{"id":49775,"date":"2024-05-13T21:34:09","date_gmt":"2024-05-13T21:34:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2024\/05\/13\/tuesday-briefing-the-prosecutions-star-witness-at-the-trump-trial\/"},"modified":"2024-05-13T21:34:09","modified_gmt":"2024-05-13T21:34:09","slug":"tuesday-briefing-the-prosecutions-star-witness-at-the-trump-trial","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2024\/05\/13\/tuesday-briefing-the-prosecutions-star-witness-at-the-trump-trial\/","title":{"rendered":"Tuesday Briefing: The Prosecution\u2019s Star Witness at the Trump Trial"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"text-align:center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1050\" height=\"550\" src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2024\/05\/14\/multimedia\/14ambriefing-asia-cohen2-qfwg\/14ambriefing-asia-cohen2-qfwg-facebookJumbo.jpg?fit=1050,550&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Tuesday Briefing: The Prosecution\u2019s Star Witness at the Trump Trial\" title=\"Tuesday Briefing: The Prosecution\u2019s Star Witness at the Trump Trial\" \/><\/div><p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<h2 class=\"css-9ycfei eoo0vm40\" id=\"link-3eadc30f\">Michael Cohen on the stand<\/h2>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Michael Cohen \u2014 the do-anything fixer who once boasted about burying Donald Trump\u2019s secrets and spreading his lies \u2014 <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/05\/13\/nyregion\/cohen-trump-hush-money-trial-testimony.html\" title=\"\">testified yesterday at Trump\u2019s criminal trial<\/a>. In a crucial passage, he said that the hush-money payment that he made to Stormy Daniels came at Trump\u2019s direction.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cHe expressed to me, \u2018Just do it,\u2019\u201d Cohen said on the stand, adding, \u201cI was doing everything and more to protect my boss.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\"><a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/live\/2024\/05\/13\/nyregion\/trump-trial-michael-cohen\" title=\"\">Here\u2019s the latest<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Cohen\u2019s testimony is key to efforts to tie Trump to allegations of a conspiracy to safeguard his presidential campaign in 2016 by burying Daniels\u2019s account of a 2006 sexual encounter. Cohen admitted to lying and bullying for Trump, buying and suppressing negative stories while acting the part of a \u201cthug.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Cohen, who still faces cross-examination from the defense, <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/05\/13\/us\/politics\/trump-trial-michael-cohen-testimony.html\" title=\"\">also ground down some key assertions<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Trump\u2019s lawyers argue that Trump was oblivious to his fixer\u2019s machinations; Cohen described his boss as a micromanager. Trump\u2019s team has also tried to paint its client as a family man deeply worried about how Daniels\u2019s accusations would harm his marriage. Cohen described Trump as callous, saying that it \u201cwas all about the campaign.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<h2 class=\"css-9ycfei eoo0vm40\" id=\"link-76476862\">A new Russian defense minister for a long war<\/h2>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">President Vladimir Putin\u2019s surprise pick to lead Russia\u2019s sprawling defense ministry made his first public appearance in his new role yesterday and spoke more about bureaucracy rather than the battlefield in Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The appointment of Andrei Belousov, a soft-spoken expert on economic policy, signaled that Putin <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/05\/13\/world\/europe\/russia-defense-minister-ukraine-belousov.html\" title=\"\">is focusing on subordinating Russia\u2019s economy<\/a> to its military needs in order to sustain a war of attrition with Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">In his remarks, Belousov did not reference the situation at the front, where Russian forces are mounting a new offensive in the northeast. He described his priorities as improving standards of care and living for soldiers, veterans and their families.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cIt\u2019s absolutely unacceptable\u201d that soldiers are redirected to overcrowded hospitals when on leave, Belousov said. \u201cThis issue needs to be resolved.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\"><strong class=\"css-8qgvsz ebyp5n10\">On the battlefield: <\/strong>A top Ukrainian general said its military was confronting <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/article\/russia-ukraine-kharkiv.html\" title=\"\">a \u201ccritical\u201d situation<\/a> in the northeast as it tries to repel the Russian offensive. Ukraine is increasingly <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/interactive\/2024\/05\/13\/world\/europe\/ukraine-missile-defenses.html\" title=\"\">failing to stop Russian missiles<\/a> as it awaits more weapons to bolster its air defenses.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"css-7ad88g e1mu4ftr0\"\/><\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<h2 class=\"css-9ycfei eoo0vm40\" id=\"link-79475be7\">How Hamas spied on Palestinians<\/h2>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar has for years overseen a secret police force in Gaza that conducted surveillance and built files on young people, journalists and those who questioned the government, according to intelligence officials and internal documents reviewed by The Times.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cSuper Size Me,\u201d a documentary released 20 years ago, led to a backlash against McDonald\u2019s, a symbol of the hegemony of American capitalism. But <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/05\/12\/dining\/super-size-me-mcdonalds-fast-food.html\" title=\"\">it didn\u2019t stick<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Not only is McDonald\u2019s now bigger than ever, with nearly 42,000 global locations, but fast food in general has boomed.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"css-1uuxri4 e1gnsphs0\" id=\"link-286d948a\"><span><strong class=\"css-8qgvsz ebyp5n10\">CONVERSATION STARTERS<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<h2 class=\"css-9ycfei eoo0vm40\" id=\"link-36fb7873\">What to look for at Cannes<\/h2>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The Cannes Film Festival begins today in the south of France. Kyle Buchanan, a Times culture reporter, wrote about <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/05\/13\/movies\/cannes-film-festival.html\" title=\"\">the movies, artists and events we\u2019ll be keeping an eye on<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Some 45 years after \u201cApocalypse Now\u201d won the Palme d\u2019Or, Francis Ford Coppola is back with \u201cMegalopolis,\u201d starring Adam Driver as a visionary architect determined to rebuild a city after a disaster. It\u2019s hard to imagine a friendlier place for the film\u2019s debut than Cannes, where Coppola is revered.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">But the biggest movie premiere will be \u201c<a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/05\/12\/movies\/anya-taylor-joy-furiosa.html\" title=\"\">Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.<\/a>\u201d Expect a major red-carpet moment from Anya Taylor-Joy, who takes over the title character originated by Charlize Theron.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Real-world controversies may bleed into the glitzy festival. The festival\u2019s workers might strike, frustrated by their contracts. And the French film industry is reckoning with #MeToo, with more accusations rumored to come during the festival.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"css-1uuxri4 e1gnsphs0\" id=\"link-705d9918\"><span><strong class=\"css-8qgvsz ebyp5n10\">RECOMMENDATIONS<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">P.S. \u201cThe Retrievals,\u201d a podcast from Serial Productions and The Times about deceit at a Yale fertility clinic, won a <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/peabodyawards.com\/award-profile\/the-retrievals\/\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Peabody Award<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\"><strong class=\"css-8qgvsz ebyp5n10\"><em class=\"css-2fg4z9 e1gzwzxm0\">That\u2019s it for today. See you tomorrow. \u2014 Amelia<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\"><em class=\"css-2fg4z9 e1gzwzxm0\">You can reach us at <\/em><a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/05\/13\/world\/asia\/mailto:briefing@nytimes.com?subject=Briefing%20Feedback\" title=\"\"><em class=\"css-2fg4z9 e1gzwzxm0\">briefing@nytimes.com<\/em><\/a><em class=\"css-2fg4z9 e1gzwzxm0\">.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/05\/13\/world\/asia\/trump-cohen-putin-shoigu-asia.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Michael Cohen on the stand Michael Cohen \u2014 the do-anything fixer who once boasted about burying Donald Trump\u2019s secrets and spreading his lies \u2014 testified yesterday at Trump\u2019s criminal trial. In a crucial passage, he said that the hush-money payment that he made to Stormy Daniels came at Trump\u2019s direction. \u201cHe expressed to me, \u2018Just [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":49776,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2024\/05\/14\/multimedia\/14ambriefing-asia-cohen2-qfwg\/14ambriefing-asia-cohen2-qfwg-facebookJumbo.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[235,30663,964,6230,52,6943,24622],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49775"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49775"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49775\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":49777,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49775\/revisions\/49777"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/49776"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49775"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49775"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49775"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}