Trump's legal bills, Hurricane Idalia, Mitch McConnell: Thursday's … – USA TODAY
Donald Trump may not be able to afford all those lawyers. We’ve got a look at Mitch McConnell’s doctor’s note. And businesses in Maui want y’all to come visit.
👋 Hi! Your pal Laura Davis here. Got any big plans this weekend? I’m hoping to go pop some tags at a couple estate sales. Wish me luck! Here’s Thursday’s news.
But first: Scout was over it. 🐾 An abused stray mutt kept escaping from a shelter and trying to move himself into a senior care facility. So the nurses there had to figure out what to do about him.
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As it turns out, a criminal trial is super-expensive. Former President Donald Trump is running out of other people’s money to spend on his legal bills, which could continue to balloon if he takes all four of his cases to trial. His key fund has spent nearly all of the more than $150 million it raised, and he borrowed money to post bail in Georgia. Defense attorneys who spoke to USA TODAY estimated his legal bills will total millions, if not tens of millions. But Trump’s political action committee account that pays for legal fees, Save America, doesn’t have that kind of money. 👉 We break down the financial situation.
By Thursday afternoon, Idalia – a raging hurricane when it blasted across Florida – had weakened to tropical storm status but continued to pound parts of the Southeast with downpours and flooding. The storm’s center was about 120 miles southeast of Cape Lookout, North Carolina, according to a 2 p.m. advisory by the National Hurricane Center. Cleanup was in full swing in Florida, where the storm left behind battered homes and flood-damaged vehicles. “I’ve never seen anything like this in Perry,” said Sheila Houston, 57. “And I hope we don’t ever again.” 🌀 More updates on Idalia’s aftermath.
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🔎 Read this USA TODAY Network investigation: A college professor with a “clown fetish” offered grad students at three different schools extra credit, cash in exchange for painting their faces. Why didn’t administrators stop him?
Somebody get the senator some water! Saying Sen. Mitch McConnell has experienced “occasional lightheadedness” from dehydration and an earlier concussion, a doctor cleared him to continue with his schedule after he froze during a news conference yesterday. It was the second time in a matter of weeks that the 81-year-old had to pause at a news conference and be helped by aides. President Joe Biden said Thursday that he spoke to McConnell on the phone and that the Republican leader was “his old self.” 👉 What we know.
Is it too soon to visit Maui? Businesses don’t think so. In the aftermath of the devastating wildfires there, tourists were told “to not travel to Maui” so resources could be used for residents. And people listened: Once-bustling – and arguably overcrowded – resorts and beaches were nearly empty. But it’s causing a strain for locals who depend on tourism. Many people, including Hawaii Gov. Josh Green, are pleading for visitors to come and support Maui’s economy. Some are ready, but it’s complicated to travel to a place where such devastation and loss of human life happened so recently. 👉 Is it time for tourists to return? Here’s a look at the big picture.
Laura L. Davis is an Audience Editor at USA TODAY. Say hello: laura@usatoday.com. This is a compilation of stories from across the USA TODAY Network. Support quality journalism like this? Subscribe to USA TODAY here.