The Words That Defined the Week in Donald J. Trump’s Trial
The New York Times
The criminal trial was dominated by testimony from Michael D. Cohen, the defendant’s former personal lawyer, and Stormy Daniels, a porn star who took hush money.
In the past week of testimony in Donald J. Trump’s criminal trial, prosecutors were tying their case together, with two of the most important witnesses — a porn star and Mr. Trump’s one-time fixer — testifying just days apart.
Michael D. Cohen, Mr. Trump’s former personal lawyer and fixer, testified for over nine hours, saying the payment at the heart of the case, $130,000 to silence the porn star’s story of a sexual encounter with Mr. Trump, came at the orders of the former president and to the benefit of his 2016 campaign. Defense attorneys painted Mr. Cohen as a serial liar bent on exacting revenge against his former boss.
Mr. Trump’s attorneys grilled the porn star, Stormy Daniels, about her credibility, poking holes in her recollection of an assignation she said occurred in 2006.
The first American president to face prosecution, Mr. Trump is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records in order to mask reimbursements to Mr. Cohen, who made the payment, in what prosecutors say was an effort to cover up the scandal. Mr. Trump has denied having sex with Ms. Daniels or having any knowledge of the payment scheme. If convicted, he could face probation or as long as four years in prison.
Here are the most memorable things said in court over the past seven days:
Ms. Daniels was shaky at times during her testimony last week, speaking quickly as she described threats she received to silence her story of a sexual encounter with Mr. Trump at a golf tournament in Lake Tahoe, Nev.
The Constitution sets a two-term limit for presidents. Still, Donald J. Trump has repeatedly floated the idea that he might like to stay in the White House beyond his next term.
In other testimony, law enforcement witnesses placed the suspect, José Ibarra, at the scene of Ms. Riley’s killing, mainly through cellphone and GPS tracking data.
The warning, which extends beyond the city to include 10 other counties in New York state, was announced as wildfires burned and residents continued to await meaningful rainfall.
A new curriculum would focus on Christianity more than other religions. A kindergarten lesson on the Golden Rule, for example, would teach about Jesus and his Sermon on the Mount.
A suspect was arrested Monday morning in connection with the stabbings, which occurred across a broad swath of the borough over several hours and left a third person critically injured.
The 99-year-old house on Boston’s North Shore is battered and uninhabited. And yet, it is beloved by artists and locals — so much that they helped pause its demolition.
Slashing the original $15 toll raises questions about whether a smaller revenue stream could delay projects or lead to higher costs for New York’s public transit agency.
The group’s actions in Columbus on Saturday, part of a recent pattern of white supremacist incidents in the country, were condemned by officials around the state.
As a Senate recount plays out, at least four counties are ignoring an order from the State Supreme Court that undated or misdated mail ballots cannot be counted.
The voluntary evacuation plan was put in place in areas affected by the Jennings Creek wildfire. Officials encouraged residents of 165 homes to move out temporarily.
In a court filing, the judge said the conviction of Melissa Lucio, whose scheduled execution in 2022 was halted, should be overturned. The state’s highest criminal court will now decide.