An Ignoble Experiment: The 7: Trump’s trial reaches its endgame; Pope Francis apologizes; baseball history changes forever; and more

2024/05/29

The 7: Trump’s trial reaches its endgame; Pope Francis apologizes; baseball history changes forever; and more

Read online

By Jamie Ross and Hannah Jewell

Listen to this briefing

Good morning. It's Wednesday, May 29, and if you'd like to own the house from "Home Alone," it's on the market for a cool $5.25 million. Now let's get to the news.

But first — there's still time to make the most of our Memorial Day sale. A year of The Post is now just 99¢ every four weeks. Subscribe here.

Donald Trump's criminal trial in New York had closing arguments yesterday.

What happened? Trump's lawyers attacked key witness Michael Cohen, while prosecutors alleged that a hush money scheme helped Trump win the 2016 election.
Outside the court: The Biden campaign held a news conference with Robert De Niro. And Trump lashed out at the case against him — we fact-checked his claims here.
What now? Jury deliberations are set to begin today. A verdict could come quickly, or it could take weeks.

Read this story

The U.S. suspended deliveries of aid via its Gaza pier.

Why? The pier, first used for deliveries this month, was damaged by bad weather and mishaps. It will take at least a week to repair it, the Pentagon said yesterday.
What it means: Getting food to starving civilians in Gaza will be even more difficult. Israel blocked the main land route, through the city of Rafah, this month.

Read this story

Pope Francis issued an apology after he was accused of using a homophobic slur.

What he said: He used the word "frociaggine," a slur against gay men in a Roman Italian dialect, during a closed-door meeting with bishops last week.
Yesterday: The Vatican didn't confirm Francis used the term, but it apologized for any offense caused. Francis has tried to build bridges with gay Catholics.

Read this story

Violent storms slammed Houston and Dallas.

The storms caused extensive damage in Dallas on Monday night and yesterday morning. (Nitashia Johnson/The Washington Post)

What happened? Rain, hail and wind left nearly 1.4 million customers in the dark. Dozens of polling stations lost power as Texans voted in runoff elections yesterday.
What's causing the storms? They're linked to a deadly heat wave in Mexico — one of the most extreme the country has faced — which is shifting into the United States.

Read this story

Catholic priests raped and molested Native American children for decades.

What to know: At least 122 priests and other adults assigned to 22 boarding schools since the 1890s were later accused of sexually abusing children under their care, The Post found.
Zooming out: The Post's investigation reveals the brutality inflicted upon children taken from their families under an effort by the U.S. government to eradicate Native American culture.

Read this story

Baseball history will be changed forever today.

How? Major League Baseball plans to officially incorporate stats from the Negro Leagues, in operation from 1920 to 1948 when baseball was segregated, into its record book.
What it means: Homestead Grays star Josh Gibson will be at the top of several lists, including slugging percentage (.718) — beating the record Babe Ruth held for nearly a century.

Read this story

One of the world's most mysterious albums will finally be played to the public.

"Once Upon a Time in Shaolin" on private display in New York in 2015. (Madison McGaw/BFA/Shutterstock)

What is it? Wu-Tang Clan's "Once Upon a Time in Shaolin." Only one physical copy exists, and there are no digital copies. Parts will be played at sessions in Australia next month.
It's a rare chance: Few people have heard the album. One is Martin Shkreli, a.k.a. "Pharma Bro," who bought it for $2 million in 2015. (The U.S. later seized and sold it.)