Michael Cohen confronts Trump’s lawyer
The testimony of Michael Cohen, Donald Trump’s former fixer, is pivotal in the Manhattan case against the former president. This is the latest information.
Yesterday, Cohen returned to the stands. Lawyers for the Manhattan district attorney’s office told the judge he would be their final witness. On the stand, Cohen described to the jury the $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels as an attempt to influence the 2016 election “on behalf of Mr. Trump.”
He then faced Trump’s legal team. In a series of questions, they sought to portray Cohen as an opportunist. Trump’s lead attorney, Todd Blanche, pressed Cohen about his social media posts, his efforts to monetize his relationship with the former president, his own criminal history and his desire to see Trump after grid.
“Do you want President Trump to be convicted in this case?” Blanche asked.
“Sure,” Cohen replied.
Blanche highlighted Cohen’s television appearances and online insults — all of which he did despite the wishes of prosecutors and to the detriment of Trump. He also noted that Cohen maintains a financial interest in attacking Trump, arguing that he profited from their feud with podcasts and books.
Analysis: The defense appears to be trying to portray Cohen as “essentially, a Trump stalker,” my colleague Maggie Haberman writes — a man once obsessed with the former president, who is now obsessed with revenge.
What’s next: Trump’s lawyers indicated that they may call an expert witness and they have not decided whether they will call Trump himself.
Blinken visits Kiev; Putin visits China
Antony Blinken, Secretary of State, made a surprise visit to Kiev yesterday to meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine and reaffirm U.S. support for the country.
Blinken’s trip comes at a challenging time in the war effort in Kiev, and Russia’s recent military achievements in northeastern Ukraine have weighed on his visit. The Biden administration has warned for months that Congress’ delay in approving a recent $60.8 billion aid package will leave Ukrainians vulnerable.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to travel to China this weekend to visit Chinese President Xi Jinping. The visit will Check out their “no holds barred” partnershipsomething the two dictators announced more than two years ago to push back against American intervention.
But Xi is in a difficult situation: International pressure is mounting on him to cut China’s support for Russia and its war. As for Putin, he may be trying to gauge Xi Jinping’s risk appetite as he tries to dissuade Western nations from providing more active support to Ukraine.
Other updates:
The move is an effort to protect strategic US industries from competitors that Biden says are unfairly subsidized by Beijing. In a change, he also endorsed keeping tariffs on more than $300 billion worth of Chinese goods put in place by Trump. During the 2020 campaign, Biden criticized Trump’s trade war. In the office, he escalated it. But where Trump promised to bring back factory jobs, Biden focused instead on emerging high-tech industries.
China: Heavy manufacturing subsidies – coupled with weak domestic sales – are how China achieves its goals dominate the global market in solar panels and electric cars.
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Netiporn Sanesangkhom: As a famous Thai democracy activist, Ms died of cardiac arrest after a month of hunger strike in prison. She is 28 years old.
Alice Munro: Canadian writer and Nobel Prize winner, considered by many to be a master of the short story, has passed away. She was 92 years old.
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The battle on the streets of New York
The streets of New York City are always bustling, but lately, they It is almost impossible to live dangerously.
Residents clash over traffic, parking and trash piles. Cars and taxis jostle for space as buses swerve to avoid trucks parked in bike lanes. Electric bicycles are everywhere. There are far fewer pedestrians killed by drivers these days, but last year was the deadliest year for cyclists since 1999.
“All of this is trying to fit into a grid designed in 1811,” says my colleague Dodai Stewart explained in a video. Relief may be on the way: The city is about to enact the first congestion pricing plan in the United States, which would charge most drivers $15 to enter much of Manhattan below 60th Street.
