Trump Sues Former Lawyer

Donald Trump is suing his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, for $500 million dollars.

The lawsuit alleges that Cohen’s published books, public statements, and podcast series constitute a breach of attorney-client privilege that has caused significant damages to Trump’s reputation.

The 30-page document submitted to US District Court states that “Such continuous and escalating improper conduct by [Cohen] has reached a proverbial crescendo and has left [Trump] with no alternative but to seek legal redress through this action."

Cohen’s lawyers have objected that the suit is merely an attempt to scare away potential witnesses in President Trump’s ongoing felony case in Manhattan.

In 2018, Cohen was sentenced to three years in federal prison for arranging hush money payments, tax evasion, making false statements to Congress, and more.

58% of Americans Live Paycheck-to-Paycheck

A financial confidence survey from CNBC revealed some bleak data about the personal finance climate in America.

More than half of survey responders said they were living “paycheck-to-paycheck,” and only 13% said they feel confident in the banking system.

Seven in ten Americans are stressed about money, and the number one culprit (by a mile) is inflation. On Wednesday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a 5% inflation rate in March. Food and housing costs are the biggest offenders—rising 8% and 10% in February.

Explosion Kills 18,000 Cows

The South Fork Dairy is one of the largest dairy farms in the Texas Panhandle. Most of its herd was gathered in one place on Monday when something sparked a huge explosion; the blast and subsequent fire killed 18,000 dairy cows in one stroke.

The exact cause of the explosion isn’t yet known, but County Sheriff Sal Rivera was willing to speculate that a vacuum device called a “honey badger”—which is used to suck out manure and water—may have overheated and caused the ignition.

A farm employee was injured in the blast and trapped inside a building, but police were able to rescue her. She was flown to Lubbock for treatment and is in critical condition.

The dairy’s losses are likely in the tens of millions, and the cleanup is expected to take months.

➤ California Senate Bill SB 94 would allow murderers, rapists, and other inmates sentenced to death (or life without parole) to be resentenced. The bill is getting heavy criticism from state lawmakers, including several Democrats. (Read)

➤ Republican Tim Scott has formed an exploratory committee for the 2024 Presidential election. He also released a video outlining his potential policy agenda, including standing up to China, restoring parental roles in education, and solving the border crisis. (Watch)

➤ The Justice Department has awarded no jail time to a transgender activist who defaced a Catholic church with graffiti, assaulted a church worker, and caused more than $10,000 in damages. (More)

➤ Bud Light’s parent company Anheuser Busch has lost $4 billion in value since the Dylan Mulvaney fiasco began. (More)

➤ Major League Baseball is considering expansion, and Salt Lake City has joined the group of cities interested in gaining a team. (Read)

➤ Andrew Painter, a top pitching prospect for the Phillies, has resumed throwing after taking a month off. (More)

➤ Rick Ware Racing has tapped Zane Smith for its No. 51 Ford at Martinsville Speedway. (More)

Market Report   4-12-23

➤ Juul Labs—makers of vaping devices commonly used by teenagers—will settle a lawsuit with six states for $462 million. (More)

➤ Elon Musk admitted in an interview that he only went through with his Twitter purchase because his lawyers advised him he couldn’t back out. (More)

➤ The Harry Potter franchise is officially getting a streaming tv series. It will run for 10 years and will help kick off Warner Bros.’ new streaming service, Max. (Details)

➤ Donald Trump leads the presidential field significantly in digital ad spending. His campaign spent roughly $258,000 between March 19th and April 7th—mostly on Facebook and Google ads. (More)

➤ 17% of Stanford University poll responders say they’ve used ChatGPT for assignments or exams. (Read more)

➤ In the 1980s, drug lord Pablo Escobar illegally imported hippos to his private zoo in Colombia. There are now about 100 descendants in nearby rivers, and one just died after being hit by a car. (Read)

➤ Former bodybuilder and California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger got sick of waiting for a Los Angeles pothole to get fixed, so he did it himself. (Watch)

Today’s Trivia

The MLB added its first two expansion teams in 1961. What were the two teams?