Good Monday afternoon. The prosecution has rested in Donald Trump’s hush money trial after another day of dramatic testimony from Michael Cohen, Iran’s president has been confirmed dead in a helicopter crash, and the International Criminal Court is seeking arrest warrants for the leaders of Israel and Hamas. Here is what’s in our Nightly Rundown. |
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Prosecution rests in Trump trial, defense calls first witness |
The prosecution has rested in former President Donald Trump’s hush money trial, after several days of testimony from Michael Cohen, the star witness against his former boss. Cohen admitted under cross-examination today that he stole from the Trump Organization, pocketing $30,000 the company had given him to pay to a tech firm that had done some contracted work. “You did steal from the Trump Organization, correct?” Trump’s lawyer Todd Blanche asked Cohen. “Yes, sir,” Cohen replied. Cohen said he was “angry” that his annual bonus had been reduced, and that taking the money “just felt like it was self-help.” Trump is accused of falsifying business records to hide a hush money payment Cohen made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in the latter days of the 2016 campaign, to keep quiet about her alleged sexual encounter with Trump. Trump has denied the affair and the charges. After the prosecution rested, the defense called its first witness, a paralegal with Trump's attorney's office, who testified about a summary chart of phone calls. It's unclear whether Trump himself will testify. The judge said today both sides should expect to give closing arguments next Tuesday, after the Memorial Day holiday. |
Iran’s president confirmed dead in helicopter crash |
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, a hardliner who was viewed as a successor to the country’s supreme leader, has been confirmed dead in a helicopter crash, state media reported. Iran’s foreign minister and seven others were also on board the helicopter, when it went down in foggy conditions in a remote mountain region in the northwestern part of the country, according to state media and Iranian officials. The crash comes at a time of heightened tensions across the Middle East, though Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Sunday that he he’d been told by intelligence officials there was “no evidence of foul play.” Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has named First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber as interim president. |
ICC seeking arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Hamas leader |
The International Criminal Court announced it is seeking to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip and Israel. ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim A.A. Khan said in a statement that he was also “filing applications for the warrants of arrests” for other senior Israeli and Palestinian leaders, over actions during the seven-month-long war. Netanyahu said the move is a “disgrace,” and called it an attack on Israel and its military. President Joe Biden condemned the arrest warrant request for Israeli leaders as “outrageous” and said “there is no equivalence — none — between Israel and Hamas,” in a statement. Neither the U.S. nor Israel are members of the ICC, and they do not recognize its jurisdiction. |
Multiday severe weather threat across central U.S. |
A developing storm across the Plains and Midwest will bring rounds of severe weather to the central U.S. through tomorrow, after powerful storms unleashed tornadoes, winds up to 100 mph, and large hail. Today 16 million people are under severe threat across the Central Plains and parts of the Midwest, for storms that may produce damaging wind gusts, hail and a few tornadoes. Tomorrow, 43 million people from Oklahoma through Michigan could face severe storms. Temperatures are also well above average across the central and eastern U.S., with highs 5 to 15 degrees above average from Texas to Maine through at least Wednesday. The sweltering heat comes as residents in the Houston area are cleaning up after last week’s deadly storms. More than 200,000 homes and business remain without power in Texas following the violent weather. |
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What else we're watching: |
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The massive cargo ship that collided with and collapsed Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge nearly 8 weeks ago was finally removed from the site today and taken to shore with the help of tugboats. |
Sean “Diddy” Combs issued an apology after video appeared to show him beating his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in 2016. “My behavior on that video is inexcusable. I take full responsibility for my actions,” he said in a video statement. |
A house explosion killed four people in rural Missouri, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said. |
Ivan Boesky, a central figure in one of Wall Street’s biggest insider trading scandals, has died at age 87, according to reports. |
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Watch us this evening at 6:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. CT on NBC, or check your local NBC station listing. After the broadcast, access Nightly News video on NBCNightlyNews.com or the NBC News app. |
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