Trump to Appeal $5 Million Verdict

Former President Donald Trump says he will appeal the verdict against him in the E. Jean Carroll defamation and sexual assault case, saying he has “absolutely no idea who this woman is.”

The jury held Trump liable for battery and defamation, but not for the rape that Carroll claimed. The case was a civil trial, and no criminal charges were involved.

Jurors awarded total damages of $5 million to Carroll: $2 million for battery and $3 million for defamation.

Tucker Launching New Show on Twitter

Tucker Carlson is bringing a new version of his show to Twitter, he announced in a 3-minute video posted on Twitter (WATCH).

Before posting his video, Carlson’s lawyers sent an aggressive letter to his former employers at Fox News, accusing them of fraud and breach of contract.

The legal move is designed to free him from his existing Fox contract, which would bar him from launching a competing show—such as the one on Twitter—until 2025.

Highest Paid Athletes Set Records

Eight of the global superstars in this year’s Forbes list of top-paid athletes topped $100 million in on-and-off-field annual earnings, with the total for all 10 coming in at $1.1 billion, a new record.

Soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo is the highest-paid athlete in the world, with earnings of $136 million.

There are five American athletes on the list, led by LeBron James, who earned $119.5 million. To see the full list, click here.

➤ The Justice Department has charged Rep. George Santos with federal offenses following an investigation into his finances. Santos had just announced for re-election, despite having admitted to lying about much of his background during his campaign. (More)

➤ Federal border officials have authorized the mass release of migrants onto city streets if non-government organizations can’t handle the expected surge. The decision means migrants could be mass released at bus stops, gas stations, supermarkets, and towns across the border, sources say. (More)

➤ GOP Senate leader Mitch McConnell said Republicans will focus on four key states in an effort to win back the Senate in 2024. He identified Pennsylvania, Ohio, Montana, and West Virginia as the most likely states for the GOP to flip. (More)

➤ A veteran Chicago prosecutor has quit his job after 20 years, blasting “stupid” city officials for terrible decisions that have led to crime and violence. Prosecutor Jason Poje says he is moving his family out of the city — “I won’t raise my son here.” (More)

➤ The NFL plans to hold the first Monday tripleheader in league history on Christmas Day this year. In the past, the NFL has scheduled two games when Christmas fell on a Monday, but the league is moving aggressively to own the Yuletide airwaves. (More)

➤ Aaron Judge, baseball’s reigning MVP, returns to the Yankee lineup after an injury sidelined him two weeks ago. In his absence, the Yankees kept losing and slid to last place in their division. (More)

➤ Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Zach Eflin says he won’t remove his wedding ring when he pitches, despite being forced to take it off by umpires in his last outing. The umpires claimed the ring was a “foreign substance.” Eflin says he isn’t taking it off again. (More)

Market Report   5/9/23

➤ Big Stock Move: Data analytics company Palantir Technologies jumped 23 percent on rosy profit forecasts for 2023. It was the firm’s biggest one-day stock gain in more than two years. (More)

➤ Jenny Craig, once a popular weight-loss brand, has filed for bankruptcy and is liquidating its assets. The firm blamed the rise of weight-loss drugs and health-food stores for its demise. (More)

➤ Mattress giant Tempur Sealy has agreed to buy retailer Mattress Firm for $4 billion. The deal will give Tempur Sealy new growth opportunities through 3,000 retail outlets globally. (More)

➤ Wendy’s plans to use a Google-supplied AI chatbot to take drive-thru orders at a single Columbus, Ohio store. Diners beware: The experiment will require the chatbot to understand various accents ordering complex meal deals amid a jangle of car noise and conversation. (More)

➤ Virtual reality simulations may soon get smelly, say researchers who have developed tiny, wearable odor generators. They’ve already developed 30 odors—including durian—a fruit that smells like raw sewage. (More)

➤ Tesla broke ground on a massive new lithium refinery in Texas, and it’s expected to become the biggest source of lithium in North America. CEO Elon Musk says the refinery should produce enough battery metal to power 1 million electric cars by 2025. (More)

➤ A TSA agent is under investigation for “rough handling” of a bomb-sniffing dog at Detroit airport, based on a video originally posted on Reddit. The agent appears to be training the dog while yanking roughly on his leash. (VIDEO)

➤ Robert De Niro, at 79, has become a father for the 7th time. This acclaimed actor’s oldest child is 51, and his youngest (not counting the new baby) is 11. The baby’s name and gender weren’t released. (More)

➤ Satan Clubs for kids are gaining popularity as an after-school activity, and a federal court ruled that schools couldn’t bar the clubs. The Satan Club doesn’t actually worship the devil, according to its website, but rather exists to “encourage benevolence and empathy.” (More)

Today’s Trivia

Who was the highest-paid athlete 50 years ago, in 1973?