Robert Costello, a former legal adviser to Michael Cohen, is set to testify before a Manhattan grand jury on Monday in an investigation into Donald Trump's alleged "hush money" payment to Stormy Daniels. Trump's attorneys have asked the District Attorney for Costello to testify, and two sources confirmed to CBS News that Cohen has been asked to be available in case he's needed to "rebut" another witness. It is unclear what information Costello will provide to the grand jury and what impact his testimony will have on the investigation.
News Mash
Donald Trump's legal team is taking an unusual step in the ongoing investigation into hush money payments made to Stormy Daniels during his 2016 campaign, requesting that the Manhattan District Attorney's Office call a witness to testify before the grand jury. The witness, attorney Robert Costello, has represented Trump allies, and Trump's legal team is reportedly attempting to use his testimony to discredit Cohen's credibility. MSNBC's Rachel Maddow has warned that Trump is trying to create fear of potential violence in order to raise the civic cost of indicting him.
Swiss President Alain Berset has announced a merger between UBS and Credit Suisse, two of the largest banks in Switzerland, with the government guaranteeing liquidity of 150 billion francs. The deal is expected to create a banking giant with a combined market capitalization of over $100 billion.
Key takeaways: The Swiss National Bank, Swiss government, and Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority have worked together to bring about the combination of Switzerland’s two…
Mike Pence has downplayed potential protests this week, encouraged by former President Donald Trump, saying that the American people have the constitutional right to peaceably assemble. He condemned the violence that occurred at the US Capitol on January 6th, 2021, and believes any prosecutorial actions against Trump would be politically charged. Pence also noted that the country should focus on healing and moving forward, rather than dwelling on the past.
Russian President Vladimir Putin made a surprise visit to the occupied city of Mariupol in southeastern Ukraine, his first trip to Ukrainian territory since Moscow illegally annexed the region. The visit has been met with bitter reactions from Ukrainian officials and has been widely seen as a show of defiance by Putin. Roman Koval, 25, expressed his negative opinion of the visit, saying Putin has no support and is weak. The international community is yet to respond to the visit and its implications for the region.
Key takeaways: Congress must investigate the circumstances that led to the closures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank of New York. Allowing a large,…
Former Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein and former top economic adviser in the Trump White House Gary Cohn have both recently discussed the banking industry and the potential for a systemic emergency. They both agree that the Federal Reserve, FDIC, and Treasury Department have the power to guarantee deposits bank by bank in such an event, making Americans' money "kind of safe with an ellipsis."