Trump’s hush money defense in question as criminal trial nears close

BY ELLA LEE AND ZACH SCHONFELD

© Getty Images

Questions are flying about whether Donald Trump will put up a defense in his historic hush money criminal trial as the Manhattan district attorney’s office winds down its case-in-chief this week. 

The former president’s attorneys, it seems, don’t have any answers, including whether Trump plans to take the stand – something he’s suggested he’d like to do.

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Trump urges members to ‘be rebellious and vote’ after accepting NRA endorsement

BY FILIP TIMOTIJA

Former President Trump urged National Rifle Association (NRA) members to “be rebellious and vote” for him in the 2024 election, after accepting the endorsement from the gun rights advocacy group.

Trump pledged to thousands of attendees at NRA’s convention in Dallas that he will “stand strong for your rights and liberties,” claiming the Second Amendment is “under siege” while President Biden is in office.

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Trump demands drug test for Biden ahead of first debate

BY TARA SUTER

Former President Trump said he wants President Biden to be drug-tested before their first debate.

“I’m gonna demand a drug test too, by the way,” Trump said at the Minnesota Republican Party’s Lincoln Reagan Dinner Friday. “I am, no I really am. I don’t want him coming in like the State of the Union, he was high as a kite.”

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Biden’s Morehouse speech exposes his 2024 political problems

BY JULIA MUELLER AND BRETT SAMUELS

President Biden will set foot on a college campus Sunday for the first time since universities around the country became hotbeds for protests over the Israel-Hamas war.

Biden is delivering a commencement speech at Morehouse College, an historically Black college in Atlanta, a move that roiled students and faculty of the school and whose president said he would end the ceremony before letting police intervene to stop any potentially disruptive behavior.

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Why Biden's China tariffs could hurt his climate agenda

BY RACHEL FRAZIN AND TOBIAS BURNS

As President Biden strives to prove his pro-manufacturing and anti-China credentials ahead of his likely election rematch with former President Trump, his far-reaching climate agenda could pay a price. 

Biden this past week hiked tariffs on electric vehicles, solar panels and battery technologies — key tools for fighting global warming that all have significant ties to China. 

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Five things to know about Biden’s controversial retirement rule 

BY JULIA SHAPERO

The Biden administration finalized a rule cracking down on retirement advice last month that one Democrat and Republicans are already pushing to overturn.

Here’s what you need to know about the Retirement Security Rule.

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Arizona attorney general confirms Rudy Guiliani served indictment after taunting prosecutors

BY LAUREN IRWIN

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes (D) confirmed via social media that former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani had been served in the state’s 2020 election case against him.

“The final defendant was served moments ago. @RudyGiuliani nobody is above the law,” Mayes posted on social media platform X.

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Frustration with Netanyahu boils over on plans for Gaza after Hamas

BY LAURA KELLY

Frustration is growing in Israel with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of the war against Hamas and his growing split with President Biden, raising fears that the public tensions could invite increased attacks from Iran and its proxies across the region. 

Israeli Defense Minister Yovav Gallant is the most senior official to call out his premier, demanding that Netanyahu decide on a day-after plan for the Gaza Strip after defeating Hamas.

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Did colleges give away the store in deals with student protesters?

BY LEXI LONAS 

Colleges that used police force to end their recent on-campus student protests are facing criticism for their handling of the situation, but so are the small handful that cut deals to end the demonstrations. 

The few universities that successfully negotiated to end the pro-Palestinian encampments — among them Northwestern, Brown, Rutgers and Johns Hopkins — made concessions that are proving controversial, particularly complete amnesty or more favorable disciplinary proceedings for protesters who have broken campus rules. 

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Marijuana rescheduling moves businesses into ‘uncharted territory’

BY JOSEPH CHOI

Marijuana business owners hoping to benefit from the Biden administration’s move to reschedule the drug may be in for disappointment, according to experts. 

The administration announced plans Thursday to move forward with a rule that would reschedule marijuana to Schedule III from Schedule I under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). 

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Higher education is failing — and our democracy is suffering 

BY MARGEE ENSIGN

OPINION | This commencement season, on some college campuses’ anti-war protestors are finding resolution with administrators, while on other campuses, things remain contentious. The student protest movement is not a monolith. It’s complex and may look different in different places — and depending on one’s viewpoint.

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Democrats can still jettison Biden as an ‘August Surprise’

BY DOUGLAS MACKINNON

OPINION | At a certain point, none of this makes sense. “This” being President Joe Biden officially becoming the Democratic nominee for president come the convention in August. The number of Democrats who are honestly thrilled by that eventuality would not fill a Mini Cooper.

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The Washington Post: As Trump’s trial nears its end, Judge Merchan faces critical decisions

BY TOM JACKMAN

The veteran New York Supreme Court justice so far has stayed calm amid tense courtroom battles and public attacks by Donald Trump and his allies.

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The New York Times: ‘We’ll see you at your house:’ How fear and menace are transforming politics

BY DANNY HAKIM, KEN BENSINGER AND EILEEN SULLIVAN

Public officials from Congress to City Hall are now regularly subjected to threats of violence. It’s changing how they do their jobs.

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Reuters: Saudi crown prince, US national security adviser meet on bilateral deal

BY REUTERS

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan met to discuss an almost 'finalized' draft of a deal between Washington and Riyadh, the Saudi state news agency reported on Sunday.

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The Associated Press: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange facing pivotal moment in long fight to stay out of US court

BY BRIAN MELLEY

The host of a news conference about WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s extradition fight wryly welcomed journalists last week to the “millionth” press briefing on his court case.

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