Closing arguments in Trump’s criminal trial
This is the first time a US president has been criminally charged, and the prosecution and defense made their final arguments to the jury yesterday. The following are real-time updates.
Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass said Donald Trump defrauded the American people by suppressing the record of a porn star who had sex with him in the run-up to the 2016 election. He said the $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels was part of the conspiracy and “was likely how Trump got elected president.”
As of press time, Steinglass had not yet finished his speech, spinning a big story about how Trump, with the help of his former aide Michael Cohen and the tabloid National Enquirer, tried to cover up negative news before the election. “This is blatant election fraud,” he said, “and it is further action in the conspiracy to promote Trump’s election through illegal means.”
Earlier in the day, Trump attorney Todd Branch spent hours attacking Cohen’s credibility, calling him a “GLOAT,” or “the biggest liar ever.”
Branch’s calculation was simple: If jurors didn’t believe Cohen, whom Branch once called “the literal embodiment of reasonable doubt,” that might constitute reasonable doubt, and thus prevent her client from being convicted.
As early as Wednesday, Judge Juan Mercan will brief jurors on the law before they begin deliberations. It could take anywhere from hours to weeks for the jury to reach a verdict. If convicted, Trump faces up to four years in prison.
Israel continues offensive against Rafah
The Israeli military said it continued its ground assault in the Rafah area yesterday despite international outrage over an airstrike on an Israeli refugee camp on Sunday that sparked a fire and killed at least 45 people. This is the latest news.
The Israeli military’s chief spokesman claimed that the bombs Israel used in the attack were too small to cause a fire of such scale.
Separately, Gaza officials said an attack on a displaced persons’ tent area in Al-Mawasi, a designated safe zone near Rafah, killed 21 people yesterday. The Israeli military said they were engaging in close combat in the area and denied launching any attacks in the area.
Displaced Palestinians fled parts of Rafah yesterday after residents said A night of heavy bombing.
assistance: Temporary terminal built by the United States to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza Disintegration in rough seas.
Crucial elections in South Africa
Thirty years ago, South Africans voted in the country’s first free and fair election. Today, as they head to the polls, the African National Congress could lose its absolute majority for the first time. Here’s what you need to know.
A new generation of voters who did not experience apartheid blamed the ANC for an economic downturn caused by unemployment, rampant crime and power outages. Turnout fell below 50% for the first time in 2021. We interviewed many young people across the country Those who are not going to participate in the election.
understand deeper: John Eligon, Johannesburg bureau chief of Time magazine Watching Nelson Mandela’s party decline.
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The Magician of Jeans
In the fashion world, Benjamin Talley Smith is The man behind the cowboyHis name is like a secret code, passed from one brand to another, from one designer to another.
The global jeans market is expected to reach $121.5 billion by 2030. There is hardly a brand that doesn’t dream of jeans, and Mr. Smith has worked between jeans giants and global luxury groups. Khaite’s Danielle jeans are named after his wife, Danielle Robinson.
My colleague Vanessa Friedman, chief fashion critic for The New York Times, says denim has a language of its own, filled with phrases like “beard,” “ghost patch,” “herringbone” and “magic triangle,” the latter referring to the sweet spot for a back pocket.
Get everything right, and it will “make your butt look really good,” Smith says.
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That’s it for today’s briefing. Thank you for taking the time to speak with us this morning, and see you tomorrow. –Justin
Correction: Yesterday’s newsletter incorrectly stated the date Jimmy Carter installed solar panels on the White House. It was in the 1970s, not 1970.
You can contact Justin and his team via the following methods: briefing@nytimes.com.
