*By Max Godnick*
Nicki Minaj. Cardi B. Ariana Grande. Michael Avenatti?
Stormy Daniels's attorney made his debut on the pink carpet Monday night, appearing among the starlets at the MTV Video Music Awards. The high-profile lawyer was fresh off a trip to the political hotbed of New Hampshire, sparking more speculation that he will run for president in 2020.
"I'm gauging what the reaction is," Avenatti told Cheddar's Vanessa Freeman outside Radio City Music Hall in New York. "I'm listening to people, and I'm figuring out if this makes sense or not."
In the past few weeks, the lawyer has made conspicuous stops in three battleground states ー Florida, Iowa, and now New Hampshire ー after announcing earlier this month that he's ["seriously considering"](https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/10/politics/avenatti-in-iowa/index.html) a White House run.
"I haven't ultimately made a decision yet, but I'm encouraged," Avenatti said.
He issued his stances on several polarizing issues on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/MichaelAvenatti/status/1029385486958305280), echoing the Democratic party's views on everything from gun control to healthcare. At the VMAs, he said no child should forego a college education because of financing.
"We've got a lot of work to do," he said. "We can't afford another six years of this president."
When Cheddar asked Avenatti his pick for a second-in-command, he knew just the right choice.
"I think J.Lo would make a good running mate," he said. "She's very smart, and I think she knows how to bring it."
Jennifer Lopez was granted this year's VMA Video Vanguard Award for her accomplishments in the industry.
For full interview [click here] (https://cheddar.com/videos/which-vmas-pop-star-is-michael-avenatti-choosing-as-his-running-mate).
Four men were charged Monday over the theft of an 18-carat gold toilet from Blenheim Palace, the sprawling English country mansion where British wartime leader Winston Churchill was born.
Donald Trump began testifying Monday morning in his civil fraud trial, producing the spectacle of a former president and the leading Republican presidential candidate defending himself against allegations that he dramatically inflated his net worth.
The most-watched races in Tuesday’s off-year general election have all been dominated by the ongoing debate over abortion rights.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds is reportedly planning to endorse Florida Gov. Ron Desantis in the Republican primary.
The endorsement could give DeSantis' campaign a boost as he struggles to show progress against Donald Trump in the Republican primary.
With Donald Trump due on the witness stand next week, testimony from his adult sons in his civil business fraud trial wrapped up Friday with Eric Trump saying he relied completely on accountants and lawyers to assure the accuracy of financial documents key to the case.
The watchdog office overseeing the National Science Foundation is sending investigators to Antarctica's McMurdo Station after hearing concerns about the prevalence of sexual violence at the U.S. research base.
Frederico Klein, a former State Department official, was sentenced to nearly six years in prison after being found guilty on several counts including assault of multiple police officers at the Capitol on Jan. 6.
President Joe Biden and First lady Jill Biden are traveling to Lewiston Maine to pay their respects to the people who were killed there in a mass shooting last week.
The House approved a nearly $14.5 billion military aid package Thursday for Israel, a muscular U.S. response to the war with Hamas but also a partisan approach by new Speaker Mike Johnson that poses a direct challenge to Democrats and President Joe Biden.
