Good morning, Her Campus! With a break-neck news cycle, there is no possible way for you to stay on top of every story that comes across your feeds—we’re all only human, after all.
But, life comes at you fast. So grab a cup of coffee and settle in for this quick and dirty guide to stories you might’ve been sleeping on (like, literally. It’s early.)
Trump Warns NY Gov. Cuomo: Anybody Who Runs Against Me “Suffers”
President Donald Trump dared New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to run against him in 2020, saying that “anybody that runs against Trump suffers.”
During a fundraiser in upstate New York on Monday, Trump remarked that Cuomo once called him and promised he would not run against him. According to the Associated Press, Gov. Cuomo’s office did not immediately dispute the claim.
Trump’s warning came as he was raising money for the re-election of Republican congresswoman Claudia Tenney.
A New York native, Trump spent most of the event criticizing his home state’s governor, as well as Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, who is also thought to have her eye on the White House.
Manafort Defense Team Rests Without Calling Witnesses
Attorneys for Paul Manafort, former Trump campaign chairman who is on trial for financial crimes, said they will not call forward more witnesses to present a defense.
“The defense rests,” Manafort’s lead attorney Kevin Downing said Tuesday in court.
“Mr. Manafort just rested his case, and he did so because he and his legal team believe that the government has not met its burden of proof,” Downing explained to reporters.
Prosecutors from special counsel Robert Mueller’s team rested their case on Monday after more than two weeks of testimony that Manafort hid millions of dollars in offshore accounts and failed to pay taxes on that money.
According to ABC News, Manafort faces life in prison if convicted on all 18 counts of financial charges. Manafort has plead not guilty to the charges.
With no more witnesses to be called, the jury is expected to begin deliberations after closing arguments on Wednesday.
Robert Mintz, a former federal prosecutor, said Manafort had “little to gain and a lot to lose” by taking the stand.
“The defense strategy from the outset has been to attack the credibility of Rick Gates and the government’s decision to bring him on as a cooperating witness. If Manafort were to testify it would give the government the chance to refocus the jury on Manafort,” Mintz said.
Avenatti Weighs 2020 Bid & Talks Policy
Michael Avenatti, lawyer for adult film star Stormy Daniels, talked about his policy views on Tuesday as he weighs a Democratic bid for the White House.
Following a visit to Iowa, Avenatti said he would release more information over time, but said “people want to know how I stand on the issues at 20,000 feet.”
via Chris Zoeller/Globe-Gazette, via Associated Press
In a new policy document, Avenatti said he supports “basic Medicare plan for all Americans,” with an option to purchase additional coverage, and also supported a path to citizenship for Dreamers, ABC News reports. Avenatti said he wants to see a national paid family leave program implemented.
Avenatti also said he believed marijuana should be decriminalized, assault weapons should be banned and the United States should rejoin the Paris climate accord.
The lawyer was more moderate on some issues than other potential 2020 Democratic presidential prospects, including his stance on ICE. “We should not eliminate ICE but we must change the way ICE carries out enforcement,” Avenatti said.
Avenatti, in the policy document, said he wants an economic plan that “delivers good quality jobs” and that college should be “more affordable for all Americans.” He promised an infrastructure plan called the “Real Deal.”
Regarding trade, he said America must “be aggressive in dealing with countries that have gamed the system – but smart about how we fight back to avoid inflicting unnecessary harm on American workers and farmers.” In addition, he said the United States must “negotiate denuclearization agreements with North Korea and Iran.”
Avenatti said he is studying the issues, consulting with experts and will release more information over time.
If Avenatti does decide to run for the White House, he pledged he will not take corporate PAC money.
What to look out for…
Ariana Grande and James Corden performed a “Titanic” musical, and I will never let go of this.