Politics

Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast / GettyOn Monday—the first day of substance in the criminal trial of former President Donald Trump for alleged election interference—a few important aspects of the case started to come into focus.Reading the tea leaves, the “You Can’t Trust Michael Cohen” approach probably isn’t going to cut it, and the defense will likely have to scramble to come up with at least a backup strategy to prevent a conviction. Trump’s defense team is currently on a losing streak in a run of attempted procedural maneuvers designed to stymie the prosecution.How has Trump’s team fared, specifically, in its efforts to throw whatever roadblocks it could to try to impede this case?Read more at The Daily Beast.

David Dee Delgado/Getty ImagesA Jewish Israeli professor at Columbia found his access to campus denied on Monday morning as he attempted to join a planned counter protest, exacerbating tensions over competing pro-Israel and Palestine demonstrations even as the university tries to keep the pressure from spilling over.Video of the incident shows Prof. Shai Davidai, who organized the counter-protest in support of Israel, attempting to access campus only to find his ID card deactivated.“I am a professor here, I have every right to be everywhere on campus. You cannot let people that support Hamas on campus, and me, a professor, not go on campus,” he says in the video, addressing Columbia’s Chief Operating Officer Cas Holloway.Read more at The Daily Beast.

Victor J. Blue-Pool/Getty ImagesDonald Trump just can’t help himself.New York State Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan handed down a gag order last month—which he expanded last week—barring the former president from badmouthing or threatening jurors, potential witnesses, attorneys, court staff, or their family members, due to Trump’s penchant for making “threatening, inflammatory, [or] denigrating” statements about those who dare cross him.Still, the 45th commander-in-chief—now facing 34 felony charges for falsifying business records related to, among other things, a $130,000 payoff to porn star Stormy Daniels to shut her up in the days leading to the 2016 presidential election about a one-night stand she says they had—was unable to hold back on Monday.Read more at The Daily Beast.

Jane Rosenberg/ReutersFormer National Enquirer boss David Pecker may have once modeled his management style on Donald Trump, but on Monday, he locked his gaze firmly away from the former president as he testified against him in Manhattan Criminal Court.Trump, on the other hand, stared a hole right through his old pal during his time on the stand, which ended abruptly in less than 30 minutes due to a juror’s dental emergency.The 72-year-old publishing magnate on Monday became the first-ever witness to appear in a criminal trial over alleged crimes involving a former U.S. president. He told the jury, in response to questioning by the defense, that he was there thanks to a subpoena requiring him to appear. Prosecutors say Pecker, who is not formally charged with any wrongdoing, was part of a conspiracy cooked up by Trump and his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, to deep-six any unflattering news about the then-presidential candidate so as not to harm his chances of winning the 2016 election that put him in the Oval Office.Read more at The Daily Beast.

Charles Sykes/Getty ImagesRebel Wilson claims a low-ranking member of the British royal family invited her to get down and dirty in a sex-and-drugs-filled, medieval-themed romp hosted by an unnamed U.S. tech billionaire.In her memoir Rebel Rising—in which she’s already dropped bombshell accusations against Sacha Baron Cohen and a number of other parties—the 44-year-old comedian recalled her unexpected invite to the lavish party by the mystery royal, whom she never names.“I got thrown a last-minute invite to a tech billionaire’s party – the guy who invited me, who’s like fifteenth or twentieth in line to the British throne, had said to my male friend, ‘We need more girls,’” she wrote.Read more at The Daily Beast.

Scouted/The Daily Beast/Marina Demidova/iStock.Scouted selects products independently. If you purchase something from our posts, we may earn a small commission.Uncork the bubbly and draw an excessively sudsy bath, because we’ve officially made it to Taurus season. This year, the zodiac’s most indulgent earth sign will reign from April 19 to May 20, and remind us all to celebrate life’s creature comforts by sleeping in, eating out, and finally smashing the order button on a luxurious linen duvet cover.If there’s a Taurus or two in your life, congratulations. Not only do you have a stalwart friend and epicurean by your side, but you have the very sick task of finding the perfect birthday present for one of the most gift-able zodiac signs. Sure, Taurus has earned the reputation of being a human Snorlax, which is totally fair, but there’s an intensity and drive behind the impeccable taste of this sign, repped by the bull, that also makes them a ride-or-die partner. In the words of our favorite Taurus diva, Cher, “I’m very chill, I’m really sweet, and if you fuck with me, I’ll mop the floor with you.”Read more at The Daily Beast.