Tornadoes in Iowa and what's next in Trump's trial: Morning Rundown
An NBC News reporter who attended Trump's hush money trial lays out what to expect from closing arguments. Devastating tornadoes in Iowa left several dead. And a new study finds teens who use cannabis are more likely to develop a psychotic disorder.
Here’s what to know today.
The defense has rested in Trump’s hush money case. Here’s what to expect from the closing arguments.
Former President Donald Trump’s legal team rested its case in his hush money trial. Yesterday’s testimony from defense witness Robert Costello, a lawyer who has clashed with Trump’s former fixer Michael Cohen, included a heated back and forth with prosecutor Susan Hoffinger over emails Costello sent to Cohen and about him. Notably, Trump wasn’t called to testify in his own defense.
Former President Donald Trump’s legal team rested its case in his hush money trial. Yesterday’s testimony from defense witness Robert Costello, a lawyer who has clashed with Trump’s former fixer Michael Cohen, included a heated back and forth with prosecutor Susan Hoffinger over emails Costello sent to Cohen and about him. Notably, Trump wasn’t called to testify in his own defense.
NBC News White House reporter Katherine Doyle watched the case unfold in the courtroom for more than a month. She looks back at the biggest moments of the trial and what to expect for the closing arguments next week.
1. What are the main tasks for prosecutors in the closing arguments? The government will be looking to persuade the jury that Trump’s intention to conceal another crime — not that the crime necessarily occurred — is enough to convict him in the case. It is a complex argument that elevates to a felony what would otherwise be a misdemeanor. Prosecutors will also need to explain what it means to falsify business records and overcome any questions about whom the company defrauded. Trump is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records, which he denies.
2. Where do you expect the defense to take its closing arguments? Trump’s lawyers will work to portray Cohen, the government’s star witness, as an embittered and untrustworthy liar. This may extend to testimony that data on Cohen’s phone was destroyed, which the defense used to sow distrust around the handling of certain evidence. The defense may argue that nondisclosure agreements and hush money payments are not inherently illegal. They are also expected to raise questions about Trump’s culpability — that while he may have signed the check to Cohen, he didn’t create it and shouldn’t be held criminally accountable.
3. What were big trial moments that might stick with jurors heading into deliberations? Jurors are likely to remember the fireworks when Costello so frustrated Judge Juan Merchan that he cleared the courtroom to excoriate him outside the view of the press. Costello was brought in to pierce Cohen’s credibility, but his own credibility took a major hit after his words were used against him.
Another big moment was when Trump’s former close aide, Hope Hicks, broke down in tears on the stand. She shared deep concerns about the “Access Hollywood” tape during Trump’s 2016 campaign, which prosecutors said drove the decision to silence Stormy Daniels. The jury hung on every word as she offered detailed observations about Trump’s relationships with his inner circle.
Closing arguments in the trial are scheduled for Tuesday, and jury deliberations are slated to begin Wednesday. Read more about the final day of testimony here.
More Donald Trump news:
The judge who oversaw the investigation into Trump’s retention of classified records questioned how the former president could not have noticed that he had ''classified marked'' documents in his bedroom.
Congressional allies of Trump appeared to misconstrue standard FBI policies with what they called an assassination attempt on the former president during a search of his Mar-a-Lago property.
Multiple deaths reported after tornado hits Iowa town
Iowa officials said there were “confirmed fatalities,” and at least a dozen people were transported to hospitals after a tornado hit Greenfield, a town about 40 miles southwest of Des Moines. “This tornado has devastated a good portion of this town and the community,” Iowa State Police Sgt. Alex Dinkla said last evening.
There were 20 reports of tornadoes in Iowa on Tuesday, as well as one in Wisconsin, according to the National Weather Service. Damaging hail was also reported across Iowa, Nebraska and Wisconsin. Today, an estimated 38 million people will be at risk of storms from Texas to upstate New York. Here’s what else we know.
3 U.S. allies recognize Palestinian state, dealing latest diplomatic blow to increasingly isolated Israel
Norway, Ireland and Spain announced today that they will formally recognize a Palestinian state, dealing the latest diplomatic blow to Israel.
Israel ordered its ambassadors from Ireland and Norway to immediately return and said it would do the same for Spain. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said that the recognition could impede efforts to return its hostages being held in Gaza and makes a cease-fire less likely by “rewarding the jihadists of Hamas and Iran.”
The recognition comes after the International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor announced he would be seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, along with Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and others.
President Joe Biden has said his administration is working to “finally get a two-state solution,” which he has said is “the only solution.” But the U.S. does not formally recognize a Palestinian state.
Teen cannabis use linked to higher risk of psychotic disorders, study finds
Teenagers who used cannabis had an 11 times higher risk of developing psychotic disorders compared to teens who did not use the drug, a new study found. The paper from researchers at the University of Toronto adds to a growing body of research that links cannabis to an increased risk of psychotic disorders, particularly in adolescence. Those disorders include schizophrenia, anxiety and depression.
When researchers limited their analysis to just emergency room visits and hospitalizations, the increased risk was more apparent, with a 27-fold increase in psychotic disorders in teens who had used the drug. While the study does not directly prove that marijuana is causing psychotic disorders, it’s “just hard to believe that it’s not related to cannabis,” one doctor said. Read more about the findings here.
Man fined for trying to 'body slam' a killer whale
A New Zealand man has been fined over a social media video in which he tries to “body slam” an orca swimming next to his boat, in what officials called “stupid” and “extremely irresponsible” behavior.
In the video, the 50-year-old Auckland man, whom authorities did not name, jumped off the boat into the waters off the coast of the Auckland suburb of Devonport, where an adult male orca and its calf were swimming nearby.
The man yells “I touched it” to the other people on the boat and then asks “Did you get that?” in an apparent reference to whether his encounter with the orca was successfully filmed. He then tries to touch the animal again. Other people aboard the vessel can be heard laughing and cheering in the background.
Politics in Brief
Election results: GOP California Assemblyman Vince Fong won the special election to fill former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s seat. And here’s who won key races in Georgia, Oregon, Kentucky and Idaho.
Abortion rights: In a nationwide first, Louisiana lawmakers approved a bill that would add two medications commonly used to induce an abortion to the state’s list of controlled dangerous substances.
Student debt: Biden announced a new round of federal student debt forgiveness to 160,000 borrowers. Here’s who qualifies.
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Staff Pick: ‘Cowboy core’ is having a moment
The Bey Bump is real and it’s coming for country culture. Since Beyoncé released her noncountry country album in late March, sales of Western-themed apparel saw a healthy uptick. And the Black women selling satin-lined cowboy hats and sunflower Western boots have seen a bump in revenue. This small cohort, like Beyoncé, is using the moment to prove that the genre and lifestyle can be more inclusive than it had been in the past.— Michelle Garcia, NBC BLK editorial director
Select: Online Shopping, Simplified
With Father’s Day just a few weeks away, our editors rounded up gifts for all kinds of dads. Need a few more gift ideas or want to shop for yourself? REI’s biggest sale of the year is happening through Monday, with discounts on big brand fitness and tech essentials, cycling gear and more. Or check out the best travel mugs on Amazon.
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