashed and overturned on West Highway 40 in central Florida, according to state officials.
About 40 victims have been taken to medical facilities, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles said.
The 2010 International Bus and a 2001 Ford Ranger truck collided “in a sideswiped manner” around 6:35 a.m., the department said. The bus veered off West Highway 40, went through a fence and then overturned, officials said.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Former US President Donald Trump looks on during his criminal trial for allegedly covering up hush money payments at Manhattan Criminal Court, in New York City, on May 13, 2024. (STEVEN HIRSCH/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — Former President Donald Trump is on trial in New York City, where he is facing felony charges related to a 2016 hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. It marks the first time in history that a former U.S. president has been tried on criminal charges.
Trump last April pleaded not guilty to a 34-count indictment charging him with falsifying business records in connection with a hush money payment his then-attorney Michael Cohen made to Daniels in order to boost his electoral prospects in the 2016 presidential election.
Here’s how the news is developing:
May 14, 9:52 AM Cohen says Trump said payment was forthcoming at WH meeting
Former Trump attorney Michael Cohen, picking up where he left off yesterday, recounted a meeting with Trump in Feb. 17, 2017, at the White House — a key moment where prosecutors allege Trump personally discussed the repayment scheme.
“So I was sitting with president Trump and asked me if I was OK. He asked me if I needed money. And I said no, all good. He said, ‘I can get a check.’ I said, no I’m OK,” Cohen recounted of the conversation.
“He said all right, just make sure you deal with Allen,” Cohen continued.
“Did he say anything about anything that would be forthcoming to you?” prosecutor Susan Hoffinger asked.
“Yes, there would be a check for January and February,” Cohen said.
The jury was shown a photo of Cohen in the White House briefing room, backing up that the meeting occurred.
May 14, 9:44 AM Cohen is back on the stand
Michael Cohen has taken the stand for his second day of testimony.
He appeared to glance in the direction of Trump as he made his way to the stand, but the two did not appear to make eye contact.
May 14, 9:37 AM Proceedings are underway
Judge Juan Merchan has gaveled in the day’s proceedings.
“Good morning, Mr. Trump,” he said in his usual fashion.
May 14, 9:25 AM Trump, prosecutors have arrived
Prosecutors have arrived in court for today’s proceedings. Unlike yesterday, Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg is not currently in the courtroom.
Donald Trump has arrived at the courthouse with members of his entourage.
May 14, 8:53 AM North Dakota governor to join Trump at trial: Sources
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and Florida Reps. Byron Donalds and Cory Mills are planning to come with former President Trump to court today, in addition to House Speaker Mike Johnson, according to sources familiar with the matter.
The group is expected to be in court as former Trump attorney Michael Cohen resumes his testimony this morning.
May 14, 8:10 AM House Speaker Mike Johnson to attend court, says source
House Speaker Mike Johnson is going to criminal court in New York with former President Trump this morning, a source with direct knowledge confirms to ABC News.
Johnson will commute with Trump in his motorcade from Trump Tower to the lower Manhattan courthouse, and is expected to be in the courtroom for the morning session.
May 14, 7:22 AM Stormy Daniels wore bulletproof vest to court, lawyer says
An attorney for Stormy Daniels told CNN that Daniels wore a bulletproof vest to court before her testimony last week.
“She was concerned about the security coming into New York,” attorney Clark Brewster said. “She wore a bulletproof vest every day until she got to the courthouse.”
Brewster said that Daniels was concerned about a rogue actor targeting her due to her testimony in the trial.
“Before she came on Sunday, I mean she cried herself to sleep,” Brewster said. “She was paralyzed with fear.”
Daniels testified over two days last week that she and Trump had a sexual encounter in 2006 and that she was subsequently paid $130,000 for her silence. Trump has denied all allegations of a sexual encounter.
May 14, 7:12 AM Michael Cohen to return for 2nd day of testimony
Ex-Trump attorney Michael Cohen is set to resume his direct examination this morning in former President Trump’s criminal hush money trial.
Across six hours of testimony yesterday, Cohen laid out the trial’s most incriminating testimony so far regarding Trump’s involvement in a scheme to hide information from voters by falsifying business records in order to disguise a hush money payment to Stormy Daniels just days before the 2016 election.
Cohen testified that he helped coordinate a “catch and kill” scheme with David Pecker of the National Enquirer, making a $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels in exchange for her silence about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump, then devising a reimbursement arrangement with then-Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg in 2017. Trump, who has steadfastly denied Daniels’ allegations, has denied all wrongdoing.
Cohen told jurors that Trump approved the Daniels hush money payment in October 2016, and that Cohen wired the money from a shell company he funded using a home equity line of credit.
He then recounted a 2017 meeting with Trump and Weisselberg in Trump Tower just days before the inauguration where Trump agreed to the plan to reimburse Cohen for the hush money payment.
“He approved it,” Cohen said of Trump. “What I was doing, I was doing at the direction and for the benefit of Mr. Trump.”
