(LOS ANGELES) — A Los Angeles Metro Rail train and a University of Southern California bus collided on Tuesday, leaving at least 55 people injured and two individuals in critical condition, officials said.
The crash occurred on Watt Way and Exposition Boulevard in the Exposition Park neighborhood around noon, local time, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD).
Metro officials said the incident happened when the USC shuttle bus crossed into the path of a southbound Metro E Line train.
Firefighters and paramedics evaluated and treated at least 55 people as a result of the crash, LAFD said in an update Tuesday afternoon.
Among those affected, officials say two people were transported to a local hospital in serious condition, 16 people were transported in fair condition and at least 37 individuals were treated and released on scene.
LAFD said 14 of those transported to the hospital were on the train at the time of the crash, while two people were aboard the USC bus.
No children were transported to the hospital after the crash, officials said.
“Metro offers its sympathies to those injured during this accident,” the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority said in a statement Tuesday.
(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:
Apr 30, 2:54 PM Appeals court denies Trump’s bid to have judge recused
An appellate court has denied former President Trump’s bid to have Judge Juan Merchan recused from his hush money trial.
Trump’s application sought a stay of the proceedings and Merchan’s recusal.
Both were denied without explanation by the appellate judge.
Apr 30, 2:47 PM Trump removes all 9 social posts cited by judge
All nine of former President Trump’s social media posts cited by Judge Juan Merchan in his contempt of court ruling this morning have been removed.
The judge ruled that the nine posts violated the limited gag order prohibiting Trump from targeting potential witnesses and others involved in the case.
The nine posts were deleted during the court’s lunch break.
Apr 30, 2:38 PM Texts detail AMI’s negotiations for McDougal’s story
Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass resumed his direct examination of Karen McDougal’s former attorney Keith Davidson regarding his text messages with National Enquirer editor Dylan Howard as the two were negotiating how much the publication would pay McDougal for the exclusive rights to her story alleging she’d had an affair with Donald Trump.
“I can’t believe they are asking me to go back for another 25 but they are. He deal is accepted at 150k. Can u do that?” Davidson wrote on August 2, 2016.
“He just called me. F— it. Not my money. I’ll ask,” Howard responded.
Davidson told the jury that Enquirer parent AMI initially provided a contract that did not match the terms originally discussed with Howard.
“Cameron’s agreement wasn’t really even close to what we were expecting. Please review the red-line I just sent. Need to handle this quickly,” Davidson wrote to Howard on Aug. 5, 2016.
Davidson testified that he initially avoided interacting with Michael Cohen while negotiating the deal with AMI due to a negative interaction he had with Cohen in 2011.
“My interaction with him was not pleasant or constructive and I didn’t particularly like dealing with him, and that is why I was trying like hell to avoid talking to him,” Davidson testified regarding Cohen.
Apr 30, 2:26 PM Court resumes for afternoon session
Donald Trump reentered the courtroom after the lunch break, with his son Eric Trump following a few steps behind.
Trump campaign adviser Susie Wiles and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton are seated, along with Eric Trump, in the first row of the gallery behind Trump’s defense table.
Judge Merchan took his seat on the bench and asked for Keith Davidson to be brought back to the witness stand so his testimony could resume.
Apr 30, 2:19 PM Trump begins to remove posts after being held in contempt
Former President Trump has begun to remove the social media posts cited by Judge Juan Merchan in today’s gag order ruling.
The judge this morning fined Trump a total of $9,000 for nine violations of the case’s limited gag order, which prevents Trump from targeting potential witnesses and others involved in the case.
Trump was ordered to remove the posts in question and to pay the fine by the close of business this Friday.
Apr 30, 1:07 PM McDougal didn’t want her story to go public, lawyer says
Keith Davidson, the former attorney for Karen McDougal, testified that McDougal — who said in 2016 that years earlier had had an affair with Trump — did not actually want to tell her story publicly.
That’s partially what made a deal with the National Enquirer so “attractive”– because she would not have to, Davidson said.
“She did not want to tell her story,” Davidson testified.
“Get me a price on McDougal All in. Consulting gig perhaps as a fitness expert thrown into the mix,” National Enquirer editor Dylan Howard texted Davidson on July 23, 2016, in messages that were shown to the jury.
“How about 1m now. And 75K per year for next 2 years as a fitness correspondent for AMI & ur related pubs,” Davidson texted.
“I’ll take it to them but thinking it’s more hundreds than millions,” Howard responded.
“We are going to lay it on thick for her,” Howard subsequently texted on July 28, 2016.
“Good. Throw in an ambassadorship for me. I am thinking Isle of Mann,” Davidson responded.
“That was just a joke,” Davidson testified about the Isle of Mann reference, saying that killing the story “would help Donald Trump’s candidacy.”
The attorney reiterated on the stand that the “allure of the AMI deal” was that McDougal would get paid yet she would not have to speak publicly about the alleged affair.
The proceedings then broke for lunch. Trump made no comments to reporters as he left the courtroom.
Apr 30, 12:52 PM McDougal alleged she had affair with Trump, lawyer recounts
Keith Davidson, the former attorney for Karen McDougal, testified about the meeting he arranged between McDougal and National Enquirer editor Dylan Howard.
“Ms. McDougal alleged that she had had a romantic affair with Donald Trump some years prior,” Davidson said, referring to what McDougal shared during the meeting.
Asked on the stand whether the affair was sexual, Davidson replied: “That’s what she expressed.”
Howard told them he wanted to “return to New York and run it up on the flag pole” before making a decision about whether to purchase McDougal’s story.
“It’s a story that should be told,” Davidson texted Howard on June 27, 2017, regarding the alleged affair.
“I agree,” Howard responded.
Jurors then saw text messages from about a month after the Howard-McDougal meeting.
“Let’s talk … tomorrow. I think this is the entree for me to go back to them,” Howard texted Davidson.
“Better to be quick,” replied Davidson, who said on the stand that he was trying to play the National Enquirer against another media outlet to create a “sense of urgency.”
“You were trying to convey that there was some urgency and Dylan Howard should act quickly?” prosecutor Josh Steinglass asked Davidson.
“That’s fair,” Davidson said.
Apr 30, 12:44 PM ‘I have a blockbuster Trump story,’ lawyer texted tabloid in 2016
With Keith Davidson, the former attorney for Karen McDougal, on the stand, jurors were shows text messages between him and National Enquirer editor Dylan Howard from 2016.
“I have a blockbuster Trump story,” Davidson texted Howard on June 7, 2016
“Talk 1st thing. I will get you more than ANYONE for it. You Know why…” Howard responded.
“It was sort of an entree or teaser to Dylan,” Davidson testified about the message, adding that he was aware of Pecker’s relationship with Trump.
Jurors were then shown more text messages from June 10, 2016.
“Did he cheat on Melania?” Howard asked. “Do you know if the affair was during his marriage to Melania?”
“I really cannot say yet. Sorry,” Davidson replied.
“OK. Keep me informed,” said Howard.
Asked on the stand why he did not confirm it was an affair, Davidson said, “I was not prepared to discuss the details.”
Apr 30, 12:36 PM McDougal’s attorney outlines agreement he had with her
Keith Davidson testified that he represented Karen McDougal in the summer of 2016 when the former Playboy model entered into a non-disclosure agreement with AMI, the parent company of the National Enquirer.
Jurors were then showed the retainer agreement between Davidson and McDougal, which details McDougal’s “life rights related to interactions with Donald Trump and/or negotiating assignment of exclusive press opportunities regarding same.”
Davidson testified that he provided “legal services” to help the former Playmate negotiate with media outlets for the rights to her story about “a personal interaction she had — allegedly had — with Donald Trump.”
“At the time … media outlets, both traditional and tabloid, would often enter into an exclusive arrangement where someone would provide exclusive content to that outlet in exchange for money,” Davidson said.
Davidson told Steinglass that he did not go behind McDougal’s back when he arranged the agreement with AMI for the rights to her story
Apr 30, 12:29 PM Prosecution calls former attorney for McDougal and Daniels
Prosecutors called to the stand Keith Davidson, who worked as an attorney for both Karen McDougal and Stormy Daniels when the hush money payments to both women were arranged.
Trump, at the defense table, turned his head to see Davidson as he entered the courtroom.
Davidson, who was granted immunity to testify, said that that he has set up nondisclosure agreements for some of his clients, including some with tabloids.
Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass asked Davidson about his relationship with former National Enquirer editor Dylan Howard. Earlier, former Enquirer publisher David Pecker testified that Davidson was one of Howard’s sources.
“I knew him in my professional dealings,” Davidson said. “We were professional acquaintances and friends.”
Davidson said he first met Michael Cohen in 2011 after a blog was posted about Stormy Daniels — who was Davidson’s client — and Donald Trump.
“Michael Cohen is the former attorney for Donald Trump,” Davidson recounted.
Prosecutors called their next witness, Philip Thompson, who works for a national court reporting company, to testify about a deposition Trump gave that was taken as part of former Elle magazine columnist E. Jean Carroll’s defamation cases against Trump.
Jurors were shown several videos, starting with Trump’s October 2022 deposition in that case.
In the first video, Trump briefly explains what Truth Social is and confirms his handle on the social media platform.
“It is a platform that has been opened by me as an alternative to Twitter,” Trump said.
They were next shown an Oct. 19, 2022, deposition taken at Mar-a-Lago, in which Trump confirms he married his wife Melania in 2005.
Thompson then read from the transcript of a deposition where Trump is asked about the “Access Hollywood” video in which he boasts about grabbing women.
Thompson then stepped off the witness stand.
Apr 30, 12:02 PM ‘We don’t win’ if people think stories are true, Trump said in 2016
As part of a series of video, jurors were shown a video of an October 2016 Trump rally in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
“They are trying to poison the mind of the American voter. Every woman lied when they came forward to hurt my campaign,” Trump said in the video.
Lastly, jurors sew a brief video of a press conference by President-elect Trump praising Michael Cohen.
Trump, in one of the videos, appears to acknowledge how damaging the stories could have been to his election prospects.
“If 5% of the people think its true, and maybe 10% of the people, we don’t win,” Trump says in the speech.
In the courtroom, Trump’s demeanor completely changed immediately after the videos were played for the jury. He perked up and frantically whispered with his attorney Todd Blanche, looking displeased.
Browning, the C-SPAN executive, concluded his testimony, and defense lawyers opted not to cross-examine him.
Apr 30, 11:41 AM Judge will allow some questioning about intimidation effort
Judge Juan Merchan has ruled from the bench that prosecutors will be permitted to introduce evidence about Trump’s alleged “intimidation effort” for a limited purpose.
Prosecutors can use the evidence to offset the defense claim that witnesses are financially benefiting from the trial and explain why some witnesses have changed their story; however, the evidence cannot be used to demonstrate Trump’s “consciousness of guilt,” as the prosecution had sought.
Merchan also said jurors will have May 24 — the Friday before Memorial Day — off, because a juror has to catch a flight at 11 a.m. ET.
Prosecutors then called as their next witness Robert Browning, who has worked as the executive director of the C-SPAN’s archives for 30 years.
Apr 30, 11:33 AM ‘Let’s try to keep the break short,’ judge tells defense
Jurors have re-entered the courtroom following the mid-morning break.
Trump returned to the courtroom speaking with his defense attorney Todd Blanche as he entered.
Judge Juan Merchan lightly scolded Blanche about running late.
“Let’s try to keep the break short,” Merchan told Blanche, reminding him that jurors are waiting. “Let’s do better.”
Apr 30, 11:21 AM Prosecutors want to ask Trump about gag order violations
In a conference with with judge and other attorneys during the mid-morning break, prosecutor Matthew Colangelo told Judge Merchan that prosecutors would like to cross-examine Donald Trump, if he opts to testify, about his nine violations of the case’s limited gag order that the judge handed down this morning.
“The people will seek to cross-examine him on those findings,” Colangelo said.
Colangelo also argued that prosecutors should be able to introduce evidence about what he called Trump’s “pressure campaign” and “intimidation effort” for witnesses like Michael Cohen.
Colangelo argued that defense attorneys “opened the door” to the evidence during their opening statement by arguing that some of the witnesses like Cohen and Stormy Daniels benefited personally from their involvement in the case. He mentioned that prosecutors have approximately half-a-dozen exhibits to demonstrate Trump’s effort attacking witnesses.
Colangelo said the evidence would help show Trump’s “consciousness of guilt” and explain why some witnesses made contradictory statements about the case.
Apr 30, 10:58 AM Farro says opening Cohen’s LLC account raised no red flags
While Michael Cohen’s former banker, Gary Farro, testified that Cohen took steps to quickly open the account for Essential Consultants, the shell company Cohen used to pay Stormy Daniels, Farro said the process did not prompt any red flags based on the information Cohen provided.
“Not based on the answers I was given … on the questions I asked,” Farro said when asked about potential red flags.
Farro added that accounts in the real estate world were often opened quickly.
“It’s not unusual, it’s not every time. It’s not unusual,” Farro said.
Farro testified that he was not involved with the decision to end First Republic Bank’s relationship with Cohen, adding that if a client provides false information, First Republic Bank would sever their relationship.
“The decision was not mine,” Farro said during a brief re-cross examination.
Apr 30, 10:50 AM Farro explains how Cohen’s LLC account was opened
Gary Farro, under cross-examination, said that First Republic Bank did not open the account for Essential Consultants LLC for Michael Cohen to operate a shell company.
“I don’t open up shell corporations,” Farro, who was Cohen’s banker, said of the LLC that was used for Cohen to send payment to Stormy Daniels in 2016. “Shell corporations that have no business behind them would give me pause.”
While First Republic allows some accounts to be opened with limited transactions — such as an account for an LLC to own a property or aircraft — the account created by Cohen had the listed business purpose of “investment consulting” work, according to evidence.
Farro added that the information that Cohen provided — such as not listing himself as someone’s agent — allowed the account to be opened quicker.
“Not only would it raise more questions, but it would require more paperwork,” Farro said.
Apr 30, 10:38 AM Farro says Cohen was removed as his client in 2017
Under cross-examination by defense attorney Todd Blanche, Michael Cohen’s former banker testified about his first interactions with Cohen.
Gary Farro said his boss introduced him to Michael Cohen in Cohen’s office in Trump Tower.
“He was a challenging client because of his desire to get things done so quickly,” Farro said. “Ninety percent of the time, it was an urgent matter.”
Farro said that his supervisors removed Cohen as his client in 2017, as the details about the transactions in question “went public.”
“They didn’t want me to have communication with the client any longer,” Farro said.
Apr 30, 10:31 AM Banker says Daniels payment could have prompted review
Prosecutor Becky Mangold concluded her direct examination of banker Gary Farro by asking if First Republic Bank would have still permitted the wire transfer to Stormy Daniels if Michael Cohen disclosed the money was going to an adult film actress.
“There would definitely have been enhanced due diligence on that,” Farro said, adding that the due diligence would have delayed the payment.
“We might consider that a reputational risk,” Farro added.
After prosecutors completed their direct examination of Gary Farro, defense attorney Todd Blanche began his cross-examination.
Apr 30, 10:21 AM Banker details Michael Cohen’s $130K payment to Stormy Daniels
Michael Cohen’s former banker, Gary Farro, returned to the stand, where he was asked by prosecutor Becky Mangold about Cohen’s frantic effort to create a bank account for a new company he created called Essential Consultants LLC on October 26, 2016.
Referring to Stormy Daniels, Farro told jurors that Cohen did not disclose the account would be used to send money to an adult film actress, adding that his bank, First Republic, avoided financing the adult-entertainment sector.
Farro said that Cohen added $131,000 to an account for Essential Consultants LLC using a home equity line of credit.
Apr 30, 10:04 AM Judge warns Trump could be jailed for further violations
In the paper order explaining his ruling holding Trump in contempt for his violations of the case’s limited gag order, Judge Merchan warned Trump that he could be locked up if he continues to willfully violate the order.
“Defendant is hereby warned that the Court will not tolerate continued willful violations of its lawful orders and that if necessary and appropriate under the circumstances, it will impose an incarceratory punishment,” Merchan wrote in his order.
Merchan wrote that Trump has until 2:15 p.m. ET today to remove posts violating the order from his social media account and campaign website. Trump has until close of business on Friday to submit the $9,000 penalty Merchan levied against him.
Apr 30, 10:00 AM Judge orders Trump to pay gag order fine by Friday
After Judge Merchan fined Trump a total of $9,000 for nine violations of the case’s limited gag order, Trump was ordered to pay the fine by the close of business this Friday.
Merchan also ordered Trump to remove the posts from his Truth Social account and campaign website by 2:15 p.m. today.
Before resuming Gary Farro’s direct examination, Judge Merchan also informed the parties that Trump will be able to attend his son Barron’s high school graduation in May, as Trump had requested.
“I don’t think the May 17 date is the problem, so Mr. Trump can certainly attend that day, attend his son’s graduation,” Merchan said.
Apr 30, 9:49 AM Judge fines Trump $9,000 for violating limited gag order
Judge Juan Merchan has ruled that Donald Trump repeatedly violated the limited gag order imposed by the court.
The judge found that prosecutors “met their burden” to show several contempt motions.
Trump will be fined $1,000 for each of the nine violations, Merchan said, and will be ordered to pay a total of $9,000.
Apr 30, 9:31 AM Trump enters courtroom with son Eric
Former President Trump has entered the courtroom with his son Eric Trump.
Eric Trump frequently attended last year’s New York civil fraud trial, but today marks his first time attending his father’s criminal hush money trial.
Trump’s campaign staff and advisers have attended the criminal trial over the last two weeks, but Eric Trump is the only Trump family member to attend the proceedings.
Susie Wiles, Trump’s top campaign adviser who is helping lead his presidential campaign, is also in the courtroom with him, marking the first time she has been spotted in court.
Apr 30, 9:26 AM Prosecutors have arrived
Prosecutors from the Manhattan district attorney’s office have entered the courtroom.
Prosecutors Joshua Steinglass, Becky Mangold, and Matthew Colangelo are seated at counsel table.
Former President Trump and his counsel are on their way in.
Apr 30, 8:15 AM Michael Cohen’s banker testified Friday about Cohen’s LLCs
On his first day on the stand Friday, banker Gary Farro told jurors that he was assigned to work with Michael Cohen in 2015 after one of Farro’s colleagues left First Republic Bank, and that in October 2016 Cohen frantically attempted to open an account for a new business called Resolution Consultants LLC.
Prosecutors allege that Cohen intended to use that account to transfer $125,000 to National Enquirer parent AMI for the rights to Playboy playmate Karen McDougal’s story about an alleged affair with Trump, but the deal fell through after publisher David Pecker consulted with his attorneys.
“I am not going forward. It is a bad idea, and I want you to rip up the agreement,” Pecker recounted telling Cohen. “He was very, very, angry. Very upset. Screaming, basically, at me.”
Ultimately, Farro said the account for Resolution Consultants LLC was never funded or opened by Cohen; prosecutors allege the account was abandoned along with the deal to reimburse AMI for the McDougal story. Then, said Farro, Cohen sought him out in October 2016 to open a new account for a company called Essential Consultants LLC, which Farro said Cohen described as a real estate consulting company “to collect fees for investment consulting work [Cohen] does for real estate deals.”
According to prosecutors, the day after the account was created, Cohen used it to wire $130,000 to Stormy Daniels in exchange for her silence ahead of the 2016 election.
Apr 30, 7:35 AM Michael Cohen’s banker to return to the stand
After a week of testimony from longtime National Enquirer publisher David Pecker, former President Donald Trump’s criminal hush money trial is scheduled to resume this morning with the direct examination of Gary Farro, the one-time banker for former Trump attorney Michael Cohen.
Farro, a former managing director at First Republic Bank, began his testimony on Friday by outlining some of the documents used to allegedly create the shell companies formed by Cohen that are related to two hush-money payments at the center of the case.
Prosecutors have called Farro to authenticate records they hope will prove that Trump falsified business records to hide the reimbursement of Cohen’s hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.
“Read the documents, the emails, the text messages, the bank statements, the handwritten notes, all of it,” prosecutor Matthew Colangelo asked jurors last week. “It inescapably leads to only one conclusion: Donald Trump is guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree.”
(NEW YORK) — People older than 60 lost more money in scams in 2023 than the previous year — an 11% increase totaling more $3.4 billion overall, according to a new report released by the FBI on Tuesday.
Commonly known as “elder fraud,” financial crimes against seniors totaled $3.4 billion in 2023, up from $3.1 billion in 2022, according to the FBI’s 2023 “Elder Fraud Report.”
There was also a 14% increase in complaints filed with the FBI by elderly victims. There were 101,068 complaints filed by people over the age of 60 in 2023 compared to 88,262 in 2022, the FBI data show. The average dollar loss was $33,915, and 5,920 people lost more than $100,000, according to the FBI.
The FBI says only about half of the more than 880,000 complaints received by its Internet Crime Complaint Center in 2023 included age data.
This past year, like in 2022, tech support fraud was the No. 1 crime type impacting complainants older than 60. Tech support scams, according to the FBI, usually involve scammers claiming to be support from a legitimate company and informing the victim of fraudulent activity or potential refund for a subscription service. The scammer tells the victim they have a refund for the victim, however, money can only be sent by downloading a software that allows the scammer to view the victim’s bank account.
The FBI data found that investment scams continued to be the costliest to the elderly in terms of financial losses suffered — with losses totally more than $1.2 million in 2023. Tech support scams came in second for losses with more than $589,000.
James Barnicle, the head of the FBI’s Financial Crimes Section, urged financial institutions to do more in protecting elderly from scams. He told reporters on a conference call on Tuesday, that once the transfer is made they are “hands off.”
“We think financial institutions do need to do more, to take some level of fiduciary responsibility and help protect their customers from being victims — especially in the elderly victim space,” he said.
He also urged victims to report losses earlier, so that the FBI can attempt to recover the money quicker.
Across the United States, illegal call scams, which include people posing as fake government officials or fake customer support representatives, netted more than $700 million in 2023 — with almost half of those victims above the age of 60.
Barnicle said some of the scams originate from call centers in India, Western Africa, Laos and Cambodia. He said the FBI is not only looking to educate victims of scams, but actually hold people accountable.
“We’re looking to arrest people,” Barnicle said. “We’re going to work with law enforcement agencies around the world, in whatever jurisdiction has the best fit and can get hands-on in some countries. Maybe we can’t get hands on an offender, but maybe our partners can, whether it’s Australia or Japan or the United Kingdom — so we’re looking to arrest people.”
Christopher Soyez, the assistant section chief of FBI Financial Crimes Section, said he was recently contacted by scammers, and when he didn’t want to continue engaging with them, the conversation turned violent.
“The tone of the text messages took a real aggressive turn — threats of violence to me and my family,” he said. “There were some pretty graphic photos of what things that would happen to me. And he got pretty aggressive.”
Soyez said it is a pattern they are seeing more and more from scammers.
“They were taking steps to really intimidate me … and somebody — especially an older American, my mother and my grandmother would have certainly been very terrified of this,” Soyez said.
(NEW YORK) — Protests have broken out at colleges and universities across the country in connection with the war in Gaza.
Many pro-Palestinian protesters are calling for their colleges to divest of funds from Israeli military operations, while some Jewish students on the campuses have called the protests antisemitic and said they are scared for their safety.
The student protests — some of which have turned into around-the-clock encampments — have erupted throughout the nation following arrests and student removals at Columbia University in New York City. Students at schools including Yale University, New York University, Harvard University, University of Texas at Austin, University of Southern California and more have launched protests.
Here’s how the news is developing:
Apr 30, 2:31 PM Columbia protesters say school ‘isolating’ them with no access to food, water, bathrooms
Columbia University’s Students for Justice in Palestine hit back at the university saying its decision to limit campus access to students living in on-campus dorms means protesters will not have access to food, water or bathrooms without swiping in.
Protesters are calling for students to join them for a rally at the occupied building they have renamed Hind’s Hall at 2 p.m.
Apr 30, 1:32 PM Columbia threatens ‘consequences’ for protesters who occupied building
Columbia University has threatened student protesters with “clear consequences” after protesters occupied a building in an escalating standoff. Students defied a 2 p.m. deadline to disperse Monday.
Students occupying the building face expulsion, the university warned.
“We made it very clear yesterday that the work of the University cannot be endlessly interrupted by protesters who violate the rules. Continuing to do so will be met with clear consequences. Protesters have chosen to escalate to an untenable situation—vandalizing property, breaking doors and windows, and blockading entrances—and we are following through with the consequences we outlined yesterday,” Columbia said in a statement.
Students who did not commit to the terms Columbia’s proposed agreement to vacate the encampment by 2 p.m. Monday have been suspended.
“Those students will be restricted from all academic and recreational spaces and may only access their individual residence. Seniors will be ineligible to graduate,” Columbia said.
“This is about responding to the actions of the protesters, not their cause,” Columbia said.
Apr 30, 12:47 PM Columbia limits access to Morningside campus
Columbia University said it has limited access to its Morningside campus except to students residing in seven residential buildings, labs and employees who provide essential services.
The school has also limited access into and out of the building to one gate, closing all other campus entry points.
The restrictions will remain in place “until circumstances allow otherwise,” Columbia said.
Apr 30, 12:27 PM 82 protesters arrested at Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech said it has cleared an encampment on campus and arrested 82 protesters for trespassing, after refusing to comply with university policies.
“Virginia Tech strongly supports free speech, even when the content of that speech may be disagreeable to some. However, those rights do not extend beyond the point where they interfere with the rights of others, violate our policies, the Code of Virginia, or federal laws and/or create a threat to safety for others,” Virginia Tech President Tim Sands said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Virginia Tech Muslim Student Association said in a letter the 91 students faculty and staff were arrested for peacefully protesting.
“As we reach the end of the semester, 7 months after Oct. 7, we are finding our voices still unheard. We are waiting for your support of us and Palestine,” the Virginia Tech MSA said in a statement.
California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt said it has cleared two campus buildings that had been occupied by protesters for over a week and arrested 25 people.
“Those arrested faced a range of different charges depending on individual circumstances including unlawful assembly, vandalism, conspiracy, assault of police officers, and others. In addition, students could face discipline for conduct violations while any University employees arrested could face disciplinary action,” Cal Poly said in a statement.
The university called the occupation of the two buildings “criminal activity” and said there were “serious concerns it would spread even further on campus.”
“This morning’s enforcement action was determined to be necessary to restore order and to address the lawlessness and dangerous conditions that had developed. What was occurring was not free expression or a protest,” the university said in a statement.
The campus will remain closed until May 10.
Apr 30, 11:41 AM Northwestern reaches deal with students, faculty to end encampment, reveal investments
Northwestern University announced it has reached a deal with pro-Palestinian protesters, ending an encampment of students and faculty, but allowing peaceful demonstrations to continue through June 1.
The university said it would “answer questions from any internal stakeholder about holdings, held currently or within the last quarter, to the best of its knowledge and to the extent legally possible” — meeting a key call from divestment protesters and students around the country who are seeking more transparency over universities’ investments.
Northwestern will also reestablish an Advisory Committee on Investment Responsibility in the fall, which will include representatives from students, faculty and staff.
The university also pledged more inclusivity, funding two Palestinian faculty members and the full cost of attendance for five Palestinian undergraduate students annually, as well as a commitment to raising funds to sustain the program beyond this commitment.
Under the agreement, Northwestern says tents will be removed immediately but one aid tent will be allowed to remain. Protesters will need to suspend the use of “non-approved” amplified sound.” Protesters who refuse to follow the agreement will be suspended and non-affiliated individuals must leave campus.
Apr 30, 11:12 AM UConn removes encampment, makes arrests after protesters refuse to leave
The University of Connecticut cleared an encampment of pro-Palestinian protesters early Tuesday after they refused orders to disperse. UConn has not yet revealed the number of arrests and charges.
UConn said that protests were permitted but setting up tents violated university guidelines.
“The group was warned multiple times over a period of days that while they were free to be in the space and exercise their free speech rights, the guidelines needed to be followed and the tents needed to be taken down. This was ignored,” UConn said in a statement.
“UConn Police directed them four times on Tuesday morning to remove the tents and disperse, and they again repeatedly ignored the directives. Officers then entered the site to remove the tents and tarps, and to arrest those who refused compliance,” UConn said in a statement.
-ABC News’ Mark Osborne
Apr 30, 10:07 AM Reporter arrested while covering protest on Cal Poly campus
Adelmi Ruiz, a reporter for Redding, California, ABC affiliate KRCR, was arrested at Cal Poly Humboldt while filming police approaching an encampment of pro-Palestinian protesters.
A livestream showed Ruiz filming police in riot gear approaching protesters, who could be heard chanting, when an officer asks her to come over and tells her they need her out of the way.
An officer then tells Ruiz to put her phone away and put her hands behind her back because he is going to put her in flex cuffs — plastic handcuffs used by police for protesters. Ruiz identifies herself as a reporter multiple times but is still arrested.
“You had an opportunity to leave. You were told multiple times to leave otherwise you were gonna be arrested,” the officer says, according to a livestream which continued after Ruiz placed her phone in her pocket.
She responded that she was on assignment covering the protest.
“Find a different job if this causes you to break the law,” the officer says.
As she is escorted away, Ruiz can be heard asking for help.
Apr 30, 9:42 AM 17 protesters arrested at University of Utah, encampment cleared
The University of Utah has removed an encampment of pro-Palestinian protesters and arrested 17 people after the university said protesters do not have a right to set up encampments on campus property and threatened to disperse them.
About a dozen tents, stashes of water, food and toilet paper were removed from the encampment.
The university had issued warnings to students, staff and faculty members telling them to remove their encampments, or face consequences, including arrests.
The university had threatened criminal trespass and disorderly conduct charges, termination for faculty and staff and discipline for students ranging from probation to suspension against those who refused to leave the encampment.
Apr 30, 4:06 AM Columbia protesters occupy campus hall
Pro-Palestinian protesters at Columbia University occupied a hall on campus early Tuesday, hours after school officials ordered the dispersal of a protest encampment.
Videos viewed by ABC News appeared to show protesters creating a barricade with metal chairs outside Hamilton Hall after midnight.
Several were seen in the videos unrolling protest posters from one of the building’s balconies.
It was unclear how many demonstrators had occupied the hall, which is on Amsterdam Avenue. The Columbia Spectator, a campus newspaper, reported the people who were inside were working to block the building’s exits with tables, chairs and zip-ties.
Apr 29, 11:35 PM University of Texas at Austin says it took action to ‘preserve a safe, conducive learning environment’ for students
After police and protesters clashed on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin following a dispersal order, leading to some arrests on Monday, the school issued a statement, saying it “took swift action to preserve a safe, conducive learning environment for our 53,000 students as they prepare for final exams.”
“UT Austin requested backup assistance from the Texas Department of Public Safety to protect the safety of the campus community and enforce our Institutional Rules, such as the rule that prohibits encampments on campus. Because of the encampments and other violations of the University’s Institutional Rules related to protests, protestors were told repeatedly to disperse. When they refused to disperse, some arrests were made for trespassing. Others were arrested for disorderly conduct,” the university’s statement read.
UTA said protests since the start of the Israel-Hamas war have happened “largely without incident.”
“The University strongly supports the free speech and assembly rights of our community and we want students and others on campus to know that protests on campus are fully permissible, provided that they do not violate Institutional Rules or threaten the safety of our campus community,” the statement concluded.
Apr 29, 10:51 PM ‘Multiple arrests’ at Virginia Commonwealth University: Officials
“Multiple arrests” were made at Virginia Commonwealth University Monday night, following tense conflict between police and pro-Palestinian protesters on the Richmond campus, officials said.
Addressing the arrests, the university said in a statement that final exams start this week and the school “must provide students the opportunity to safely and successfully complete the semester.”
“The gathering violated several university policies. VCU respectfully and repeatedly provided opportunities for those individuals involved — many of whom were not students — to collect their belongings and leave,” the university’s statement continued. “Those who did not leave were subject to arrest for trespassing. While supporting an environment that fosters protected speech and expressive activity, VCU must maintain an atmosphere free of disruption to the university’s mission.”
Apr 29, 5:27 PM Columbia begins suspending students who refuse to leave encampment
A representative from Columbia University said the school has begun suspending students who have defied the 2 p.m. deadline to leave the encampment.
Ben Chang, the vice president of the office of public affairs, did not say how many people would be suspended but said those students would not be able to attend classes or graduate.
The school’s campus is still closed to anyone who doesn’t have a student ID.
-ABC News’ Darren Reynolds
Apr 29, 4:23 PM Protesters clash with police at UT-Austin
Police and protesters clashed on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin on Monday afternoon after authorities issued a dispersal order.
The UT Austin Police Department asked protesters to leave the South Mall area at about 1 p.m. local time.
Protesters could be heard chanting, “There is no riot here, why are you in riot gear?” Soon after, police moved in to clear the area by force.
The university said in a statement, “After protesters ignored repeated directives from both the administration and law enforcement officers to comply with Institutional Rules and remove tents assembled on the University’s South Lawn, then physically engaged with and verbally assaulted Dean of Students staff who attempted to confiscate them, UT and partner law enforcement agencies dismantled an encampment and arrested several protesters.”
It continued, “Baseball size rocks were found strategically placed within the encampment. The majority of protesters are believed to be unaffiliated with the university.”
More than 50 people were arrested at a pro-Palestinian protest on the campus last week, however, charges were later dropped.
Apr 29, 3:31 PM Protesters clash with police at UT-Austin
Police and protesters clashed on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin on Monday afternoon after authorities issued a dispersal order.
The UT Austin Police Department asked protesters to leave the South Mall area at about 1 p.m. local time.
Protesters could be heard chanting, “There is no riot here, why are you in riot gear?” Soon after, police moved in to clear the area by force.
More than 50 people were arrested at a pro-Palestinian protest on the campus last week, however, charges were later dropped.
Apr 29, 3:05 PM Columbia protesters defy 2 p.m. deadline to disperse
Protesters camped out at Columbia University are defying the school’s order to pack up and leave by 2 p.m.
Sueda Polat, a representative from the protesters’ negotiating team, told reporters that the university did not engage in good-faith negotiations and failed to meet their demands to divest from Israel.
“It is against the will of the students to disperse,” she said. “We do not abide by university pressures. We act on the will of the students.”
Police were outside of the campus as the deadline approached but they did not immediately enter after it passed.
“Students are aware of the risk of law enforcement. … They know how to come together in that risk,” Polat said.
Apr 29, 1:57 PM Cal Poly Humboldt campus leaders offer escorts to concerned students
Cal Poly Humboldt said it will close off campus to non-school members through May 10 as protesters have occupied two buildings.
Campus leaders also said it will now offer escorts off campus to anyone who feels their safety is threatened.
The school urged the protesters who have been occupying Siemens Hall and Nelson Hall East since last week to leave immediately.
“Leaving voluntarily will be considered as a possible mitigating factor in University conduct processes and may reduce the severity of sanctions imposed. This does not, however, eliminate responsibility for any potential conduct or criminal charges.”
-ABC News’ Bonnie McLean
Apr 29, 12:24 PM UGA arrests protesters after ‘crossing a line,’ blocking sidewalks
The University of Georgia-Athens said protesters who set up an encampment on campus “crossed a line” Monday morning and several were arrested.
Approximately “25 protesters began erecting tents and a barricade, blocking sidewalks and building entrances and using amplified sound,” school spokesman Greg Trevor said in a statement.
The protesters met with university police and student affairs members to discuss the violation and were given multiple warnings to remove the barriers, but they refused, according to Trevor.
“At 8:30 a.m., UGA Police were left with no choice but to arrest those who refused to comply,” he said.
The school did not specify how many people were arrested.
“While we must provide ample opportunity for protected expressive activities, we also have the right and duty to regulate the time, place and manner in which they occur,” Trevor said.
-ABC News’ Ahmad Hemingway
Apr 29, 11:11 AM Columbia tells protesters to leave encampment by 2 p.m.
Columbia University has distributed a letter to members of the encampment on campus telling them to gather their belongings and leave the area by 2 p.m., saying if they identify themselves and sign a form “to abide by all University policies through June 30, 2025, or the date of the conferral of your degree, whichever is earlier, you will be eligible to complete the semester in good standing.”
The school said it has “already identified many students in the encampment” and “if you do not identify yourself upon leaving and sign the form now, you will not be eligible to sign and complete the semester in good standing.” The school warned it could take action up to suspension or expulsion if they do not leave the encampment.
The school reiterated that negotiations with protesters had broken down and said the protests are a “disruption” to those taking final exams and preparing for graduation.
“As you are probably aware, the dialogue between the University and student leaders of the encampment is, regrettably, at an impasse,” the letter states. “The current unauthorized encampment and disruption on Columbia University’s campus is creating an unwelcoming environment for members of our community. External actors have also contributed to this environment, especially around our gates, causing safety concerns – including for our neighbors.”
Apr 29, 9:09 AM Columbia cannot come to agreement with protesters, president says
Protesters at Columbia University, who sparked many of the protests across the nation earlier this month, are now being asked to voluntarily disperse after the school’s president said it was not able to come to an agreement through negotiations.
Since Wednesday, “a small group of academic leaders has been in constructive dialogue with student organizers to find a path that would result in the dismantling of the encampment and adherence to University policies going forward. Regretfully, we were not able to come to an agreement,” Columbia President Minouche Shafik said in a statement Monday morning.
One of the top demands of the protesters, for Columbia to divest from Israel, was flatly denied by the university, according to the statement.
The school asked protesters, who number in the hundreds, to voluntarily disperse, but offered no explanation for what would happen if they did not. The school said it did not “want to deprive thousands of students and their families and friends of a graduation celebration.” The school’s graduation ceremony is set to be held May 15.
“We urge those in the encampment to voluntarily disperse,” Shafik wrote. “We are consulting with a broader group in our community to explore alternative internal options to end this crisis as soon as possible. We will continue to update the community with new developments.”
Apr 29, 8:54 AM Dozens of arrests made at Virginia Tech
Police cleared out an encampment at Virginia Tech late Sunday after protesters had set up tents on the lawn of the campus’ Graduate Life Center.
“Those who gathered were advised by university officials to remove their possessions and to disperse voluntarily; those who failed to comply were then approached by Virginia Tech Police and were again asked to leave and advised that anyone who failed to comply would be charged with trespassing, in accordance with Virginia law,” the school said in a statement.
The university added, “At approximately 10:15 p.m., police approached protesters to ask them to disperse within five minutes. Those who remained were subject to arrest.”
Dozens of protesters were taken into custody, according to Lynchburg, Virginia, ABC affiliate WSET.
Apr 28, 8:52 PM UCLA increases security measures after physical altercations during protest
UCLA announced it is instituting additional security measures amid protests on campus over the Israel-Hamas war in a statement on Sunday.
“UCLA has a long history of peaceful protest and we are heartbroken to report that today, some physical altercations broke out among demonstrators on Royce Quad,” Mary Osako, vice chancellor of UCLA Strategic Communications said.
“We have since instituted additional security measures and increased the numbers of our safety team members on site,” Osako said.
“As an institution of higher education, we stand firmly for the idea that even when we disagree, we must still engage respectfully and recognize one another’s humanity,” Osako continued.
Addressing the physical altercations during the protests, Osako said, “We are dismayed that certain individuals instead chose to jeopardize the physical safety of the community.”
Last week, the University of California rejected calls to divest from companies that do business with Israel.
Apr 28, 10:07 AM White House: ‘We don’t want to see anybody hurt in the process’
The White House said Sunday that President Joe Biden respects the right of demonstrators to make their voices heard — peacefully — and “we don’t want to see anybody hurt in the process.”
“The president knows that there are very strong feelings about the war in Gaza. He understands that, he respects that, and as he has said many times, we certainly respect the right of peaceful protest. People should have the ability to air their views and to share their perspectives publicly, but it has to be peaceful,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby told ABC News’ This Week anchor George Stephanopoulos on Sunday.
Kirby did warn that some language heard during the demonstrations crossed a line with the administration.
“We absolutely condemn the antisemitism language that we’ve heard of late, and we certainly condemn all the hate speech and the threats of violence out there. These protests, we understand they’re important, but they do need to be peaceful,” he said.
“We’ll leave it to local authorities to determine how these protests are managed,” Kirby told Stephanopoulos, “but we want them to be peaceful protests and obviously we don’t want to see anybody hurt in the process of peacefully protesting.”
Apr 28, 12:07 AM USC temporarily closes main campus due to ‘disruption,’ LAPD issues alert
The University of Southern California closed its main campus Saturday evening “due to a disturbance,” the university said on X.
Los Angeles Police Department issued a citywide tactical alert due to a protest on USC’s campus, urging people to avoid the area.
A tactical alert allows LAPD to keep officers on past their shifts and to move officers between divisions if they need extra staffing in one area of the city.
(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:
Apr 30, 1:07 PM McDougal didn’t want her story to go public, lawyer says
Keith Davidson, the former attorney for Karen McDougal, testified that McDougal — who said in 2016 that years earlier had had an affair with Trump — did not actually want to tell her story publicly.
That’s partially what made a deal with the National Enquirer so “attractive”– because she would not have to, Davidson said.
“She did not want to tell her story,” Davidson testified.
“Get me a price on McDougal All in. Consulting gig perhaps as a fitness expert thrown into the mix,” National Enquirer editor Dylan Howard texted Davidson on July 23, 2016, in messages that were shown to the jury.
“How about 1m now. And 75K per year for next 2 years as a fitness correspondent for AMI & ur related pubs,” Davidson texted.
“I’ll take it to them but thinking it’s more hundreds than millions,” Howard responded.
“We are going to lay it on thick for her,” Howard subsequently texted on July 28, 2016.
“Good. Throw in an ambassadorship for me. I am thinking Isle of Mann,” Davidson responded.
“That was just a joke,” Davidson testified about the Isle of Mann reference, saying that killing the story “would help Donald Trump’s candidacy.”
The attorney reiterated on the stand that the “allure of the AMI deal” was that McDougal would get paid yet she would not have to speak publicly about the alleged affair.
The proceedings then broke for lunch. Trump made no comments to reporters as he left the courtroom.
Apr 30, 12:52 PM McDougal alleged she had affair with Trump, lawyer recounts
Keith Davidson, the former attorney for Karen McDougal, testified about the meeting he arranged between McDougal and National Enquirer editor Dylan Howard.
“Ms. McDougal alleged that she had had a romantic affair with Donald Trump some years prior,” Davidson said, referring to what McDougal shared during the meeting.
Asked on the stand whether the affair was sexual, Davidson replied: “That’s what she expressed.”
Howard told them he wanted to “return to New York and run it up on the flag pole” before making a decision about whether to purchase McDougal’s story.
“It’s a story that should be told,” Davidson texted Howard on June 27, 2017, regarding the alleged affair.
“I agree,” Howard responded.
Jurors then saw text messages from about a month after the Howard-McDougal meeting.
“Let’s talk … tomorrow. I think this is the entree for me to go back to them,” Howard texted Davidson.
“Better to be quick,” replied Davidson, who said on the stand that he was trying to play the National Enquirer against another media outlet to create a “sense of urgency.”
“You were trying to convey that there was some urgency and Dylan Howard should act quickly?” prosecutor Josh Steinglass asked Davidson.
“That’s fair,” Davidson said.
Apr 30, 12:44 PM ‘I have a blockbuster Trump story,’ lawyer texted tabloid in 2016
With Keith Davidson, the former attorney for Karen McDougal, on the stand, jurors were shows text messages between him and National Enquirer editor Dylan Howard from 2016.
“I have a blockbuster Trump story,” Davidson texted Howard on June 7, 2016
“Talk 1st thing. I will get you more than ANYONE for it. You Know why…” Howard responded.
“It was sort of an entree or teaser to Dylan,” Davidson testified about the message, adding that he was aware of Pecker’s relationship with Trump.
Jurors were then shown more text messages from June 10, 2016.
“Did he cheat on Melania?” Howard asked. “Do you know if the affair was during his marriage to Melania?”
“I really cannot say yet. Sorry,” Davidson replied.
“OK. Keep me informed,” said Howard.
Asked on the stand why he did not confirm it was an affair, Davidson said, “I was not prepared to discuss the details.”
Apr 30, 12:36 PM McDougal’s attorney outlines agreement he had with her
Keith Davidson testified that he represented Karen McDougal in the summer of 2016 when the former Playboy model entered into a non-disclosure agreement with AMI, the parent company of the National Enquirer.
Jurors were then showed the retainer agreement between Davidson and McDougal, which details McDougal’s “life rights related to interactions with Donald Trump and/or negotiating assignment of exclusive press opportunities regarding same.”
Davidson testified that he provided “legal services” to help the former Playmate negotiate with media outlets for the rights to her story about “a personal interaction she had — allegedly had — with Donald Trump.”
“At the time … media outlets, both traditional and tabloid, would often enter into an exclusive arrangement where someone would provide exclusive content to that outlet in exchange for money,” Davidson said.
Davidson told Steinglass that he did not go behind McDougal’s back when he arranged the agreement with AMI for the rights to her story
Apr 30, 12:29 PM Prosecution calls former attorney for McDougal and Daniels
Prosecutors called to the stand Keith Davidson, who worked as an attorney for both Karen McDougal and Stormy Daniels when the hush money payments to both women were arranged.
Trump, at the defense table, turned his head to see Davidson as he entered the courtroom.
Davidson, who was granted immunity to testify, said that that he has set up nondisclosure agreements for some of his clients, including some with tabloids.
Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass asked Davidson about his relationship with former National Enquirer editor Dylan Howard. Earlier, former Enquirer publisher David Pecker testified that Davidson was one of Howard’s sources.
“I knew him in my professional dealings,” Davidson said. “We were professional acquaintances and friends.”
Davidson said he first met Michael Cohen in 2011 after a blog was posted about Stormy Daniels — who was Davidson’s client — and Donald Trump.
“Michael Cohen is the former attorney for Donald Trump,” Davidson recounted.
Prosecutors called their next witness, Philip Thompson, who works for a national court reporting company, to testify about a deposition Trump gave that was taken as part of former Elle magazine columnist E. Jean Carroll’s defamation cases against Trump.
Jurors were shown several videos, starting with Trump’s October 2022 deposition in that case.
In the first video, Trump briefly explains what Truth Social is and confirms his handle on the social media platform.
“It is a platform that has been opened by me as an alternative to Twitter,” Trump said.
They were next shown an Oct. 19, 2022, deposition taken at Mar-a-Lago, in which Trump confirms he married his wife Melania in 2005.
Thompson then read from the transcript of a deposition where Trump is asked about the “Access Hollywood” video in which he boasts about grabbing women.
Thompson then stepped off the witness stand.
Apr 30, 12:02 PM ‘We don’t win’ if people think stories are true, Trump said in 2016
As part of a series of video, jurors were shown a video of an October 2016 Trump rally in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
“They are trying to poison the mind of the American voter. Every woman lied when they came forward to hurt my campaign,” Trump said in the video.
Lastly, jurors sew a brief video of a press conference by President-elect Trump praising Michael Cohen.
Trump, in one of the videos, appears to acknowledge how damaging the stories could have been to his election prospects.
“If 5% of the people think its true, and maybe 10% of the people, we don’t win,” Trump says in the speech.
In the courtroom, Trump’s demeanor completely changed immediately after the videos were played for the jury. He perked up and frantically whispered with his attorney Todd Blanche, looking displeased.
Browning, the C-SPAN executive, concluded his testimony, and defense lawyers opted not to cross-examine him.
Apr 30, 11:41 AM Judge will allow some questioning about intimidation effort
Judge Juan Merchan has ruled from the bench that prosecutors will be permitted to introduce evidence about Trump’s alleged “intimidation effort” for a limited purpose.
Prosecutors can use the evidence to offset the defense claim that witnesses are financially benefiting from the trial and explain why some witnesses have changed their story; however, the evidence cannot be used to demonstrate Trump’s “consciousness of guilt,” as the prosecution had sought.
Merchan also said jurors will have May 24 — the Friday before Memorial Day — off, because a juror has to catch a flight at 11 a.m. ET.
Prosecutors then called as their next witness Robert Browning, who has worked as the executive director of the C-SPAN’s archives for 30 years.
Apr 30, 11:33 AM ‘Let’s try to keep the break short,’ judge tells defense
Jurors have re-entered the courtroom following the mid-morning break.
Trump returned to the courtroom speaking with his defense attorney Todd Blanche as he entered.
Judge Juan Merchan lightly scolded Blanche about running late.
“Let’s try to keep the break short,” Merchan told Blanche, reminding him that jurors are waiting. “Let’s do better.”
Apr 30, 11:21 AM Prosecutors want to ask Trump about gag order violations
In a conference with with judge and other attorneys during the mid-morning break, prosecutor Matthew Colangelo told Judge Merchan that prosecutors would like to cross-examine Donald Trump, if he opts to testify, about his nine violations of the case’s limited gag order that the judge handed down this morning.
“The people will seek to cross-examine him on those findings,” Colangelo said.
Colangelo also argued that prosecutors should be able to introduce evidence about what he called Trump’s “pressure campaign” and “intimidation effort” for witnesses like Michael Cohen.
Colangelo argued that defense attorneys “opened the door” to the evidence during their opening statement by arguing that some of the witnesses like Cohen and Stormy Daniels benefited personally from their involvement in the case. He mentioned that prosecutors have approximately half-a-dozen exhibits to demonstrate Trump’s effort attacking witnesses.
Colangelo said the evidence would help show Trump’s “consciousness of guilt” and explain why some witnesses made contradictory statements about the case.
Apr 30, 10:58 AM Farro says opening Cohen’s LLC account raised no red flags
While Michael Cohen’s former banker, Gary Farro, testified that Cohen took steps to quickly open the account for Essential Consultants, the shell company Cohen used to pay Stormy Daniels, Farro said the process did not prompt any red flags based on the information Cohen provided.
“Not based on the answers I was given … on the questions I asked,” Farro said when asked about potential red flags.
Farro added that accounts in the real estate world were often opened quickly.
“It’s not unusual, it’s not every time. It’s not unusual,” Farro said.
Farro testified that he was not involved with the decision to end First Republic Bank’s relationship with Cohen, adding that if a client provides false information, First Republic Bank would sever their relationship.
“The decision was not mine,” Farro said during a brief re-cross examination.
Apr 30, 10:50 AM Farro explains how Cohen’s LLC account was opened
Gary Farro, under cross-examination, said that First Republic Bank did not open the account for Essential Consultants LLC for Michael Cohen to operate a shell company.
“I don’t open up shell corporations,” Farro, who was Cohen’s banker, said of the LLC that was used for Cohen to send payment to Stormy Daniels in 2016. “Shell corporations that have no business behind them would give me pause.”
While First Republic allows some accounts to be opened with limited transactions — such as an account for an LLC to own a property or aircraft — the account created by Cohen had the listed business purpose of “investment consulting” work, according to evidence.
Farro added that the information that Cohen provided — such as not listing himself as someone’s agent — allowed the account to be opened quicker.
“Not only would it raise more questions, but it would require more paperwork,” Farro said.
Apr 30, 10:38 AM Farro says Cohen was removed as his client in 2017
Under cross-examination by defense attorney Todd Blanche, Michael Cohen’s former banker testified about his first interactions with Cohen.
Gary Farro said his boss introduced him to Michael Cohen in Cohen’s office in Trump Tower.
“He was a challenging client because of his desire to get things done so quickly,” Farro said. “Ninety percent of the time, it was an urgent matter.”
Farro said that his supervisors removed Cohen as his client in 2017, as the details about the transactions in question “went public.”
“They didn’t want me to have communication with the client any longer,” Farro said.
Apr 30, 10:31 AM Banker says Daniels payment could have prompted review
Prosecutor Becky Mangold concluded her direct examination of banker Gary Farro by asking if First Republic Bank would have still permitted the wire transfer to Stormy Daniels if Michael Cohen disclosed the money was going to an adult film actress.
“There would definitely have been enhanced due diligence on that,” Farro said, adding that the due diligence would have delayed the payment.
“We might consider that a reputational risk,” Farro added.
After prosecutors completed their direct examination of Gary Farro, defense attorney Todd Blanche began his cross-examination.
Apr 30, 10:21 AM Banker details Michael Cohen’s $130K payment to Stormy Daniels
Michael Cohen’s former banker, Gary Farro, returned to the stand, where he was asked by prosecutor Becky Mangold about Cohen’s frantic effort to create a bank account for a new company he created called Essential Consultants LLC on October 26, 2016.
Referring to Stormy Daniels, Farro told jurors that Cohen did not disclose the account would be used to send money to an adult film actress, adding that his bank, First Republic, avoided financing the adult-entertainment sector.
Farro said that Cohen added $131,000 to an account for Essential Consultants LLC using a home equity line of credit.
Apr 30, 10:04 AM Judge warns Trump could be jailed for further violations
In the paper order explaining his ruling holding Trump in contempt for his violations of the case’s limited gag order, Judge Merchan warned Trump that he could be locked up if he continues to willfully violate the order.
“Defendant is hereby warned that the Court will not tolerate continued willful violations of its lawful orders and that if necessary and appropriate under the circumstances, it will impose an incarceratory punishment,” Merchan wrote in his order.
Merchan wrote that Trump has until 2:15 p.m. ET today to remove posts violating the order from his social media account and campaign website. Trump has until close of business on Friday to submit the $9,000 penalty Merchan levied against him.
Apr 30, 10:00 AM Judge orders Trump to pay gag order fine by Friday
After Judge Merchan fined Trump a total of $9,000 for nine violations of the case’s limited gag order, Trump was ordered to pay the fine by the close of business this Friday.
Merchan also ordered Trump to remove the posts from his Truth Social account and campaign website by 2:15 p.m. today.
Before resuming Gary Farro’s direct examination, Judge Merchan also informed the parties that Trump will be able to attend his son Barron’s high school graduation in May, as Trump had requested.
“I don’t think the May 17 date is the problem, so Mr. Trump can certainly attend that day, attend his son’s graduation,” Merchan said.
Apr 30, 9:49 AM Judge fines Trump $9,000 for violating limited gag order
Judge Juan Merchan has ruled that Donald Trump repeatedly violated the limited gag order imposed by the court.
The judge found that prosecutors “met their burden” to show several contempt motions.
Trump will be fined $1,000 for each of the nine violations, Merchan said, and will be ordered to pay a total of $9,000.
Apr 30, 9:31 AM Trump enters courtroom with son Eric
Former President Trump has entered the courtroom with his son Eric Trump.
Eric Trump frequently attended last year’s New York civil fraud trial, but today marks his first time attending his father’s criminal hush money trial.
Trump’s campaign staff and advisers have attended the criminal trial over the last two weeks, but Eric Trump is the only Trump family member to attend the proceedings.
Susie Wiles, Trump’s top campaign adviser who is helping lead his presidential campaign, is also in the courtroom with him, marking the first time she has been spotted in court.
Apr 30, 9:26 AM Prosecutors have arrived
Prosecutors from the Manhattan district attorney’s office have entered the courtroom.
Prosecutors Joshua Steinglass, Becky Mangold, and Matthew Colangelo are seated at counsel table.
Former President Trump and his counsel are on their way in.
Apr 30, 8:15 AM Michael Cohen’s banker testified Friday about Cohen’s LLCs
On his first day on the stand Friday, banker Gary Farro told jurors that he was assigned to work with Michael Cohen in 2015 after one of Farro’s colleagues left First Republic Bank, and that in October 2016 Cohen frantically attempted to open an account for a new business called Resolution Consultants LLC.
Prosecutors allege that Cohen intended to use that account to transfer $125,000 to National Enquirer parent AMI for the rights to Playboy playmate Karen McDougal’s story about an alleged affair with Trump, but the deal fell through after publisher David Pecker consulted with his attorneys.
“I am not going forward. It is a bad idea, and I want you to rip up the agreement,” Pecker recounted telling Cohen. “He was very, very, angry. Very upset. Screaming, basically, at me.”
Ultimately, Farro said the account for Resolution Consultants LLC was never funded or opened by Cohen; prosecutors allege the account was abandoned along with the deal to reimburse AMI for the McDougal story. Then, said Farro, Cohen sought him out in October 2016 to open a new account for a company called Essential Consultants LLC, which Farro said Cohen described as a real estate consulting company “to collect fees for investment consulting work [Cohen] does for real estate deals.”
According to prosecutors, the day after the account was created, Cohen used it to wire $130,000 to Stormy Daniels in exchange for her silence ahead of the 2016 election.
Apr 30, 7:35 AM Michael Cohen’s banker to return to the stand
After a week of testimony from longtime National Enquirer publisher David Pecker, former President Donald Trump’s criminal hush money trial is scheduled to resume this morning with the direct examination of Gary Farro, the one-time banker for former Trump attorney Michael Cohen.
Farro, a former managing director at First Republic Bank, began his testimony on Friday by outlining some of the documents used to allegedly create the shell companies formed by Cohen that are related to two hush-money payments at the center of the case.
Prosecutors have called Farro to authenticate records they hope will prove that Trump falsified business records to hide the reimbursement of Cohen’s hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.
“Read the documents, the emails, the text messages, the bank statements, the handwritten notes, all of it,” prosecutor Matthew Colangelo asked jurors last week. “It inescapably leads to only one conclusion: Donald Trump is guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree.”
(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:
Apr 30, 12:36 PM McDougal’s attorney outlines agreement he had with her
Keith Davidson testified that he represented Karen McDougal in the summer of 2016 when the former Playboy model entered into a non-disclosure agreement with AMI, the parent company of the National Enquirer.
Jurors were then showed the retainer agreement between Davidson and McDougal, which details McDougal’s “life rights related to interactions with Donald Trump and/or negotiating assignment of exclusive press opportunities regarding same.”
Davidson testified that he provided “legal services” to help the former Playmate negotiate with media outlets for the rights to her story about “a personal interaction she had — allegedly had — with Donald Trump.”
“At the time … media outlets, both traditional and tabloid, would often enter into an exclusive arrangement where someone would provide exclusive content to that outlet in exchange for money,” Davidson said.
Davidson told Steinglass that he did not go behind McDougal’s back when he arranged the agreement with AMI for the rights to her story
Apr 30, 12:29 PM Prosecution calls former attorney for McDougal and Daniels
Prosecutors called to the stand Keith Davidson, who worked as an attorney for both Karen McDougal and Stormy Daniels when the hush money payments to both women were arranged.
Trump, at the defense table, turned his head to see Davidson as he entered the courtroom.
Davidson, who was granted immunity to testify, said that that he has set up nondisclosure agreements for some of his clients, including some with tabloids.
Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass asked Davidson about his relationship with former National Enquirer editor Dylan Howard. Earlier, former Enquirer publisher David Pecker testified that Davidson was one of Howard’s sources.
“I knew him in my professional dealings,” Davidson said. “We were professional acquaintances and friends.”
Davidson said he first met Michael Cohen in 2011 after a blog was posted about Stormy Daniels — who was Davidson’s client — and Donald Trump.
“Michael Cohen is the former attorney for Donald Trump,” Davidson recounted.
Prosecutors called their next witness, Philip Thompson, who works for a national court reporting company, to testify about a deposition Trump gave that was taken as part of former Elle magazine columnist E. Jean Carroll’s defamation cases against Trump.
Jurors were shown several videos, starting with Trump’s October 2022 deposition in that case.
In the first video, Trump briefly explains what Truth Social is and confirms his handle on the social media platform.
“It is a platform that has been opened by me as an alternative to Twitter,” Trump said.
They were next shown an Oct. 19, 2022, deposition taken at Mar-a-Lago, in which Trump confirms he married his wife Melania in 2005.
Thompson then read from the transcript of a deposition where Trump is asked about the “Access Hollywood” video in which he boasts about grabbing women.
Thompson then stepped off the witness stand.
Apr 30, 12:02 PM ‘We don’t win’ if people think stories are true, Trump said in 2016
As part of a series of video, jurors were shown a video of an October 2016 Trump rally in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
“They are trying to poison the mind of the American voter. Every woman lied when they came forward to hurt my campaign,” Trump said in the video.
Lastly, jurors sew a brief video of a press conference by President-elect Trump praising Michael Cohen.
Trump, in one of the videos, appears to acknowledge how damaging the stories could have been to his election prospects.
“If 5% of the people think its true, and maybe 10% of the people, we don’t win,” Trump says in the speech.
In the courtroom, Trump’s demeanor completely changed immediately after the videos were played for the jury. He perked up and frantically whispered with his attorney Todd Blanche, looking displeased.
Browning, the C-SPAN executive, concluded his testimony, and defense lawyers opted not to cross-examine him.
Apr 30, 11:41 AM Judge will allow some questioning about intimidation effort
Judge Juan Merchan has ruled from the bench that prosecutors will be permitted to introduce evidence about Trump’s alleged “intimidation effort” for a limited purpose.
Prosecutors can use the evidence to offset the defense claim that witnesses are financially benefiting from the trial and explain why some witnesses have changed their story; however, the evidence cannot be used to demonstrate Trump’s “consciousness of guilt,” as the prosecution had sought.
Merchan also said jurors will have May 24 — the Friday before Memorial Day — off, because a juror has to catch a flight at 11 a.m. ET.
Prosecutors then called as their next witness Robert Browning, who has worked as the executive director of the C-SPAN’s archives for 30 years.
Apr 30, 11:33 AM ‘Let’s try to keep the break short,’ judge tells defense
Jurors have re-entered the courtroom following the mid-morning break.
Trump returned to the courtroom speaking with his defense attorney Todd Blanche as he entered.
Judge Juan Merchan lightly scolded Blanche about running late.
“Let’s try to keep the break short,” Merchan told Blanche, reminding him that jurors are waiting. “Let’s do better.”
Apr 30, 11:21 AM Prosecutors want to ask Trump about gag order violations
In a conference with with judge and other attorneys during the mid-morning break, prosecutor Matthew Colangelo told Judge Merchan that prosecutors would like to cross-examine Donald Trump, if he opts to testify, about his nine violations of the case’s limited gag order that the judge handed down this morning.
“The people will seek to cross-examine him on those findings,” Colangelo said.
Colangelo also argued that prosecutors should be able to introduce evidence about what he called Trump’s “pressure campaign” and “intimidation effort” for witnesses like Michael Cohen.
Colangelo argued that defense attorneys “opened the door” to the evidence during their opening statement by arguing that some of the witnesses like Cohen and Stormy Daniels benefited personally from their involvement in the case. He mentioned that prosecutors have approximately half-a-dozen exhibits to demonstrate Trump’s effort attacking witnesses.
Colangelo said the evidence would help show Trump’s “consciousness of guilt” and explain why some witnesses made contradictory statements about the case.
Apr 30, 10:58 AM Farro says opening Cohen’s LLC account raised no red flags
While Michael Cohen’s former banker, Gary Farro, testified that Cohen took steps to quickly open the account for Essential Consultants, the shell company Cohen used to pay Stormy Daniels, Farro said the process did not prompt any red flags based on the information Cohen provided.
“Not based on the answers I was given … on the questions I asked,” Farro said when asked about potential red flags.
Farro added that accounts in the real estate world were often opened quickly.
“It’s not unusual, it’s not every time. It’s not unusual,” Farro said.
Farro testified that he was not involved with the decision to end First Republic Bank’s relationship with Cohen, adding that if a client provides false information, First Republic Bank would sever their relationship.
“The decision was not mine,” Farro said during a brief re-cross examination.
Apr 30, 10:50 AM Farro explains how Cohen’s LLC account was opened
Gary Farro, under cross-examination, said that First Republic Bank did not open the account for Essential Consultants LLC for Michael Cohen to operate a shell company.
“I don’t open up shell corporations,” Farro, who was Cohen’s banker, said of the LLC that was used for Cohen to send payment to Stormy Daniels in 2016. “Shell corporations that have no business behind them would give me pause.”
While First Republic allows some accounts to be opened with limited transactions — such as an account for an LLC to own a property or aircraft — the account created by Cohen had the listed business purpose of “investment consulting” work, according to evidence.
Farro added that the information that Cohen provided — such as not listing himself as someone’s agent — allowed the account to be opened quicker.
“Not only would it raise more questions, but it would require more paperwork,” Farro said.
Apr 30, 10:38 AM Farro says Cohen was removed as his client in 2017
Under cross-examination by defense attorney Todd Blanche, Michael Cohen’s former banker testified about his first interactions with Cohen.
Gary Farro said his boss introduced him to Michael Cohen in Cohen’s office in Trump Tower.
“He was a challenging client because of his desire to get things done so quickly,” Farro said. “Ninety percent of the time, it was an urgent matter.”
Farro said that his supervisors removed Cohen as his client in 2017, as the details about the transactions in question “went public.”
“They didn’t want me to have communication with the client any longer,” Farro said.
Apr 30, 10:31 AM Banker says Daniels payment could have prompted review
Prosecutor Becky Mangold concluded her direct examination of banker Gary Farro by asking if First Republic Bank would have still permitted the wire transfer to Stormy Daniels if Michael Cohen disclosed the money was going to an adult film actress.
“There would definitely have been enhanced due diligence on that,” Farro said, adding that the due diligence would have delayed the payment.
“We might consider that a reputational risk,” Farro added.
After prosecutors completed their direct examination of Gary Farro, defense attorney Todd Blanche began his cross-examination.
Apr 30, 10:21 AM Banker details Michael Cohen’s $130K payment to Stormy Daniels
Michael Cohen’s former banker, Gary Farro, returned to the stand, where he was asked by prosecutor Becky Mangold about Cohen’s frantic effort to create a bank account for a new company he created called Essential Consultants LLC on October 26, 2016.
Referring to Stormy Daniels, Farro told jurors that Cohen did not disclose the account would be used to send money to an adult film actress, adding that his bank, First Republic, avoided financing the adult-entertainment sector.
Farro said that Cohen added $131,000 to an account for Essential Consultants LLC using a home equity line of credit.
Apr 30, 10:04 AM Judge warns Trump could be jailed for further violations
In the paper order explaining his ruling holding Trump in contempt for his violations of the case’s limited gag order, Judge Merchan warned Trump that he could be locked up if he continues to willfully violate the order.
“Defendant is hereby warned that the Court will not tolerate continued willful violations of its lawful orders and that if necessary and appropriate under the circumstances, it will impose an incarceratory punishment,” Merchan wrote in his order.
Merchan wrote that Trump has until 2:15 p.m. ET today to remove posts violating the order from his social media account and campaign website. Trump has until close of business on Friday to submit the $9,000 penalty Merchan levied against him.
Apr 30, 10:00 AM Judge orders Trump to pay gag order fine by Friday
After Judge Merchan fined Trump a total of $9,000 for nine violations of the case’s limited gag order, Trump was ordered to pay the fine by the close of business this Friday.
Merchan also ordered Trump to remove the posts from his Truth Social account and campaign website by 2:15 p.m. today.
Before resuming Gary Farro’s direct examination, Judge Merchan also informed the parties that Trump will be able to attend his son Barron’s high school graduation in May, as Trump had requested.
“I don’t think the May 17 date is the problem, so Mr. Trump can certainly attend that day, attend his son’s graduation,” Merchan said.
Apr 30, 9:49 AM Judge fines Trump $9,000 for violating limited gag order
Judge Juan Merchan has ruled that Donald Trump repeatedly violated the limited gag order imposed by the court.
The judge found that prosecutors “met their burden” to show several contempt motions.
Trump will be fined $1,000 for each of the nine violations, Merchan said, and will be ordered to pay a total of $9,000.
Apr 30, 9:31 AM Trump enters courtroom with son Eric
Former President Trump has entered the courtroom with his son Eric Trump.
Eric Trump frequently attended last year’s New York civil fraud trial, but today marks his first time attending his father’s criminal hush money trial.
Trump’s campaign staff and advisers have attended the criminal trial over the last two weeks, but Eric Trump is the only Trump family member to attend the proceedings.
Susie Wiles, Trump’s top campaign adviser who is helping lead his presidential campaign, is also in the courtroom with him, marking the first time she has been spotted in court.
Apr 30, 9:26 AM Prosecutors have arrived
Prosecutors from the Manhattan district attorney’s office have entered the courtroom.
Prosecutors Joshua Steinglass, Becky Mangold, and Matthew Colangelo are seated at counsel table.
Former President Trump and his counsel are on their way in.
Apr 30, 8:15 AM Michael Cohen’s banker testified Friday about Cohen’s LLCs
On his first day on the stand Friday, banker Gary Farro told jurors that he was assigned to work with Michael Cohen in 2015 after one of Farro’s colleagues left First Republic Bank, and that in October 2016 Cohen frantically attempted to open an account for a new business called Resolution Consultants LLC.
Prosecutors allege that Cohen intended to use that account to transfer $125,000 to National Enquirer parent AMI for the rights to Playboy playmate Karen McDougal’s story about an alleged affair with Trump, but the deal fell through after publisher David Pecker consulted with his attorneys.
“I am not going forward. It is a bad idea, and I want you to rip up the agreement,” Pecker recounted telling Cohen. “He was very, very, angry. Very upset. Screaming, basically, at me.”
Ultimately, Farro said the account for Resolution Consultants LLC was never funded or opened by Cohen; prosecutors allege the account was abandoned along with the deal to reimburse AMI for the McDougal story. Then, said Farro, Cohen sought him out in October 2016 to open a new account for a company called Essential Consultants LLC, which Farro said Cohen described as a real estate consulting company “to collect fees for investment consulting work [Cohen] does for real estate deals.”
According to prosecutors, the day after the account was created, Cohen used it to wire $130,000 to Stormy Daniels in exchange for her silence ahead of the 2016 election.
Apr 30, 7:35 AM Michael Cohen’s banker to return to the stand
After a week of testimony from longtime National Enquirer publisher David Pecker, former President Donald Trump’s criminal hush money trial is scheduled to resume this morning with the direct examination of Gary Farro, the one-time banker for former Trump attorney Michael Cohen.
Farro, a former managing director at First Republic Bank, began his testimony on Friday by outlining some of the documents used to allegedly create the shell companies formed by Cohen that are related to two hush-money payments at the center of the case.
Prosecutors have called Farro to authenticate records they hope will prove that Trump falsified business records to hide the reimbursement of Cohen’s hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.
“Read the documents, the emails, the text messages, the bank statements, the handwritten notes, all of it,” prosecutor Matthew Colangelo asked jurors last week. “It inescapably leads to only one conclusion: Donald Trump is guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree.”
(NEW YORK) — Protests have broken out at colleges and universities across the country in connection with the war in Gaza.
Many pro-Palestinian protesters are calling for their colleges to divest of funds from Israeli military operations, while some Jewish students on the campuses have called the protests antisemitic and said they are scared for their safety.
The student protests — some of which have turned into around-the-clock encampments — have erupted throughout the nation following arrests and student removals at Columbia University in New York City. Students at schools including Yale University, New York University, Harvard University, University of Texas at Austin, University of Southern California and more have launched protests.
Here’s how the news is developing:
Apr 30, 12:27 PM 82 protesters arrested at Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech said it has cleared an encampment on campus and arrested 82 protesters for trespassing, after refusing to comply with university policies.
“Virginia Tech strongly supports free speech, even when the content of that speech may be disagreeable to some. However, those rights do not extend beyond the point where they interfere with the rights of others, violate our policies, the Code of Virginia, or federal laws and/or create a threat to safety for others,” Virginia Tech President Tim Sands said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Virginia Tech Muslim Student Association said in a letter the 91 students faculty and staff were arrested for peacefully protesting.
“As we reach the end of the semester, 7 months after Oct. 7, we are finding our voices still unheard. We are waiting for your support of us and Palestine,” the Virginia Tech MSA said in a statement.
California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt said it has cleared two campus buildings that had been occupied by protesters for over a week and arrested 25 people.
“Those arrested faced a range of different charges depending on individual circumstances including unlawful assembly, vandalism, conspiracy, assault of police officers, and others. In addition, students could face discipline for conduct violations while any University employees arrested could face disciplinary action,” Cal Poly said in a statement.
The university called the occupation of the two buildings “criminal activity” and said there were “serious concerns it would spread even further on campus.”
“This morning’s enforcement action was determined to be necessary to restore order and to address the lawlessness and dangerous conditions that had developed. What was occurring was not free expression or a protest,” the university said in a statement.
The campus will remain closed until May 10.
Apr 30, 11:41 AM Northwestern reaches deal with students, faculty to end encampment, reveal investments
Northwestern University announced it has reached a deal with pro-Palestinian protesters, ending an encampment of students and faculty, but allowing peaceful demonstrations to continue through June 1.
The university said it would “answer questions from any internal stakeholder about holdings, held currently or within the last quarter, to the best of its knowledge and to the extent legally possible” — meeting a key call from divestment protesters and students around the country who are seeking more transparency over universities’ investments.
Northwestern will also reestablish an Advisory Committee on Investment Responsibility in the fall, which will include representatives from students, faculty and staff.
The university also pledged more inclusivity, funding two Palestinian faculty members and the full cost of attendance for five Palestinian undergraduate students annually, as well as a commitment to raising funds to sustain the program beyond this commitment.
Under the agreement, Northwestern says tents will be removed immediately but one aid tent will be allowed to remain. Protesters will need to suspend the use of “non-approved” amplified sound.” Protesters who refuse to follow the agreement will be suspended and non-affiliated individuals must leave campus.
Apr 30, 11:12 AM UConn removes encampment, makes arrests after protesters refuse to leave
The University of Connecticut cleared an encampment of pro-Palestinian protesters early Tuesday after they refused orders to disperse. UConn has not yet revealed the number of arrests and charges.
UConn said that protests were permitted but setting up tents violated university guidelines.
“The group was warned multiple times over a period of days that while they were free to be in the space and exercise their free speech rights, the guidelines needed to be followed and the tents needed to be taken down. This was ignored,” UConn said in a statement.
“UConn Police directed them four times on Tuesday morning to remove the tents and disperse, and they again repeatedly ignored the directives. Officers then entered the site to remove the tents and tarps, and to arrest those who refused compliance,” UConn said in a statement.
-ABC News’ Mark Osborne
Apr 30, 10:07 AM Reporter arrested while covering protest on Cal Poly campus
Adelmi Ruiz, a reporter for Redding, California, ABC affiliate KRCR, was arrested at Cal Poly Humboldt while filming police approaching an encampment of pro-Palestinian protesters.
A livestream showed Ruiz filming police in riot gear approaching protesters, who could be heard chanting, when an officer asks her to come over and tells her they need her out of the way.
An officer then tells Ruiz to put her phone away and put her hands behind her back because he is going to put her in flex cuffs — plastic handcuffs used by police for protesters. Ruiz identifies herself as a reporter multiple times but is still arrested.
“You had an opportunity to leave. You were told multiple times to leave otherwise you were gonna be arrested,” the officer says, according to a livestream which continued after Ruiz placed her phone in her pocket.
She responded that she was on assignment covering the protest.
“Find a different job if this causes you to break the law,” the officer says.
As she is escorted away, Ruiz can be heard asking for help.
Apr 30, 9:42 AM 17 protesters arrested at University of Utah, encampment cleared
The University of Utah has removed an encampment of pro-Palestinian protesters and arrested 17 people after the university said protesters do not have a right to set up encampments on campus property and threatened to disperse them.
About a dozen tents, stashes of water, food and toilet paper were removed from the encampment.
The university had issued warnings to students, staff and faculty members telling them to remove their encampments, or face consequences, including arrests.
The university had threatened criminal trespass and disorderly conduct charges, termination for faculty and staff and discipline for students ranging from probation to suspension against those who refused to leave the encampment.
Apr 30, 4:06 AM Columbia protesters occupy campus hall
Pro-Palestinian protesters at Columbia University occupied a hall on campus early Tuesday, hours after school officials ordered the dispersal of a protest encampment.
Videos viewed by ABC News appeared to show protesters creating a barricade with metal chairs outside Hamilton Hall after midnight.
Several were seen in the videos unrolling protest posters from one of the building’s balconies.
It was unclear how many demonstrators had occupied the hall, which is on Amsterdam Avenue. The Columbia Spectator, a campus newspaper, reported the people who were inside were working to block the building’s exits with tables, chairs and zip-ties.
Apr 29, 11:35 PM University of Texas at Austin says it took action to ‘preserve a safe, conducive learning environment’ for students
After police and protesters clashed on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin following a dispersal order, leading to some arrests on Monday, the school issued a statement, saying it “took swift action to preserve a safe, conducive learning environment for our 53,000 students as they prepare for final exams.”
“UT Austin requested backup assistance from the Texas Department of Public Safety to protect the safety of the campus community and enforce our Institutional Rules, such as the rule that prohibits encampments on campus. Because of the encampments and other violations of the University’s Institutional Rules related to protests, protestors were told repeatedly to disperse. When they refused to disperse, some arrests were made for trespassing. Others were arrested for disorderly conduct,” the university’s statement read.
UTA said protests since the start of the Israel-Hamas war have happened “largely without incident.”
“The University strongly supports the free speech and assembly rights of our community and we want students and others on campus to know that protests on campus are fully permissible, provided that they do not violate Institutional Rules or threaten the safety of our campus community,” the statement concluded.
Apr 29, 10:51 PM ‘Multiple arrests’ at Virginia Commonwealth University: Officials
“Multiple arrests” were made at Virginia Commonwealth University Monday night, following tense conflict between police and pro-Palestinian protesters on the Richmond campus, officials said.
Addressing the arrests, the university said in a statement that final exams start this week and the school “must provide students the opportunity to safely and successfully complete the semester.”
“The gathering violated several university policies. VCU respectfully and repeatedly provided opportunities for those individuals involved — many of whom were not students — to collect their belongings and leave,” the university’s statement continued. “Those who did not leave were subject to arrest for trespassing. While supporting an environment that fosters protected speech and expressive activity, VCU must maintain an atmosphere free of disruption to the university’s mission.”
Apr 29, 5:27 PM Columbia begins suspending students who refuse to leave encampment
A representative from Columbia University said the school has begun suspending students who have defied the 2 p.m. deadline to leave the encampment.
Ben Chang, the vice president of the office of public affairs, did not say how many people would be suspended but said those students would not be able to attend classes or graduate.
The school’s campus is still closed to anyone who doesn’t have a student ID.
-ABC News’ Darren Reynolds
Apr 29, 4:23 PM Protesters clash with police at UT-Austin
Police and protesters clashed on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin on Monday afternoon after authorities issued a dispersal order.
The UT Austin Police Department asked protesters to leave the South Mall area at about 1 p.m. local time.
Protesters could be heard chanting, “There is no riot here, why are you in riot gear?” Soon after, police moved in to clear the area by force.
The university said in a statement, “After protesters ignored repeated directives from both the administration and law enforcement officers to comply with Institutional Rules and remove tents assembled on the University’s South Lawn, then physically engaged with and verbally assaulted Dean of Students staff who attempted to confiscate them, UT and partner law enforcement agencies dismantled an encampment and arrested several protesters.”
It continued, “Baseball size rocks were found strategically placed within the encampment. The majority of protesters are believed to be unaffiliated with the university.”
More than 50 people were arrested at a pro-Palestinian protest on the campus last week, however, charges were later dropped.
Apr 29, 3:31 PM Protesters clash with police at UT-Austin
Police and protesters clashed on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin on Monday afternoon after authorities issued a dispersal order.
The UT Austin Police Department asked protesters to leave the South Mall area at about 1 p.m. local time.
Protesters could be heard chanting, “There is no riot here, why are you in riot gear?” Soon after, police moved in to clear the area by force.
More than 50 people were arrested at a pro-Palestinian protest on the campus last week, however, charges were later dropped.
Apr 29, 3:05 PM Columbia protesters defy 2 p.m. deadline to disperse
Protesters camped out at Columbia University are defying the school’s order to pack up and leave by 2 p.m.
Sueda Polat, a representative from the protesters’ negotiating team, told reporters that the university did not engage in good-faith negotiations and failed to meet their demands to divest from Israel.
“It is against the will of the students to disperse,” she said. “We do not abide by university pressures. We act on the will of the students.”
Police were outside of the campus as the deadline approached but they did not immediately enter after it passed.
“Students are aware of the risk of law enforcement. … They know how to come together in that risk,” Polat said.
Apr 29, 1:57 PM Cal Poly Humboldt campus leaders offer escorts to concerned students
Cal Poly Humboldt said it will close off campus to non-school members through May 10 as protesters have occupied two buildings.
Campus leaders also said it will now offer escorts off campus to anyone who feels their safety is threatened.
The school urged the protesters who have been occupying Siemens Hall and Nelson Hall East since last week to leave immediately.
“Leaving voluntarily will be considered as a possible mitigating factor in University conduct processes and may reduce the severity of sanctions imposed. This does not, however, eliminate responsibility for any potential conduct or criminal charges.”
-ABC News’ Bonnie McLean
Apr 29, 12:24 PM UGA arrests protesters after ‘crossing a line,’ blocking sidewalks
The University of Georgia-Athens said protesters who set up an encampment on campus “crossed a line” Monday morning and several were arrested.
Approximately “25 protesters began erecting tents and a barricade, blocking sidewalks and building entrances and using amplified sound,” school spokesman Greg Trevor said in a statement.
The protesters met with university police and student affairs members to discuss the violation and were given multiple warnings to remove the barriers, but they refused, according to Trevor.
“At 8:30 a.m., UGA Police were left with no choice but to arrest those who refused to comply,” he said.
The school did not specify how many people were arrested.
“While we must provide ample opportunity for protected expressive activities, we also have the right and duty to regulate the time, place and manner in which they occur,” Trevor said.
-ABC News’ Ahmad Hemingway
Apr 29, 11:11 AM Columbia tells protesters to leave encampment by 2 p.m.
Columbia University has distributed a letter to members of the encampment on campus telling them to gather their belongings and leave the area by 2 p.m., saying if they identify themselves and sign a form “to abide by all University policies through June 30, 2025, or the date of the conferral of your degree, whichever is earlier, you will be eligible to complete the semester in good standing.”
The school said it has “already identified many students in the encampment” and “if you do not identify yourself upon leaving and sign the form now, you will not be eligible to sign and complete the semester in good standing.” The school warned it could take action up to suspension or expulsion if they do not leave the encampment.
The school reiterated that negotiations with protesters had broken down and said the protests are a “disruption” to those taking final exams and preparing for graduation.
“As you are probably aware, the dialogue between the University and student leaders of the encampment is, regrettably, at an impasse,” the letter states. “The current unauthorized encampment and disruption on Columbia University’s campus is creating an unwelcoming environment for members of our community. External actors have also contributed to this environment, especially around our gates, causing safety concerns – including for our neighbors.”
Apr 29, 9:09 AM Columbia cannot come to agreement with protesters, president says
Protesters at Columbia University, who sparked many of the protests across the nation earlier this month, are now being asked to voluntarily disperse after the school’s president said it was not able to come to an agreement through negotiations.
Since Wednesday, “a small group of academic leaders has been in constructive dialogue with student organizers to find a path that would result in the dismantling of the encampment and adherence to University policies going forward. Regretfully, we were not able to come to an agreement,” Columbia President Minouche Shafik said in a statement Monday morning.
One of the top demands of the protesters, for Columbia to divest from Israel, was flatly denied by the university, according to the statement.
The school asked protesters, who number in the hundreds, to voluntarily disperse, but offered no explanation for what would happen if they did not. The school said it did not “want to deprive thousands of students and their families and friends of a graduation celebration.” The school’s graduation ceremony is set to be held May 15.
“We urge those in the encampment to voluntarily disperse,” Shafik wrote. “We are consulting with a broader group in our community to explore alternative internal options to end this crisis as soon as possible. We will continue to update the community with new developments.”
Apr 29, 8:54 AM Dozens of arrests made at Virginia Tech
Police cleared out an encampment at Virginia Tech late Sunday after protesters had set up tents on the lawn of the campus’ Graduate Life Center.
“Those who gathered were advised by university officials to remove their possessions and to disperse voluntarily; those who failed to comply were then approached by Virginia Tech Police and were again asked to leave and advised that anyone who failed to comply would be charged with trespassing, in accordance with Virginia law,” the school said in a statement.
The university added, “At approximately 10:15 p.m., police approached protesters to ask them to disperse within five minutes. Those who remained were subject to arrest.”
Dozens of protesters were taken into custody, according to Lynchburg, Virginia, ABC affiliate WSET.
Apr 28, 8:52 PM UCLA increases security measures after physical altercations during protest
UCLA announced it is instituting additional security measures amid protests on campus over the Israel-Hamas war in a statement on Sunday.
“UCLA has a long history of peaceful protest and we are heartbroken to report that today, some physical altercations broke out among demonstrators on Royce Quad,” Mary Osako, vice chancellor of UCLA Strategic Communications said.
“We have since instituted additional security measures and increased the numbers of our safety team members on site,” Osako said.
“As an institution of higher education, we stand firmly for the idea that even when we disagree, we must still engage respectfully and recognize one another’s humanity,” Osako continued.
Addressing the physical altercations during the protests, Osako said, “We are dismayed that certain individuals instead chose to jeopardize the physical safety of the community.”
Last week, the University of California rejected calls to divest from companies that do business with Israel.
Apr 28, 10:07 AM White House: ‘We don’t want to see anybody hurt in the process’
The White House said Sunday that President Joe Biden respects the right of demonstrators to make their voices heard — peacefully — and “we don’t want to see anybody hurt in the process.”
“The president knows that there are very strong feelings about the war in Gaza. He understands that, he respects that, and as he has said many times, we certainly respect the right of peaceful protest. People should have the ability to air their views and to share their perspectives publicly, but it has to be peaceful,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby told ABC News’ This Week anchor George Stephanopoulos on Sunday.
Kirby did warn that some language heard during the demonstrations crossed a line with the administration.
“We absolutely condemn the antisemitism language that we’ve heard of late, and we certainly condemn all the hate speech and the threats of violence out there. These protests, we understand they’re important, but they do need to be peaceful,” he said.
“We’ll leave it to local authorities to determine how these protests are managed,” Kirby told Stephanopoulos, “but we want them to be peaceful protests and obviously we don’t want to see anybody hurt in the process of peacefully protesting.”
Apr 28, 12:07 AM USC temporarily closes main campus due to ‘disruption,’ LAPD issues alert
The University of Southern California closed its main campus Saturday evening “due to a disturbance,” the university said on X.
Los Angeles Police Department issued a citywide tactical alert due to a protest on USC’s campus, urging people to avoid the area.
A tactical alert allows LAPD to keep officers on past their shifts and to move officers between divisions if they need extra staffing in one area of the city.
Flowers in memory of fallen law enforcement officers accumulate at the base of a flag pole outside the Federal Courthouse on April 30, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)
(CHARLOTTE, N.C.) — Authorities recovered an AR-15 rifle and .40-caliber handgun from the scene where four law enforcement officers were fatally shot while attempting to serve warrants at a residence in Charlotte, North Carolina, police said.
Additional magazines and ammunition for both firearms were also recovered from the scene, where there are believed to have been more than 100 projectiles and casings, according to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings.
“I can’t tell you how much I’m grateful for these officers and their heroic act,” Jennings said during a press briefing on Tuesday. “To me that’s truly heroic — when you hear the gunshots and the rapid fire and they’re running directly into it because they know that there are people that need help.”
The law enforcement officials were shot and killed as they attempted to serve two warrants in Charlotte on Monday, city officials said. Four other officers were shot and suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
A man, later identified by authorities as Terry Clark Hughes Jr., 39, allegedly began firing at about 1:30 p.m. Monday, striking multiple officers, police said. The U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force had been serving active felony warrants for possession of a firearm by a felon and felony flee to elude.
Police are investigating whether other shooters were involved, Jennings said Tuesday. A teenager and a woman who were in the home at the time are cooperating in the investigation, he said.
“We feel like we have everyone involved that was at the house that we need to speak with,” Jennings said.
Twelve Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officers fired their service weapon during the incident and have been placed on administrative leave, per protocol, amid an investigation into the shooting, the chief said.
The four law enforcement personnel killed in the incident were identified as Deputy U.S. Marshal Thomas Weeks Jr., 48; North Carolina Department of Adult Correction veterans Sam Poloche and Alden Elliott; and CMPD officer Joshua Eyer.
Mayor Vi Lyles asked for everyone in Charlotte to join her in “uplifting the grieving families.”
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Joshua Michael Eyer, who was a loved member of our city family who dedicated his life to serving our community,” she said.
George Dunlap, chairman of the county commissioners board, issued a statement calling the shooting a “senseless and preventable” tragedy.
The community feels “the shock and the pain” of Monday’s shooting, added Dena Diorio, Mecklenburg’s county manager.
“We stand ready to support our law enforcement colleagues and their families in any way we can as we all work through this heartbreaking situation,” she said on social media.
As the procession of police cruisers drove past the hospital’s emergency room late on Monday, crowds of hospital staffers in scrubs stood outside watching.
“Praying and sending light & support to the families trying to make sense of this disaster,” Dr. Raynard Washington, the county’s health director, said on social media. “We should all be tired of our guns in the wrong hands problem. Here’s to hope.”
ABC News’ Julia Reinstein, Luke Barr and Jolie Lash contributed to this report.
(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:
Apr 30, 10:38 AM Farro says Cohen was removed as his client in 2017
Under cross-examination by defense attorney Todd Blanche, Michael Cohen’s former banker testified about his first interactions with Cohen.
Gary Farro said his boss introduced him to Michael Cohen in Cohen’s office in Trump Tower.
“He was a challenging client because of his desire to get things done so quickly,” Farro said. “Ninety percent of the time, it was an urgent matter.”
Farro said that his supervisors removed Cohen as his client in 2017, as the details about the transactions in question “went public.”
“They didn’t want me to have communication with the client any longer,” Farro said.
Apr 30, 10:31 AM Banker says Daniels payment could have prompted review
Prosecutor Becky Mangold concluded her direct examination of banker Gary Farro by asking if First Republic Bank would have still permitted the wire transfer to Stormy Daniels if Michael Cohen disclosed the money was going to an adult film actress.
“There would definitely have been enhanced due diligence on that,” Farro said, adding that the due diligence would have delayed the payment.
“We might consider that a reputational risk,” Farro added.
After prosecutors completed their direct examination of Gary Farro, defense attorney Todd Blanche began his cross-examination.
Apr 30, 10:21 AM Banker details Michael Cohen’s $130K payment to Stormy Daniels
Michael Cohen’s former banker, Gary Farro, returned to the stand, where he was asked by prosecutor Becky Mangold about Cohen’s frantic effort to create a bank account for a new company he created called Essential Consultants LLC on October 26, 2016.
Referring to Stormy Daniels, Farro told jurors that Cohen did not disclose the account would be used to send money to an adult film actress, adding that his bank, First Republic, avoided financing the adult-entertainment sector.
Farro said that Cohen added $131,000 to an account for Essential Consultants LLC using a home equity line of credit.
Apr 30, 10:04 AM Judge warns Trump could be jailed for further violations
In the paper order explaining his ruling holding Trump in contempt for his violations of the case’s limited gag order, Judge Merchan warned Trump that he could be locked up if he continues to willfully violate the order.
“Defendant is hereby warned that the Court will not tolerate continued willful violations of its lawful orders and that if necessary and appropriate under the circumstances, it will impose an incarceratory punishment,” Merchan wrote in his order.
Merchan wrote that Trump has until 2:15 p.m. ET today to remove posts violating the order from his social media account and campaign website. Trump has until close of business on Friday to submit the $9,000 penalty Merchan levied against him.
Apr 30, 10:00 AM Judge orders Trump to pay gag order fine by Friday
After Judge Merchan fined Trump a total of $9,000 for nine violations of the case’s limited gag order, Trump was ordered to pay the fine by the close of business this Friday.
Merchan also ordered Trump to remove the posts from his Truth Social account and campaign website by 2:15 p.m. today.
Before resuming Gary Farro’s direct examination, Judge Merchan also informed the parties that Trump will be able to attend his son Barron’s high school graduation in May, as Trump had requested.
“I don’t think the May 17 date is the problem, so Mr. Trump can certainly attend that day, attend his son’s graduation,” Merchan said.
Apr 30, 9:49 AM Judge fines Trump $9,000 for violating limited gag order
Judge Juan Merchan has ruled that Donald Trump repeatedly violated the limited gag order imposed by the court.
The judge found that prosecutors “met their burden” to show several contempt motions.
Trump will be fined $1,000 for each of the nine violations, Merchan said, and will be ordered to pay a total of $9,000.
Apr 30, 9:31 AM Trump enters courtroom with son Eric
Former President Trump has entered the courtroom with his son Eric Trump.
Eric Trump frequently attended last year’s New York civil fraud trial, but today marks his first time attending his father’s criminal hush money trial.
Trump’s campaign staff and advisers have attended the criminal trial over the last two weeks, but Eric Trump is the only Trump family member to attend the proceedings.
Susie Wiles, Trump’s top campaign adviser who is helping lead his presidential campaign, is also in the courtroom with him, marking the first time she has been spotted in court.
Apr 30, 9:26 AM Prosecutors have arrived
Prosecutors from the Manhattan district attorney’s office have entered the courtroom.
Prosecutors Joshua Steinglass, Becky Mangold, and Matthew Colangelo are seated at counsel table.
Former President Trump and his counsel are on their way in.
Apr 30, 8:15 AM Michael Cohen’s banker testified Friday about Cohen’s LLCs
On his first day on the stand Friday, banker Gary Farro told jurors that he was assigned to work with Michael Cohen in 2015 after one of Farro’s colleagues left First Republic Bank, and that in October 2016 Cohen frantically attempted to open an account for a new business called Resolution Consultants LLC.
Prosecutors allege that Cohen intended to use that account to transfer $125,000 to National Enquirer parent AMI for the rights to Playboy playmate Karen McDougal’s story about an alleged affair with Trump, but the deal fell through after publisher David Pecker consulted with his attorneys.
“I am not going forward. It is a bad idea, and I want you to rip up the agreement,” Pecker recounted telling Cohen. “He was very, very, angry. Very upset. Screaming, basically, at me.”
Ultimately, Farro said the account for Resolution Consultants LLC was never funded or opened by Cohen; prosecutors allege the account was abandoned along with the deal to reimburse AMI for the McDougal story. Then, said Farro, Cohen sought him out in October 2016 to open a new account for a company called Essential Consultants LLC, which Farro said Cohen described as a real estate consulting company “to collect fees for investment consulting work [Cohen] does for real estate deals.”
According to prosecutors, the day after the account was created, Cohen used it to wire $130,000 to Stormy Daniels in exchange for her silence ahead of the 2016 election.
Apr 30, 7:35 AM Michael Cohen’s banker to return to the stand
After a week of testimony from longtime National Enquirer publisher David Pecker, former President Donald Trump’s criminal hush money trial is scheduled to resume this morning with the direct examination of Gary Farro, the one-time banker for former Trump attorney Michael Cohen.
Farro, a former managing director at First Republic Bank, began his testimony on Friday by outlining some of the documents used to allegedly create the shell companies formed by Cohen that are related to two hush-money payments at the center of the case.
Prosecutors have called Farro to authenticate records they hope will prove that Trump falsified business records to hide the reimbursement of Cohen’s hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.
“Read the documents, the emails, the text messages, the bank statements, the handwritten notes, all of it,” prosecutor Matthew Colangelo asked jurors last week. “It inescapably leads to only one conclusion: Donald Trump is guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree.”
(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:
Apr 30, 10:00 AM Judge orders Trump to pay gag order fine by Friday
After Judge Merchan fined Trump a total of $9,000 for nine violations of the case’s limited gag order, Trump was ordered to pay the fine by the close of business this Friday.
Merchan also ordered Trump to remove the posts from his Truth Social account and campaign website by 2:15 p.m. today.
Before resuming Gary Farro’s direct examination, Judge Merchan also informed the parties that Trump will be able to attend his son Barron’s high school graduation in May, as Trump had requested.
“I don’t think the May 17 date is the problem, so Mr. Trump can certainly attend that day, attend his son’s graduation,” Merchan said.
Apr 30, 9:49 AM Judge fines Trump $9,000 for violating limited gag order
Judge Juan Merchan has ruled that Donald Trump repeatedly violated the limited gag order imposed by the court.
The judge found that prosecutors “met their burden” to show several contempt motions.
Trump will be fined $1,000 for each of the nine violations, Merchan said, and will be ordered to pay a total of $9,000.
Apr 30, 9:31 AM Trump enters courtroom with son Eric
Former President Trump has entered the courtroom with his son Eric Trump.
Eric Trump frequently attended last year’s New York civil fraud trial, but today marks his first time attending his father’s criminal hush money trial.
Trump’s campaign staff and advisers have attended the criminal trial over the last two weeks, but Eric Trump is the only Trump family member to attend the proceedings.
Susie Wiles, Trump’s top campaign adviser who is helping lead his presidential campaign, is also in the courtroom with him, marking the first time she has been spotted in court.
Apr 30, 9:26 AM Prosecutors have arrived
Prosecutors from the Manhattan district attorney’s office have entered the courtroom.
Prosecutors Joshua Steinglass, Becky Mangold, and Matthew Colangelo are seated at counsel table.
Former President Trump and his counsel are on their way in.
Apr 30, 8:15 AM Michael Cohen’s banker testified Friday about Cohen’s LLCs
On his first day on the stand Friday, banker Gary Farro told jurors that he was assigned to work with Michael Cohen in 2015 after one of Farro’s colleagues left First Republic Bank, and that in October 2016 Cohen frantically attempted to open an account for a new business called Resolution Consultants LLC.
Prosecutors allege that Cohen intended to use that account to transfer $125,000 to National Enquirer parent AMI for the rights to Playboy playmate Karen McDougal’s story about an alleged affair with Trump, but the deal fell through after publisher David Pecker consulted with his attorneys.
“I am not going forward. It is a bad idea, and I want you to rip up the agreement,” Pecker recounted telling Cohen. “He was very, very, angry. Very upset. Screaming, basically, at me.”
Ultimately, Farro said the account for Resolution Consultants LLC was never funded or opened by Cohen; prosecutors allege the account was abandoned along with the deal to reimburse AMI for the McDougal story. Then, said Farro, Cohen sought him out in October 2016 to open a new account for a company called Essential Consultants LLC, which Farro said Cohen described as a real estate consulting company “to collect fees for investment consulting work [Cohen] does for real estate deals.”
According to prosecutors, the day after the account was created, Cohen used it to wire $130,000 to Stormy Daniels in exchange for her silence ahead of the 2016 election.
Apr 30, 7:35 AM Michael Cohen’s banker to return to the stand
After a week of testimony from longtime National Enquirer publisher David Pecker, former President Donald Trump’s criminal hush money trial is scheduled to resume this morning with the direct examination of Gary Farro, the one-time banker for former Trump attorney Michael Cohen.
Farro, a former managing director at First Republic Bank, began his testimony on Friday by outlining some of the documents used to allegedly create the shell companies formed by Cohen that are related to two hush-money payments at the center of the case.
Prosecutors have called Farro to authenticate records they hope will prove that Trump falsified business records to hide the reimbursement of Cohen’s hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.
“Read the documents, the emails, the text messages, the bank statements, the handwritten notes, all of it,” prosecutor Matthew Colangelo asked jurors last week. “It inescapably leads to only one conclusion: Donald Trump is guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree.”
