May 8 top stories
Hello, it is May 8. Here are today’s top stories.
Stormy Daniels’ testimony at Donald Trump’s trial
Multiple sources reported that Stormy Daniels took the witness stand on Tuesday at former President Trump’s criminal trial and described in lurid detail her alleged 2006 sexual encounter with Trump.
Trump has pleaded not guilty to Manhattan prosecutors’ charges that he falsified business records to cover up his former lawyer’s $130,000 payment to Daniels for her silence before the 2016 election.
Daniels appeared to testify confidently and at ease for the jury. She described the alleged encounter as consensual but uncomfortable and said there was an imbalance of power for sure but she was not verbally or physically threatened.
Her account of the sexual encounter got so detailed that Trump’s lawyers asked Judge Merchan to declare a mistrial, arguing such details served only to inflame the jury. Merchan denied the mistrial request, but urged prosecutors to dial it down.
Daniels testified that she agreed to be interviewed about the sexual encounter with a magazine in 2011 because it had offered her money. But later that year, she was threatened by a man in a Las Vegas parking lot to stay quiet about Trump then she had her lawyer ask the story to be taken down.
Daniels said she decided to tell her story to protect herself when Trump launched his campaign in 2015.
Trump’s defense questioned Daniels’ motives and asked her if she wanted Trump to go to jail. Daniels responded: “If he is found guilty, absolutely.”
Merchan ordered Trump’s defense to speak to his client about his “contemptuous” behavior during Stormy Daniels’ testimony because the judge said Trump was cursing audibly and shaking his head visually.
Panera to discontinue caffeinated ‘Charged Sips’ after lawsuits
Panera Bread said it is discontinuing its Charged Sips drinks that were tied to at least two wrongful death lawsuits due to their high caffeine content.
Panera did not say Tuesday whether the drinks were being discontinued because of the lawsuits or health concerns, and it would not comment on the timeline for removing them from stores. Panera said it is introducing new low-sugar and low-caffeine drinks after listening to customers’ suggestions.
Panera introduced Charged Sips in the spring of 2022. The fruit-flavored beverages contain between 155 milligrams and 302 milligrams of caffeine. According to the FDA, the typical cup of 8-ounce coffee contains 95 milligrams of caffeine while a 16-ounce can of Monster Energy contains 160 milligrams.
Panera’s online menu now includes the language, “Consume in moderation. Not recommended for children, people sensitive to caffeine, pregnant or nursing women.” It is not clear when that was added.
2 young siblings dead after being swept away by river in California
A mother and her two children, a 4-year-old girl and a 2-year-old boy, were playing near Mill Creek in San Bernardino County, California, Tuesday afternoon.
Police said the mother was attending to her son when her daughter was swept downstream by “rapid” waters. As the mother tried to look for her, the 2-year-old boy also disappeared and was assumed to have been taken down the river as well.
The mother sought help from another family at the picnic area but was not able to find her children.
Local authorities assisted in searching for the children at approximately 4:00 p.m. local time and roughly an hour later, they discovered the bodies of the young siblings.
Both children were taken to the hospital to be evaluated, but after extensive life-saving measures, they were pronounced deceased. The incident remains under police investigation.
Officials from the San Bernardino Fire Department have warned locals about dangerous river currents in the area, in part due to the melting of significant snowfall brought to the region’s mountains last winter.
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Boy Scouts of America announces rebrand to ‘Scouting America’
For more than a century, Boy Scouts of America is rebranding as Scouting America, another major shakeup for an organization that once proudly resisted change.
Founded 114 years ago, the Texas-based organization that has recently been mired in turmoil over a flood of sexual abuse claims and bankruptcy. Now, the organization is taking a more inclusive approach as girls have been joining throughout its ranks.
Roger Krone, CEO, said: “It sends this really strong message to everyone in America that they can come to this program, they can bring their authentic self, they can be who they are and they will be welcome here. When asked why the organization needs a new name, Krone pointed to historically low membership numbers.
The change was announced Tuesday at the Boy Scout’s national meeting in Florida but won’t take effect until February 2025.
See Alex’s brief on South Dakota Gov. Noem’s story about killing a dog.
South Dakota Gov. Noem facing backlash for story about killing dog
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has been facing backlash for sharing a story about shooting and killing her dog in an incident more than 20 years ago in an upcoming book about her life.
Noem said she had a 14-month-old wire-haired pointer that she was training for pheasant hunting. The dog was wild and Noem took it on a trip with older dogs with hopes that it would calm down, but it ended up chasing pheasants. Noem said on her way home from that trip, when she stopped to talk with a family, the dog got out of her truck and killed some of the family’s chickens and tried to bite her.
Noem said she hated that dog and considered it “untrainable.” She said she took her dog to a pit and killed it.
There was criticism over what she did, especially from Democratic political opponents. Noem is considered a potential vice president pick for Donald Trump’s ticket.
Noem said she shared the story because she wanted to show that she was willing to do anything difficult, messy or ugly if it has to be done.
Thanks for that brief. That’s all the top stories for today. See you tomorrow and stay with the light!
Stormy Daniels’ testimony at Donald Trump’s trial
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/05/07/stormy-daniels-testimony-trump-hush-money-trial/
Panera to discontinue caffeinated ‘Charged Lemonade’ after lawsuits
2 young siblings dead after being swept away by river in California
Boy Scouts of America announces rebrand to ‘Scouting America’
South Dakota Gov. Noem facing backlash for story about killing dog
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kristi-noem-interview-dog-killing-cricket-kim-jong-un-meeting/