After hours of testimony by Stormy Daniels, lawyers for former President Donald Trump requested a mistrial. A teenager is looking to make history on the soccer field. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Friday, May 10, 2024.
Judge denies Trump’s request for mistrial after Daniels concludes testimony
Once again, the judge overseeing Donald Trump’s criminal case in New York shut down the former president’s legal team’s calls for a mistrial following more testimony from adult film star Stormy Daniels on Thursday, May 9. Trump’s lawyers argued that the prosecution’s questioning of Daniels over her alleged affair with the former president was irrelevant to the case.
The judge dismissed the motion, saying, “My concern is not just with protecting Ms. Daniels or a witness who has already testified. My concern is protecting the integrity of the proceedings as a whole.”
After two days on the stand and nearly seven hours, Daniels concluded her testimony, where she went into great detail about an alleged sexual encounter with the former president in 2006. Trump has denied the encounter took place.
Trump is charged with falsifying business records in connection to an alleged hush money payment his former lawyer Michael Cohen paid to Daniels before the 2016 presidential election. Trump has pleaded not guilty.
Trump’s attorneys also asked the judge to waive his gag order to allow him to respond to Daniels’ testimony. The judge denied that request too.
Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, spoke out against the judge outside the courtroom.
“This judge, what he did and what his ruling was, is a disgrace,” Trump said. “Everybody saw what happened today. He’s a corrupt judge and he’s totally conflicted. And I got to get back on the campaign trail. I’m not supposed to be here. We are so innocent. There’s never been anything like it.”
The trial continues Friday, May 10.
Cease-fire talks break down as Israel targets Rafah
Cease-fire talks between Israel, Hamas and mediators in Egypt have concluded, at least for now. Reports from the negotiations indicated some progress before talks broke down on Thursday, May 9.
CIA Director William Burns, along with Hamas and Israeli delegations, left Cairo Thursday, although one official clarified to The New York Times that this was a temporary pause. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller stated that finalizing a cease-fire proposal remains “incredibly difficult.”
With talks at a standstill, a senior Israeli official informed Reuters late Thursday night that Israel will proceed with its planned operation in Rafah. The Israeli military reportedly struck a home in Rafah, resulting in the death of a senior commander of a militant group and his family members.
The Israeli ambassador to the U.S. expressed concern that the Biden administration’s threat to withhold weapons for a major operation in Rafah sends “the wrong message” to Israel’s enemies in the region. In an interview on “The Dr. Phil Show” Thursday night, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed the rift with President Joe Biden.
“I’ve known Joe Biden for many years, 40 years and more,” said Netanyahu. “We often had our agreements, but we’ve had our disagreements. We’ve been able to overcome them. I hope we can overcome them now, but we will do what we have to do to protect our country, and that means protecting our future.”
Israel contends that Hamas militants are hiding in Rafah, necessitating an attack on the city to dismantle the terrorist group. U.S. spokesperson John Kirby asserted that “smashing into Rafah, in [the president’s] view, will not advance that objective.”
Federal appeals court rejects dismissal request in Hunter Biden’s gun case
A federal appeals court has denied Hunter Biden’s request to dismiss gun charges in Delaware, paving the way for his trial in June. A U.S. district judge had previously rejected a dismissal, leading to Biden’s appeal.
The president’s son argued that he shouldn’t go to trial, citing an immunity provision in a plea deal that ultimately fell apart and alleging that prosecutors are being vindictive and influenced by political pressure.
However, the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously ruled that criminal defendants cannot appeal before a final judgment is made.
Biden’s attorney plans to continue efforts to dismiss the case.
Biden is charged with three criminal counts related to his purchase of a handgun in 2018 while he was addicted to illegal drugs. He has pleaded not guilty.
If convicted, he faces a maximum 25-year sentence.
Senate passes sweeping FAA bill focused on safety, consumer protections
The Senate overwhelmingly passed a 5-year, $105 billion resolution to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration a day before the law was set to expire. The bipartisan bill aims to improve safety and customer service for air travelers.
Among other measures, the bill calls for hiring more air traffic controllers, faster refunds for canceled flights, and technology upgrades to avert close-call incidents on runways. The FAA says 3,600 employees would have been furloughed if the law expired.
The Senate also passed a one-week extension for the law’s expiration, with the House of Representatives expected to vote on the reauthorization bill next week.
TikTok to start labeling AI-generated content created outside app
TikTok is taking on misinformation by starting to label content on its platform created with artificial intelligence outside the social media app. The company announced Thursday, May 9, it will begin labeling the AI-generated videos and images with a digital watermark.
TikTok already labels AI-generated content made within its app for its more than one billion worldwide users. Tech companies Meta and Google have also said AI labels are coming to their services.
AI is not the only battle TikTok is facing these days.
The company earlier this week sued the United States to block a law that requires its Chinese parent company to divest the platform within nine months or face a ban.
14-year-old soccer player signs with Philadelphia Union
As many teenagers begin looking for summer jobs, a 14-year-old in Pennsylvania has found a full-time one — as a professional soccer player.
The Philadelphia Union announced on Thursday, May 9, that the team has signed 14-year-old Cavan Sullivan. Sullivan is joining his older brother Quinn on the team. ESPN reports that Sullivan’s deal with the club includes a clause that would send the soccer phenom to Manchester City of the English Premier League after he turns 18.
Sullivan becomes the fifth-youngest player to sign a first-team contract in Major League Soccer history. If he starts playing for the Union before July 29, he will officially be the youngest MLS player ever.
