Trump's lawyers grill ex-tabloid publisher in first week of hush money trial
NEW YORK — Defense lawyers in Donald Trump’s hush money criminal trial are seeking to dig into a former tabloid publisher’s accounts of how he worked to protect the Republican’s 2016 presidential campaign. David Pecker returned to the witness stand for the fourth day as defense attorneys try to poke holes in the testimony of the former National Enquirer publisher. The prosecution's first witness has described helping bury embarrassing stories Trump feared would hurt his campaign. Trump denies any wrongdoing. Before entering the courtroom on Friday, he told reporters he believes Thursday went “very well” for the defense, adding that “the case should be over.”
Egypt sends delegation to Israel in effort to broker cease-fire between Israel, Hamas
CAIRO — Egypt has sent a high-level delegation to Israel with the hope of brokering a cease-fire agreement with Hamas in Gaza. At the same time, Egypt warned that a possible Israeli offensive focused on the southern city of Rafah on the border with Egypt could have catastrophic consequences to regional stability. As the war drags on and casualties mount, there is growing international pressure for Hamas and Israel to reach an agreement on a cease fire. Friday’s cease-fire talks were to focus on a limited exchange of hostages held by Hamas for Palestinian prisoners, and the return of a significant number of displaced Palestinians to northern Gaza.
Dozens of deaths reveal risks of injecting sedatives into people restrained by police
An investigation led by The Associated Press has found that the practice of giving sedatives to people detained by police has spread quietly across the nation over the last 15 years, built on questionable science and backed by police-aligned experts. The injections are given by medical personnel during police encounters. The investigation shows how a strategy intended to reduce violence and save lives has resulted in some avoidable deaths. While sedatives were mentioned as a cause or contributing factor in a dozen official death rulings, authorities often didn’t even investigate whether injections were appropriate in the 94 deaths identified by the AP over a decade. About half of the 94 who died were Black.
Some universities negotiate with pro-Palestinian protestors, others call police
NEW YORK — Students protesting the Israel-Hamas war are digging in at Columbia University for a 10th day, part of a number of demonstrations roiling campuses from California to Massachusetts. Hundreds have been arrested across the nation, sometimes amid scuffles with police. In New York, Columbia is negotiating with student protesters who have rebuffed police and doubled down. Other schools have been quick to call law enforcement to douse demonstrations before they can take hold. Columbia officials have said they will seek other options if the negotiations with protesters fail.
Advocates stress Weinstein reversal doesn’t derail #MeToo reckoning
NEW YORK — Harvey Weinstein's accusers and their advocates were shocked and angered by an appellate court’s decision to overturn the ex-movie mogul’s 2020 rape conviction. But #MeToo advocates also sought to send a clear message that the movement has not been derailed. Tarana Burke, who coined the phrase “Me too” in 2006, and Anita Hill, who testified against Clarence Thomas in 1991, both urged a long view, saying no single legal ruling can reverse the tremendous cultural progress made in the last six years. The appeals court overturned the conviction in a 4-3 vote, finding the trial judge unfairly allowed testimony based on allegations that were not part of the case.
Blinken meets with Xi as U.S., China spar over bilateral and global issues
BEIJING — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and senior Chinese officials in Beijing. He warned of the dangers of misunderstandings and miscalculations as the United States and China butted heads over a number of contentious bilateral, regional and global issues. Blinken said the U.S. and China are seeking to deepen cooperation where interests align, but the U.S. is “clear-eyed” about their competing visions for the future. He said he raised concerns with Xi about China’s support for Russia and its invasion of Ukraine, as well as other issues including Taiwan and the South China Sea. Talks between the two sides have increased in recent months, even as differences have grown.
USDA tells producers to reduce salmonella in certain frozen chicken products
U.S. poultry producers will have to reduce salmonella bacteria in certain chicken products to very low levels to prevent food poisoning. That's according to a new rule from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The rule says salmonella is a contaminant in frozen breaded and stuffed raw chicken products — like frozen chicken cordon bleu or chicken Kiev that appears to be fully cooked but isn't. Those products have been linked to more than 200 illnesses since 1998. The rule is a first step to curb salmonella poisoning, which causes more than 1.3 million infections each year.
