Daily Skimm: President Trump, Health Care, and Gwyneth Paltrow

The Indictment

The Story

Former President Trump made history once again.

What’s the latest?

Yesterday, a Manhattan grand jury indicted Trump — making him the first former US president to face criminal charges. The indictment is over Trump’s alleged role in a hush money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels. In 2018, Michael Cohen — Trump’s former lawyer — admitted he paid Daniels $130,000 on the eve of the 2016 election to keep an alleged affair with Trump quiet. Cohen said the former president reimbursed him through the Trump Organization but labeled it as a legal expense. The Manhattan district attorney’s office has been looking into whether Trump falsified business records. Trump hinted nearly two weeks ago that he’d get arrested. Now, the DA’s office has decided there's enough evidence to charge the former president.

What happens now?

Trump's expected to surrender to the Manhattan DA's office on Tuesday, according to his lawyers. He reportedly faces more than 30 counts related to business fraud. Like any other person being arraigned, Trump will likely have his fingerprints and mugshot taken. It’s unclear if handcuffs will be involved. However, given Trump's status as a former president, accommodations might be made for him. He'll also likely be accompanied by Secret Service agents, who are required by law to protect him. If you’re wondering about jail time, that won’t happen unless he’s convicted. Also, the indictment or a potential conviction wouldn’t ban Trump from running for president. 

What’s Trump saying?

Trump called the indictment “political Persecution and Election Interference at the highest level in history” and referred to himself as a “completely innocent person.” His lawyers have said they will “vigorously fight” the charges. Republicans have united in calling the indictment “outrageous.” Democrats like Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) said “a nation of laws must hold the rich and powerful accountable, even when they hold high office.” In the meantime, the NYPD has called on all its roughly 36,000 officers to report for duty today as a “precautionary measure.”

theSkimm

Donald Trump, who's the first president to be impeached twice, will go down in history for this criminal indictment. Now, as a 2024 presidential candidate, not only will he have to fight this legal battle, but he also faces several other investigations, including for rape, election interference, and mishandled classified documents. 

And Also...This

Who’s laying down the law…

A Texas Judge. Yesterday, a federal judge ruled that employers aren’t required to cover some free preventive services under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Since the law passed in 2010, a volunteer task force has been in charge of setting preventive coverage requirements. But a group of conservatives sued, saying the task force was illegal and that covering things like HIV prevention violated their religious beliefs. Now, the judge has agreed and issued a nationwide injunction. The decision affects more than 150 million people who could lose access to free preventive services, including HIV screenings, colonoscopies, mammograms, and other cancer screenings. The good news: Most insurance contracts are written through the end of the year, so policies aren’t likely to change anytime soon. The Biden admin is expected to appeal and may ask for a pause on the injunction.

What's raising alarms…

Russia. Yesterday, the White House called for all Americans to leave Moscow “immediately.” The announcement comes after Russian authorities arrested The Wall Street Journal’s Evan Gershkovich on espionage charges. It's the first time an American journalist has been detained on spying accusations since the Cold War — a move that could raise tensions between Washington and Moscow. The WSJ denied the spying allegations and called for the release of their “trusted and dedicated reporter.” The White House said the State Department is working to get Gershkovich back home. If convicted, Gershkovich faces up to 20 years in prison.

…Oh and speaking of Russia’s frenemies, Turkey approved Finland’s NATO membership. ​​Now, Finland's one step closer to becoming the bloc’s 31st member.

Where there's a shakeup…

San Jose, CA. Earlier this week, federal officials charged the executive director of the San Jose police union with importing synthetic opioids and distributing them in the US. According to federal officials, Joanne Marian Segovia imported fentanyl and other synthetic opioids worth thousands of dollars from places like Hong Kong, Hungary, India, and Singapore. She ordered at least 61 shipments over the course of about eight years that were labeled as “Wedding Party Favors,” “Gift Makeup,” or “Chocolate and Sweets.” Segovia has since been put on leave. If convicted, she faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

What’s taking the Kingdom part very seriously…

Disney.

While Miley Cyrus is being a Happy Hippie..

Lizzo is championing for inclusivity.

Who’s skiing away scot-free…

Gwyneth Paltrow.