Trump on Trial
Jury selection begins today in New York in the trial of former U.S. president and current Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, who is facing 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. The charges stem from the hush-money payment that Trump’s attorney Michael Cohen made before the 2016 presidential election to adult-film actress Stormy Daniels, who claimed to have had an affair with Trump in 2006. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., alleges that Trump improperly had his business reimburse Cohen. A previous civil fraud trial in New York found Trump liable for $355 million for inflating the value of his properties, and this criminal trial (the first such for a former president) is only the first. He has two federal trials—the classified documents and January 6 cases—and one in Georgia still to come.
Trump’s Very, Very Busy 2024
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The 45th President
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Risen from the Ashes
Today marks the five-year anniversary of a massive fire at Paris’s iconic Notre-Dame cathedral. The world watched with dread as the blaze consumed the building’s roof and iconic spire, and it seemed possible that the Paris landmark would be lost to the flames. Thanks to the heroic efforts of hundreds of firefighters, the main structure and the church’s Gothic bell towers were saved, and reconstruction began almost immediately. Notre-Dame is scheduled to reopen in December 2024.
The height of Gothic architecture
Notre-Dame is an outstanding example of the Rayonnant (French for “radiant”) style of Gothic architecture. The name reflects the radiating design found in rose windows, three of which can be found at Notre-Dame (all survived the fire).
Macron’s promise
French president Emmanuel Macron experienced a surge of popularity when he vowed to rebuild the cathedral. While there had been hopes that the restoration might be completed prior to the 2024 Paris Olympics, the project remains on schedule, and external scaffolding is already being dismantled.
In France, it usually goes back to Napoleon...
Notre-Dame suffered badly during the Revolutionary era (at one point, it was used as a warehouse), but it found a new patron with the rise of Napoleon. Eschewing the traditional coronation site of the French monarchy (Reims Cathedral), Napoleon crowned himself emperor at Notre-Dame.
Or, in this case, Victor Hugo
Notre-Dame fell into such disrepair after the Napoleonic Era that authorities considered demolishing it. That changed when Victor Hugo published Notre-Dame de Paris in 1831 (the hunchback doesn’t even get a mention in the original French title). The novel, which painted a detailed picture of Notre-Dame at its 15th-century peak, captivated the French public and inspired a massive renovation campaign.
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