Stormy Daniels's Lawyer Considers Defamation Suit Against Trump
The lawyer representing the adult film star Stormy Daniels is considering adding to his caseload: Michael Avenatti said Thursday he would likely file a defamation suit against President Trump for accusing Daniels of a "total con job."
"It's an outrage that he can't control himself," Avenatti said in an interview on Cheddar. "And it's an outrage that he's now lying to the American people about my client."
On Wednesday night, Trump [tweeted](https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/986547093610299392) that Daniels was "playing the Fake News Media for Fools," by releasing a sketch of the man she said threatened her in a Las Vegas parking lot in 2011.
The defamation case, should Avenatti choose to file it against the president, would be in addition to the suit he said he already filed against Trump's personal lawyer, Michael Cohen.
Cohen is the one who negotiated a non-disclosure agreement with Daniels to bar her from talking about a sexual encounter she said she had with Trump in 2006.
Avenatti is suing to lift the non-disclosure agreement his client signed in 2016, and he will fight a motion in court on Friday that would delay his client's suit.
Cohen attracted the interest of the special counsel, Robert Mueller, who is looking into the Trump campaign's ties to Russia. And the FBI raided Cohen's office and hotel room. The acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York said the raid was intended to gather evidence of alleged crimes concerning Cohen's business transactions.
"I think the likelihood of him being indicted is very, very high. Extremely high. Close to 100 percent," said Avenatti, without offering any evidence to support his certainty. "I think when that happens he will roll on the president."
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/michael-avenatti-cohen-will-roll-on-the-president).
Big Apple workers who deliver for food apps like Doordash and Grubhub will now receive a number of legal protections provided through a package of new regulations that have started going into effect. These updated rules include more control over their deliveries, pay and tip transparency, a higher minimum pay rate, and access to restaurant bathrooms during the workday. New York City Comptroller Brad Lander joined Cheddar to elaborate on the regulations and how the platform holders reacted. "I have to say it's a mixed bag," he said. "Grubhub actually welcomed the legislation and said they recognize they need to do better by their deliveristas, but DoorDash, unfortunately, has actually been pushing back against the legislation."
Thomas Hoenig, Former CEO of Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City and currently Distinguished Senior Fellow with the Mercatus Center, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he says the Fed's decision was no surprise, but believes the Fed is behind the curve on raising rates.
Legal cannabis businesses are having a hard time surviving in California with the high cost of doing business and a still-thriving illicit market. In response, nonprofit Supernova Women, founded by women of color, is advocating on behalf of Black and brown shareholders in the cannabis industry. Amber Senter, co-founder, executive director, and chairman of the organization, spoke with Cheddar News about calling for changes in the Golden State's taxation system for legal marijuana. "We're really leaning on the legislators now to support the industry and make sure that this industry, in particular craft cannabis, can survive," said Senter.
After being among the hardest-hit industries by the pandemic, restaurants are still having a hard time staying afloat, with owners claiming that business is worse now due to closures from staff shortages and customer decline than it was three months ago. Mike Whatley, vice president of state affairs and grassroots advocacy for the National Restaurant Association, spoke to Cheddar News about how the sector is reaching out to lawmakers for help. "Working with Senators Wicker, Sinema, and a whole host of bipartisan leaders, we're trying to get the Restaurant Revitalization Fund replenished," Whatley said.
Communities of color are disproportionately affected by climate change and continuously feel the impacts. Mark Magaña, founding president and CEO of Green Latinos joined All Hands to discuss.
The memoir, "COMPROMISED: Counterintelligence and the Threat of Donald J. Trump", tells a familiar story from a bit of a different source: Peter Strzok himself, former FBI Counterintelligence Agents and Agency Veteran who spent most of his very long career investigating some of the most controversial inquiries, most notably in recent American history. Those inquiries were Hillary Clinton's email to even Trump Russia investigations. Former FBI Agent and Author of "Compromised" Peter Strzok, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
President Biden's first year did not come to the close that he had hoped after last night's Senate vote blocked the voting rights bill, a priority that Biden has promoted since his inauguration. Joining us to discuss the voting rights bill, and many others passing through congress is congresswoman Lori Trahan, representing Massachusett's 3rd district.
