Guilty on all 34 counts

+ when democracies prosecute former leaders US Edition - Today's top story: Trump found guilty: 5 key aspects of the trial explained by a law professor [View in browser]( US Edition | 31 May 2024 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Top headlines - [Is it possible for Trump to use his guilty verdict to his advantage?]( - [‘Born in the U.S.A.’ continues to confound, 40 years later]( - [Test your news acumen with our weekly quiz]( Lead story Early in 2023, I wrote on social media, “My last five years can be summed up in the image of me standing in front of the TV, watching CNN, and asking, ‘Have we ever seen anything like this?’” May 30, 2024, provided another one of those events. Late in the afternoon, I watched CNN’s Anderson Cooper report the news that Donald Trump, the former president of the United States and the presumptive 2024 GOP presidential nominee, was found guilty on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to conceal an alleged affair with an adult film star. As I watched, I felt goose bumps: This was a moment I would remember for the rest of my life. The politics editors at The Conversation U.S. have been preparing for the verdict for months. We’ve got three stories for you today: In the first one, criminal law expert [Gabriel Chin answers editor Amy Lieberman’s questions](, which range from why there were so many counts in the indictment – “each check, invoice or other document that the jury found had been falsified was a separate offense, which can be the basis of a separate count and punished separately,” says Chin – to whether Trump is destined for a prison cell. Then, political scientists James D. Long, Victor Menaldo and Morgan Wack look at the effect of [prosecuting leaders in democracies around the world](. “Prosecuting current or past top officials accused of illegal conduct seems like an obvious decision for a democracy,” they write. “Everyone should be subject to the rule of law. But presidents and prime ministers aren’t just anyone. … They are often popular, sometimes revered. So judicial proceedings against them are inevitably perceived as political and become divisive.” And finally, historian Donald Nieman looks to the past [to try to predict the future](. The verdict “isn’t likely to be the end of the matter,” writes Nieman. “The former president has had a symbiotic relationship with a legal system he frequently denounces but routinely uses to his advantage. That almost guarantees the case will continue to be part of his tale of grievance, persecution and a rigged system arrayed against him – and, by extension, against his supporters.” [[How faith and religion drive the world. Sign up for our weekly newsletter, This Week in Religion.](] Naomi Schalit Senior Editor, Politics + Democracy Donald Trump leaves the Manhattan courtroom after being found guilty on all 34 counts in his hush money trial on May 30, 2024. Justin Lane-Pool/Getty Images [Trump found guilty: 5 key aspects of the trial explained by a law professor]( Gabriel J. Chin, University of California, Davis The New York conviction of Trump is unlikely to end the legal saga, which could quickly be appealed and possibly rise to the level of the US Supreme Court. Politics + Society - [Trump’s prosecution is unprecedented in US – but other countries have prosecuted former leaders]( James D. Long, University of Washington; Morgan Wack, Clemson University; Victor Menaldo, University of Washington Both sweeping immunity and overzealous prosecutions of former leaders can undermine democracy. But such prosecutions pose different risks for older democracies like the US than in younger ones. - [Trump’s guilty verdict is not the end of the matter]( Donald Nieman, Binghamton University, State University of New York By focusing on the facts, the public can avoid being distracted by baseless allegations about the Trump verdict that undermine institutions designed to ensure – not weaponize – justice. Arts + Culture - [‘Born in the USA’ turns 40 − and still remains one of Bruce Springsteen’s most misunderstood songs]( Diane Winston, USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism In 1984, the album was atop the charts, and Ronald Reagan, running for reelection, told a New Jersey audience that he and the Boss shared the same American dream. Springsteen vehemently disagreed. Ethics + Religion - [Why is ‘moral equivalence’ such a bad thing? A political philosopher explains]( Michael Blake, University of Washington Why has the ICC indictment of Israeli and Hamas leaders drawn so much fire? Understanding the notion of moral equivalence might help explain why. Health + Medicine - [Millions of current smokers became addicted when they were teens – and nicotine marketing targets adolescents today just as it did decades ago]( Jon-Patrick Allem, Rutgers University Online advertising featuring bright colors, cartoon figures and promotions by social media influencers entice adolescents to try tobacco. Science + Technology - [Engineering cells to broadcast their behavior can help scientists study their inner workings]( Scott Coyle, University of Wisconsin-Madison Researchers can create ‘single-cell radios’ using bacterial proteins to transmit the invisible activities within cells. Education - [Internships are linked to better employment outcomes for college graduates – but there aren’t enough for students who want them]( Matthew T. Hora, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Hee Song, University of Wisconsin-Madison Internships significantly boost a college graduate’s chances of getting a job, but securing an internship is a challenge, new research shows. Economy + Business - [Does the US have a planned economy? You might be surprised]( Daniel Pellathy, University of Tennessee Companies need adept planning to solve supply chain issues. Environment + Energy - [Is collapse of the Atlantic Ocean circulation really imminent? Icebergs’ history reveals some clues]( Yuxin Zhou, University of California, Santa Barbara; Jerry McManus, Columbia University If the ocean circulation, known as AMOC, shuts down, it would be a climate disaster, particularly for Europe and North America. New research shows why that might not happen as soon as some fear. Trending on site - [France’s headscarf ban in the 2024 Summer Olympics reflects a narrow view of national identity, writes a scholar of European studies]( - [Outside Supreme Court justice’s home, a Revolution-era flag, now a call for Christian nationalism]( - [I’m an astrophysicist mapping the universe with data from the Chandra X-ray Observatory − clear, sharp photos help me study energetic black holes]( The Conversation News Quiz 🧠- [The Conversation U.S. weekly news quiz]( Fritz Holznagel, The Conversation Here’s the first question of [this week’s edition:]( Donald Trump was convicted on 34 felony counts at his trial in New York. The jury apparently did not buy defense attorney Todd Blanche's description of witness (and former Trump fixer) Michael Cohen as what? - A. "A Mount Everest of misinformation" - B. "The GLOAT ... Greatest liar of all time" - C. "The King Kong of con men" - D. 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