*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).
The stunning removal of Kevin McCarthy as speaker has left the House adrift as Republicans struggle to bring order to their fractured majority and begin the difficult and potentially prolonged process of uniting around a new leader.
New York City is challenging a unique legal agreement that requires it to provide emergency housing to anyone who asks for it, as the city's shelter system strains under a large influx of international migrants who have arrived since last year.
Warned to mind his out-of-court comments, former President Donald Trump returned to his New York civil fraud trial Wednesday as lawyers on both sides closely questioned an accountant who prepared financial statements at the heart of the case.
The third day of former president Donald Trump's civil fraud trial kicked off earlier Wednesday in New York, a day after a judge imposed a limited gag order on Trump.
The National Zoo's three giant pandas — Mei Xiang, Tian Tian and their cub Xiao Qi Ji — are set to return to China in early December with no public signs that the 50-year-old exchange agreement struck by President Richard Nixon will continue.
Speaker Kevin McCarthy plans to force a vote Tuesday on the far-right effort to oust him from his leadership position and insists he will not cut a deal with Democrats to remain in power, setting the stage for an extraordinary and unpredictable showdown on the House floor.
