Stormy Daniels took the stand in Donald Trump’s hush money trial. The White House halted a shipment of weapons to Israel, a senior Biden administration official said. And a fight over fluoride in water is picking up steam across the country.
Here’s what to know today.
Stormy Daniels testifies in Trump’s trial, and her credibility becomes a central focus
Adult film star Stormy Daniels took the witness stand yesterday in former President Donald Trump’s hush money trial, detailing how she met Trump, their sexual encounter and the $130,000 payment made in exchange for her silence during his 2016 presidential campaign. Her testimony — sometimes graphic, sometimes too detailed and sometimes delivered in a hurried tone — added a jolt of tabloid sensationalism to a trial that just a day earlier focused on corporate record-keeping and financial reimbursement practices.
Daniels said she first met Trump in 2006 at a celebrity golf tournament, when she was 27 and he was around 60. She was hesitant to accept a dinner invitation from him, she said, but she ultimately took the advice of her publicist at the time, who she recalled saying, in part: “What could possibly go wrong?” Daniels then detailed the moments she alleged Trump came on to her in a penthouse hotel suite. Read more about the testimony here.
During cross-examination, Trump’s attorneys tried to paint Daniels as a liar who is seeking more money and fame and who hates Trump.
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There is little doubt that Daniels was paid $130,000 in the days before the 2016 presidential election to keep quiet. But whether the jury believes her testimony or whether they think she is executing a personal vendetta will likely prove one of the most critical aspects of the proceedings.
Court isn’t in session today, so cross-examination of Daniels will resume tomorrow.
More on Trump’s trials:
- During Daniels’ testimony, state Judge Juan Merchan told Trump’s defense attorney to stop the former president from “cursing audibly.”
- Also on Day 13 of the trial: Merchan denied a motion from Trump’s team for mistrial, and excerpts from Trump’s books were read. Read more trial highlights here.
- Trump’s classified documents trial in Florida was indefinitely postponed, throwing into doubt whether it will be underway before the November election.
U.S. halted shipment of weapons to Israel over concerns of how they would be used
The United States halted a large shipment of offensive weapons to Israel last week in a sign of its growing concern over a possible military offensive on Rafah, senior administration officials told NBC News.
The decision comes as President Joe Biden pushes for Israel and Hamas to compromise and reach a cease-fire deal that would head off a large-scale assault on the city in southern Gaza, where more than a million Palestinians are sheltering in dire conditions.
The Israeli military said it had reopened a key border crossing today following pressure from Washington, and a day after its forces seized control of the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing — a move that fueled fears for aid supplies coming into the enclave, but which U.S. officials said was a limited operation and not the full-scale assault Biden has warned against.
Michigan tornadoes trap workers inside FedEx building
About 50 workers at a FedEx facility were trapped and a mobile home park wiped out after two tornadoes swept through Portage, about 142 miles west of Detroit, officials said. There were no reports of injuries or deaths as of last evening, Mayor Patricia M. Randall said.
First responders worked to clear live electrical wires that blocked the safe exit of dozens of workers trapped inside the massive FedEx facility, a Kalamazoo County spokesperson said. Rescue crews were searching for survivors and those in need of temporary housing after entire residences at the Pavilion Estates Mobile Home Park were destroyed.
There have been 19 reported tornadoes in at least seven states since Monday, and millions of people are expected to be in the risk area for severe storms in the coming days. Here’s what else we know.
The culture wars have a new target: Your teeth
A push to remove fluoride from public water systems in communities across the country is picking up steam among a growing group of critics, fueled by pandemic-related mistrust of government oversteps and misleading claims, experts say, that the mineral is harmful. Doctors are enraged and parents are caught in the middle. NBC News health reporter Erika Edwards explains how we got here and why this movement suddenly has teeth.
Why is the anti-fluoride movement happening now? The Covid pandemic has fueled groups skeptical of science and government oversteps, in their opinion.
Why are critics skeptical? One study suggested that pregnant women who ingest a lot of fluoride may have children with lower IQs. But no other study has been able to replicate that finding. In fact, no studies have been able to prove any negative health effects of fluoride.
So anti-fluoride groups have pivoted to a different tactic: consent.
What are the health benefits of fluoride? Bacteria in the mouth makes acid, which weakens teeth and leads to decay. Fluoride counters that process by reducing the amount of cavity-causing acids in saliva and strengthening enamel, the tooth’s protective outer layer.
Will the issue ever be resolved? Unclear. Some people opposed to fluoride in drinking water argue there’s never been a double-blinded, randomized, controlled clinical trial — the gold standard of scientific research.
However, scientists at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, will study infants under 6 months old in a trial to compare the effects of giving them water containing fluoride and water without fluoride. The study will compare the development of their teeth over four years. So it’ll be a while before there’s a clear answer.
Chinese electric vehicle company eyes U.S. competitors
Chinese automakers are eyeing U.S. competitors in an increasingly competitive market for electric vehicles as they look for new places for their lower-priced inventory. It’s forcing Western automakers to change their approach in the race to remain competitive in a growing industry, but experts say they’re struggling to catch up. Even Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that without trade barriers, Chinese EV makers would “demolish” their competitors.
America is “not ready,” Stella Li, chief executive of BYD Americas, said in an exclusive interview. BYD is China’s biggest rival to Tesla. The company sells an all-electric hatchback model that starts at less than $10,000. By contrast, EV makers in the U.S. have emphasized larger, more luxurious models targeted at wealthier buyers, though Musk has said Tesla would begin production of new affordable EV models by early next year.
Experts say that while the U.S. won’t be able to avoid competing with Chinese companies, a 27.5% import tax and the political fight over it are buying American automakers some time.
Politics in Brief
Biden’s battleground push: Biden’s campaign announced $14 million in new spending in battleground states that includes an ad campaign hitting Trump on his past efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
Indiana primary: Sen. Mike Braun won the Republican nomination for governor of Indiana after an endorsement from Trump, and Republican Rep. Victoria Spartz overcame multiple primary challengers as she seeks a third congressional term, in an early test of how support for Ukraine is affecting elections. Here’s what else happened in yesterday’s primary.
TikTok fights back: TikTok is suing the U.S. government in an effort to stop enforcement of a bill that seeks to force the app’s Chinese owner to sell it or have it banned.
The cost of climate change: Vermont lawmakers passed first-of-its-kind legislation to charge big fossil fuel companies for damage from weather disasters fueled by climate change.
Chuck Todd analysis: Voters don’t have to imagine what either a second Biden presidency or Trump presidency is going to look like. But for the last slice of people deciding which way to vote, a mea culpa might go a long way, NBC News chief political analyst Chuck Todd suggests.
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Staff Pick: From TV experiment to Europe's glitziest contest
As someone whose beat usually involves geopolitics and the war in Ukraine, I self-admittedly enjoyed the distraction of writing about the Eurovision Song Contest and what turned out to be its fascinating history. I have learned from historians and music academics that the first edition of Eurovision in 1956 looked nothing like the glitzy mega show that we know today. It was a big experiment in television technology as it was just making its way into people’s homes. I also learned about some of the world’s biggest stars who owe much of their popularity to Eurovision — think Celine Dion! But I also quickly felt being back on my beat because geopolitics has historically permeated the contest, with this year being no different. - Yuliya Talmazan, reporter
In Case You Missed It
- The remains of the sixth and final victim in the Baltimore bridge collapse were recovered.
- A California city declared a public health emergency in response to an outbreak of tuberculosis.
- Panera Bread is phasing out its controversial Charged Lemonade, a highly caffeinated beverage blamed for at least two deaths in lawsuits.
- An Indianapolis Star sports columnist will not be covering Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever after an awkward interaction.
- The Boy Scouts of America is changing its name for the first time in an effort to be more inclusive.
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