Just got back from 5-weeks absence (2-week circumnavigation of Ireland on its Back Country Roads, and 22-day cruise to Norway, Iceland, and Scotland). I managed to take a cursory glimpse of current events by the ship-board NY Times Digest, but I totally kept away from any cable news TV coverage, and details of trump-world. I awoke yesterday morning to news that Michael Cohen and Paul Manafort were in court to face "the music". Last night and this morning, the Symphony Orchestra of the Rule of Law opened with the first movement of the Downfall of Something Awful. You probably know more about what is going on than I do, and it is going to take me a bit of time to run up to speed. However, I must say that the world of travel and new countries is really a lot better way to live out my life rather than follow a sanitation truck all day long. I will probably tone down my future exuberance, and temper my frequency of opinions. However, the excitement and adrenaline I felt during Watergate and the downfall of Richard Nixon is unlikely to be contained. Also, next Tuesday, I am auditing a class at Pomona College (History 012 "Saints and Society" with Prof. Kenneth Wolf - Tu-Th 1315-11430) should be a treat and diversion from Something Awful.
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| Good morning. | ||||
| Here's what you need to know: | ||||
| A one-two punch for the president | ||||
| • President Trump was dealt double legal setbacks on Tuesday, as his former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, implicated him in a federal crime, and his former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, was found guilty of bank and tax fraud. Here's a quick look at what happened, and at what comes next. | ||||
| In pleading guilty to breaking campaign finance laws and other charges, Mr. Cohen told a judge in Manhattan that Mr. Trump had directed him to arrange payments to two women during the 2016 campaign, to keep them from speaking publicly about affairs they said they had with Mr. Trump. | ||||
| "I participated in this conduct, which on my part took place in Manhattan, for the principal purpose of influencing the election," Mr. Cohen said. Here's our full story about his day in court, as well as six takeaways from the guilty plea. | ||||
| • Mr. Cohen has implicated Mr. Trump in serious crimes, but the Justice Department has long said that sitting presidents are not subject to criminal prosecution. Prosecutors could take other actions, however, including presenting evidence to the House for impeachment proceedings. | ||||
| A Manafort verdict, and a win for Mueller | ||||
| • News from Alexandria, Va., on Tuesday was no better for President Trump: His former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, was convicted on eight of 18 fraud charges in a politically charged case that had riveted Washington. | ||||
| Mr. Manafort's trial didn't directly involve Robert Mueller's inquiry into Russian interference in the 2016 election. But it was the first test of the special counsel's ability to prosecute a federal case even as Mr. Trump continues to call the inquiry a "witch hunt." Read our article about the verdict, and five takeaways. | ||||
| In an appearance in West Virginia on Tuesday night, Mr. Trump sidestepped questions about Michael Cohen but defended Mr. Manafort as a "good man." | ||||
| • In a news analysis, a team of our White House correspondents writes: "A president who has labored under the cloud of investigations from almost the moment he took office, Mr. Trump now faces an increasingly grim legal and political landscape." | ||||
| "The Daily": Implicating the president | ||||
| • One former confidant entered a guilty plea. Another received a guilty verdict. Both events may have significant consequences for President Trump. | ||||
| Listen on a computer, an iOS device or an Android device. |
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Juan
Juan
"A society that has more justice is a society that needs less charity."
- Ralph Nader
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