Prosecutor says Trump tried ‘to hoodwink voters’ while defense attacks key witness in last arguments
NEW YORK (AP) — Attorneys in Donald Trump’s hush money trial have finished their closing arguments after a marathon day in court. A prosecutor told jurors that Trump engaged in a conspiracy “to hoodwink voters” in 2016. Meanwhile, a defense lawyer branded the star witness as the “greatest liar of all time” and pressed the jury for an across-the-board acquittal. The dueling accounts were wildly divergent in their assessments of witness credibility, Trump’s culpability and the strength of evidence. The arguments offered both sides one final chance to score points with the jury before it starts deliberating the first felony case against a former American president. Deliberations could begin Wednesday.
Israeli strikes kill at least 37 Palestinians, most in tents, near Gaza’s Rafah as offensive expands
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Renewed Israeli shelling and strikes have killed at least 37 people, most of them sheltering in tents, outside the southern Gaza city of Rafah. That’s according to witnesses, first responders and hospital officials. The bombardment overnight and into Tuesday pummeled the same area where Israeli strikes triggered a deadly fire in a camp for displaced Palestinians days earlier, killing 45 people. The tent camp inferno has drawn widespread international outrage over Israel’s expanding offensive into Rafah. The U.N. says more than a million people have fled the city in recent weeks. And in a sign of Israel’s growing isolation on the world stage, Spain, Norway and Ireland formally recognized a Palestinian state on Tuesday.
Democrats plan to nominate Biden by virtual roll call to meet Ohio ballot deadline
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will be formally nominated as the Democratic presidential nominee through a virtual roll call ahead of the party’s official convention in Chicago in August — a maneuver that will allow Biden to appear on the ballot in Ohio this November. The issue is because the Democratic National Convention, where the president would otherwise be formally nominated, comes after Ohio’s ballot deadline of Aug. 7. The party’s convention is scheduled for Aug. 19-22. Ohio lawmakers have moved the deadline in the past for candidates of both parties, although they had not done so yet for Biden this year.
Pope apologizes after being quoted using vulgar term about gay men in talk about ban on gay priests
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis has apologized after he was quoted using a vulgar term about gay men to reaffirm the Catholic Church’s ban on gay priests. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni issued a statement Tuesday acknowledging the media storm that erupted about Francis’ comments. They were delivered behind closed doors to Italian bishops on May 20.Italian media on Monday had quoted unnamed Italian bishops in reporting that Francis jokingly used the term “faggotness” while speaking in Italian during the encounter. He had used the term in reaffirming the Vatican’s ban on allowing gay men to enter seminaries and be ordained priests.
Judge denies request to restrict Trump statements about law enforcement in classified records case
WASHINGTON (AP) — The judge overseeing Donald Trump’s classified documents case in Florida has denied prosecutors’ request to bar the Republican former president from making public statements that could endanger law enforcement agents participating in the prosecution. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon says prosecutors didn’t give defense lawyers enough time to discuss the request before it was filed Friday evening. Cannon denied the request without prejudice Tuesday, meaning prosecutors could refile it. The request followed a distorted claim by Trump last week that FBI agents who searched his Mar-a-Lago estate in 2022 were “authorized to shoot” him. Prosecutors say Trump’s claim exposes law enforcement officers to the risk of threats and violence.
Transitional council in Haiti selects new prime minister for a country under siege by gangs
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — U.N. development specialist Garry Conille has been named Haiti’s new prime minister nearly a month after a coalition within a fractured transitional council had chosen someone else for the position. The long-awaited move announced Tuesday evening comes as gangs continue to terrorize the capital of Port-au-Prince, opening fire in once peaceful neighborhoods and using heavy machinery to demolish several police stations and prisons. In addition to choosing a new prime minister, the council also is responsible for selecting a new Cabinet and holding general elections by the end of next year.
Storms leave widespread outages across Texas, cleanup continues after deadly weekend across US
HOUSTON (AP) — Storms with damaging winds and baseball-sized hail have pummeled Texas again. The storms Tuesday left about 1 million businesses and homes without power as much of the U.S. recovered from severe weather, including tornadoes, that killed at least 24 people during the Memorial Day holiday weekend. A 16-year-old construction worker was killed in Texas Tuesday in the Houston suburb of Magnolia. Widespread outages were reported in north Texas, which includes Dallas and Fort Worth. PowerOutage.us says more than 300,000 customers in Dallas County alone lacked electricity Tuesday as the outages extended into rural east Texas. The site showed another 150,000 without power in Louisiana, Kentucky, Arkansas, West Virginia and Missouri.
Voter outreach groups targeted by new laws in several GOP-led states are struggling to do their work
WASHINGTON (AP) — Laws passed in several Republican-controlled states after the 2020 presidential election have criminalized much of the work done by voter outreach groups. Advocates are finding it difficult to adapt as they try to register and educate potential voters with just months to go before this year’s presidential election. In-person activities have been eliminated or severely cut back, and staffing has been reduced. Voting rights experts say it’s another tactic to strip access to the ballot box, especially for minority voters, who mostly benefit from third-party voter registration.
Spain, Norway and Ireland formally recognize a Palestinian state as EU rift with Israel widens
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Spain, Norway and Ireland have formally recognized a Palestinian state in a coordinated effort that adds more pressure on Israel to soften its devastating response to last year’s Hamas attack. Dozens of countries have recognized a Palestinian state. But none of the major Western powers has done so. Israel condemned Tuesday’s recognitions that will have no immediate impact on the war in Gaza. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz wrote on X that Sánchez’s government was “being complicit in inciting genocide against Jews and war crimes.”
Albert Ruddy, Oscar-winning producer of ‘The Godfather’ and ‘Million Dollar Baby,’ dies at 94
NEW YORK (AP) — “The Godfather” producer Albert S. Ruddy has died at 94. The Canadian-born producer and writer won Oscars for “The Godfather” and “Million Dollar Baby,” developed the raucous prison-sports comedy “The Longest Yard” and helped create the hit sitcom “Hogan’s Heroes.” A spokesperson says Ruddy died Saturday at the UCLA Medical Center. Ruddy produced more than 30 movies and was on hand for the very top and the very bottom. “The Godfather” and “Million Dollar Baby” were box office hits and winners of best picture Oscars. But Ruddy also helped give us “Cannonball Run II” and “Megaforce,” nominees for Golden Raspberry awards for worst movie of the year.
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