What to Know
- John Brennan said he's considering legal action to try to prevent Trump from stripping other current, former officials' security clearances
- The advocacy organization EWG found traces of the pesticide glyphosate, the main ingredient in RoundUp, in certain cereals like Cheerios
- NYT reports actress Asia Argento settled a complaint filed against her by a young actor who said she sexually assaulted him when he was 17
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Michael Cohen Investigated for $20M in Bank Loans, Report Says
A New York Times report says federal investigators have locked in on more than $20 million in loans to taxi businesses owned by Michael Cohen and his family as part of their probe into whether the former longtime personal lawyer to President Trump committed bank and tax fraud crimes and campaign-finance violations, NBC News reported. Citing people familiar with the matter, the Times also reported that prosecutors are considering filing charges against Cohen by the end of the month. A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney's Office declined to comment. Such a move could have significant implications for Trump, who has waged a rhetorical war against Cohen and his representative, lawyer Lanny Davis, since they began signaling earlier this summer that Cohen would cooperate with special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe. A spokesperson for Davis said, "Lanny cannot comment on advice of counsel since there is an ongoing investigation."
Third Day of Deliberations Set for Paul Manafort Fraud Trial
Jury deliberations are expected to resume in the financial fraud trial of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort. It marks the third day that jurors ponder the 18-count indictment. Federal prosecutors in the trial in Virginia allege Manafort hid tens of millions of dollars in foreign income. They also say he lied on loan applications to obtain millions more to maintain a lavish lifestyle. Manafort's attorneys didn't call witnesses in his defense, claiming the prosecution had failed to meet its burden of proof. His attorneys attacked the credibility of a key witness, one-time Manafort protege Rick Gates. The trial is the first courtroom test of the Russia probe led by special counsel Robert Mueller, though the case doesn't involve allegations of Russian election interference.
John Brennan Considers Legal Action to Stop Clearance Revocations
Local
Former CIA Director John Brennan said he is considering taking legal action to try to prevent President Trump from stripping other current and former officials' security clearances. Speaking on NBC’s "Meet the Press," Brennan said he's been contacted by a number of lawyers about the possibility of an injunction in the wake of Trump's move to revoke his clearance and threaten nine others who have been critical of the president or are connected to the Russia probe. Brennan, who served in President Barack Obama's administration, said that while he'll fight on behalf of his former CIA colleagues, it's also up to Congress to put aside politics and step in. Trump yanked Brennan's security clearance last week, saying he felt he had to do "something" about the "rigged" probe of Russian election interference. And he has said he may do the same for nine others, including a Justice Department official whose wife worked for the firm involved in producing a dossier on Trump's ties to Russia.
1 Dead, More Hurt in US Military Helicopter Crash in Iraq
At least one service member died and several others were injured when a U.S. military helicopter crashed in Iraq, the International Coalition for Operation Inherent Resolve said in a statement. The helicopter had been conducting a "partnered counterterrorism mission," according to the statement, which did not give the nationality of the service member who died. The incident is under investigation, but the organization said there are no indications the helicopter was brought down by hostile fire. No other details were immediately available. Operation Inherent Resolve is a combined joint task force aimed at defeating the Islamic State.
Weed Killer in Your Cereal? Maybe, But Don't Panic
Social media feeds have been swamped by news the advocacy organization Environmental Working Group found traces of the pesticide glyphosate, the main ingredient in Roundup, in certain popular breakfast cereals like Cheerios. While the headlines have alarmed parents, there are several reasons not to panic, NBC News reported. Research by the EWG, which actively campaigns against glyphosate, was not published in a peer-reviewed journal, the amounts found were far below the allowable limits, and most experts in the field say there’s very little evidence that glyphosate causes cancer or any other health problems. Glyphosate also made headlines because a California jury ordered Roundup maker Monsanto to pay $290 million in damages to a groundskeeper with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Still, American juries do not necessarily rule based on scientific evidence, and they are not required to.
MeToo Activist Settled Own Sexual Assault Suit
New York Times reports Italian actress Asia Argento recently settled a complaint filed against her by a young actor and musician who said she sexually assaulted him when he was 17. Argento is one of the most prominent activists of the #MeToo movement. The Times says that Argento, 42, settled the notice of intent to sue by Jimmy Bennett, who is now 22, for $380,000 shortly after she said last October that movie mogul Harvey Weinstein raped her. Bennett says in the notice that he had sex with Argento in a California hotel in 2013. The age of consent in California is 18. The Times says it received court documents that have been authenticated by three people familiar with the case. Representatives for Argento could not be immediately reached for comment. Bennett declined to comment to the Times.
'Crazy Rich Asians' Shines Bright at the Box Office
Glitz won over guns as the gilded romance "Crazy Rich Asians" debuted at No. 1 in North American theaters this weekend, surpassing industry expectations and beating out action-packed fare like "Mile 22." Warner Bros. estimates the film earned $25.2 million over the weekend and $34 million since its opening. It's a surefire win for the film, which cost $30 million to produce and went into the weekend with months of buzz and a 93 percent "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Breakout star Henry Golding told The Associated Press the film's performance is a "testament to the people who are turning up." Adapted from Kevin Kwan's best-seller, "Crazy Rich Asians" stars Constance Wu as an American woman who gets a culture shock meeting her boyfriend's obscenely wealthy family in Singapore. The studio strategically bumped up the film's opening earlier in the summer.
