Former President Trump’s ex-lawyer took the stand.

Star Witness

The Story

Former President Trump’s ex-lawyer took the stand.

What did he talk about?

Hush money and more. Michael Cohen told jurors he spent more than a decade working as Trump’s self-described fixer and said he would do “whatever” Trump wanted. During nearly six hours of testimony, Cohen detailed how Trump directed him to pay Stormy Daniels $130,000 for her silence late in the 2016 campaign and signed off on the plan to reimburse him. He added that Trump said the incident with Daniels “is going to be a disaster for the campaign.” The former president’s attorneys could get the chance to cross-examine Cohen today, and they're likely to paint him as a less-than-reliable witness.

What do you mean?

The defense is expected to hone in on Cohen’s credibility and could touch on his criminal record for the jury, potentially swinging the outcome of the trial. Cohen’s a convicted liar, disbarred lawyer, and several witnesses in the trial have questioned whether he can be trusted. Daniels’ lawyer described him as a “pants-on-fire kind of guy” and a jerk in testimony. Meanwhile, the trial could be entering its final stretch, with prosecutors saying they could rest their case by the end of the week.

theSkimm

Prosecutors are relying on key witnesses, like Stormy Daniels and Michael Cohen, to paint the clearest picture that Trump is guilty. It’ll soon be in the jury’s hands to decide whether the former president is convicted of falsifying business records.

What people are watching…

Louisiana. State lawmakers are on track to pass a measure next month that would classify mifepristone and misoprostol — the drugs used to end pregnancies — as controlled dangerous substances, similar to narcotics. If it passes, anyone caught with the drugs without a valid prescription or outside of a doctor’s office could face a fine of up to $5,000 or possible prison time. The measure is an amendment to a bill that would make it a crime to give a pregnant person abortion medication without her consent. Louisiana already bans abortions except in cases where the mother’s life is in danger or for “medically futile” pregnancies. More than 240 Louisiana doctors reportedly called out the amendment as “not scientifically based.”

What’s a little funny…

Meme stocks. GameStop shares surged more than 70% yesterday after Keith Gill, better known as “Roaring Kitty,” posted on X for the first time in three years. Gill helped inspire the 2021 meme stock frenzy that saw shares from struggling businesses, like GameStop and AMC, reach highs. That saga cost hedge funds billions of dollars, triggered a congressional hearing on brokers’ practices, and inspired the movie “Dumb Money.” AMC and Reddit also saw their shares increase yesterday.

Who’s stepping down…

Melinda French Gates. Yesterday, she announced plans to leave the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation next month, saying it’s time for “the next chapter” of her philanthropic work. French Gates co-founded the charitable organization with her now ex-husband Bill Gates. As part of an agreement with the foundation, she’ll receive $12.5 billion. French Gates plans to use the money to help women and families. 

While AI helped give someone their voice…

OpenAI unveiled GPT-4o. The new AI model, which will be free to all users, can process at least 50 languages and is two times faster than GPT-4 Turbo. It can also perceive a user’s emotion and doesn’t mind if you interrupt it.

What created the wrong type of buzz…

Bumble’s ads.

Who is trying his hand at something new…

George Clooney.

What people might be debating...

The state reigning as “most American.”

Who could have an extra pep in her step tonight...

Caitlin Clark.

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