Directly to Hush Money Payments to Stormy Daniels. Why he says the fo former president was afraid of the Adult Star Story would be a disaster for the 2016 campaign. Its marked down in. Norah Cbs Evening News starts now good evening im Norah Odonnell and thank you for being with us after a pivotal day in the criminal trial of donald trump, the former president coming facetoface with this one time personal Attorney Michael Cohen who gave six hours of detailed testimony under oath, Painting A Behind The Scenes picture of what was happening in the final weeks of the 2016 campaign. The former fixer and inside man detailed how trump personally approved the socalled Hush Money Payouts to hide stories he believed would hurt him with female voters in his 2016 run for the white house. What was the Stormy Daniels payment and that trumps reimbursement to cohen disguised as Legal Expenses that is at the heart of this criminal case. Trump is charged with 34 Felony Counts of falsifying Business Records to conceal that information from voters. Reporters in the room said trump spent much of the day in court with his eyes closed. The robert costa there with todays riveting testimony and a secret recording that the jury heard today. Michael cohen left early this morning for what would be a blockbuster day in court where he testified that when Stormy Daniels started shopping her story, donald trump told him just take care of it. Cohen set the scene, the 26 teen election was just weeks away and according to cohens testimony, trump said its a total disaster. Women are going to hate me. As trump continued to deny all the allegations, cohen detailed how he made the 130,000 payment to daniels to keep her quiet which he described in 2019. He asked me to pay off an Adult Film Star with whom he had an affair and to lie about it to his wife, which i did. Before finalizing the 130,000 payment to daniels, cohen said he called trump to tell him because everything required mr. Trumps signoff. On top of that i wanted the money back. Cohen so far has been effective for the prosecution, he is the y placed donald trump directly in these discussions about payoffs to Stormy Daniels. Cohen pointed to a Trump Tower Meeting where he and former chief Financial OfficerAllen Weisselberg showed a trump at this document with cohens name by the top and 130,000 scribbled at the bottom. Him it was there, cohen testified, that trump approved the plan to pay him in monthly installments. Jurors also heard a trump and a cohen allegedly talking together in 2016 about a separate Hush Money Payment made to former playboy playmate karen mcdougal, a recording cohen made without telling trump. I spoke to alan about it, when it comes time to financing what financing . Well have to pay for this. One major challenge is getting the jury to believe michael cohen. Hes a convicted felon who spent time in prison and admitted to lying to congress. The only way they could do that is really by allowing cohen to be himself on the stand and testify and come across as a person whose credible. And who may have lied in the past but telling the truth now. Trump and a cohen barely looked at each other all day but there was one moment where cohen was asked to single out the defendant and he did just that. Cohen will be back in the courtroom tomorrow. Norah robert costa, thank you so much. Breaking news from the scene of the deadly Bridge Collapse in baltimore. In a risky operation, engineers set off controlled explosion in the wreckage of the Francis Scott key bridge to help try to free the massive cargo ship that crash into its nearly seven weeks ago. Cbss Nicole Sganga is there. Explosive Position Cuts at the sight of the key Bridge Collapse. Workers demolishing steel beams to remove a colossal steel truss on top of the Container Ship Dali where 21 crew members remain below deck during this operation. With this going to allow for the pressure from those cuts to cuts deliberately separate the metal and cut through the steel. Once clear, crews will work to reflow to the Container Ship at dali in the hopes of moving it out of the channel. The massive Container Ship spanning 985 feet and weighing 116,000 tons, moving it is one of the last remaining barriers to clearing the channel. The bridge is down. This is the moment the first Police Marine unit arrived on scene at the deadly Bridge Collapsed seven weeks ago. At least several vehicles in the water. Authorities have recovered all six bodies of the Construction Workers who died during the Bridge Collapse. Maryland has now offered 22 million in assistance to impacted small businesses, plus 2. 8 million in cash to port workers. We are talking about a port that has an economic output of 191 million daily. Amid calls for accountability as investigators dive into the most expensive maritime tragedy in u. S. History. We know that those who need to be held responsible for this tragedy will be held respo responsible. Findings from a preliminary investigation by the ntsb are expected to be released tomorrow. Meanwhile, maryland transportation Officials Say that the new bridge is expected to cost as much as 2 billion. Norah Nicole Sganga, thank you so much. Tonight at the white house is urging israel to focus on a clear end game with its war with hamas with a political plan for the future of the palestinian people. This comes as israel finds itself fighting hamas in areas it once thought had been cleared of militants. The struggle for food and shelter in gaza is getting wo worse. Is really strikes echo across northern gaza. In the first weeks of this war, more wounded and more dead with thousands running out of Refugee Camps as israels military rolled in to stop hamas from regrouping. A tank is behind a school. Yelled to this mother, we dont know where to go. Parts of Rough A City Set Shattered and abandoned as israel advanced to there. Need nearly 360,000 people have fled in the past weeks. The already displaced again displaced into the sands of al mawasi and further north. I need to stay strong because of my daughter said jamila abu jebara. She named her six other Sons And Daughters killed in an israeli strike seven months ago today. I think im dreaming and ill wake up and five my children around me. Deema, now an only child said i just want this more to end. Hostility runs deep and wide. Today Israeli Settlers attacked an aid convoy headed to gaza, ransacking the trucks and throwing their contents onto the streets. As the country marked its first memorial day since october 7th for Fallen Soldiers and victims of terror, the u. S. Warned israel it needs a plan to replace hamas as a governing body in gaza. Youre going to have a vacuum and a vacuum thats likely to be filled by chaos and anarchy and ultimately by hamas again. Now in gaza the Health Ministry is appealing for International Pressure to let in aid to. The strips crucial southern Border Crossing in rafah remains closed. Norah thank you for being there. Now to the intensifying war in ukraine. Russian forces are carrying out a major assault in and around ukraines second largest city kharkiv capturing more than a halfdozen towns and villages over the weekend. Russia has also been pounding ukraines power grid while ukraine desperately outgunned troops wait for more military aid to arrive from the u. S. And western allies. Tonight New York City is on edge following a string of random assaults including two high Profile Incidents and just last week. A tourist in times square was stabbed over the weekend and a celebrity was punched in the face by a stranger just a few days earlier. Cbss Nikki Battiste reports on whats behind this rise in frightening attacks. Surveillance video shows this terrifying moment on saturday in times square. A Man Jumping Up from a walker pulling out a knife and lunching at two women walking by, stabbing one of them in the chest. A few minutes later, police handcuffed the suspect. Its the latest in a series of random assaults across New York City, about a dozen people mostly women and 19yearold have reported incidents to police. Some shared stories online saying they were randomly punched in the face while walking down the street. It was like a zombie walking and just punched and just kept walking out of nowhere. Actor Steve Buscemi had a swollen bloody i after he was allegedly hit by this man last week. His publicist said in a statement of the sopranos and Boardwalk Empire Star was another victim of a random act of violence in the city. I think is a combination of factors. One is unaddressed mental illness. Murderers, burglaries, and shootings in New York City are down but there have been about 1,000 more Misdemeanor Assaults like punching incidents this year compared to last, about a 7 jump. Was at the randomness of these incidents that causes the alarm . Im minding my business, im not engaging with anybody im not making eye contact im not being hostile, and yet i can get assaulted and thats what makes people afraid to. The nypd believes there are multiple people behind these Punching Attacks and they dont appear to be connected to. There have been at least four arrests. We reached out to the nypd to ask if they are stepping up Street Patrols but we havent heard back. Norah Nikki Battiste, thanks very much. More than 100 active wild fires are burning in canada sending the thick smoke across the border south into the united states. Minnesota officials issued the states first air quality alert of the year for parts of wisconsin and iowa also facing air quality issues. Canada had its worst Wildfire Season on record last year and extreme Drought Conditions could make this year even worse. Tonight, Severe Weather is once again taking aim at parts of the country. This tornado striking a short time ago in southern missouri while heavy rains flooded roads across texas and dropping hail the size of golf balls. Look at that at homes near austin. More than 10 million americans are under foot alerts from texas to florida with more rain in the forecast. Some areas could receive up to a foot by the end of the week. Tens of millions of americans are gearing up for the upcoming memorial day weekend. Aaa says 43. 8 Million People are expected to travel 50 miles or more this year making it the busiest in nearly 20 years. Hears cbss Kris Van Cleave. Hoping to beat the potentially recordbreaking Summer Travel rush, joy Noelle Balanag booked her vacation months ago. Im excited for this travel season, i travel on airplanes, i plan on taking my car. Just seeing where the Summer Season takes me. She will not be alone. Aaa is expecting about a 5 bump in Airline Travel this memorial day weekend. United airlines is planning for its busiest ever, fly more than half a Million People a day. Most will drive. Aaa protecting a record 38. 4 million will hit the road come up 4 from last year. It goes back to that bucket list you only live once mentality. A lot of people are now going lets not take those trips we always take with our family, lets get a little more adventurous. One of the Fastest GrowingTravel Segments postpandemic is cruising, the industry is expected nearly 35 million passengers this year. For the thousands on Board Carnival for its soldout inaugural sailing it started early. What do you like best about cruising . You get to go up to multiple destinations come on pack your suitcase once. You got food, entertainment, a casino if youre into that. When it comes to holiday traffic, aaa expects the roads to be busiest next thursday and friday between noon and at 7 00 p. M. United Airlines Thinks the air airports will be busiest on thursday. Orlando, florida beaches, las vegas, and here in denver. Norah Kris Van Cleave with good information, thank you so much. A Church Congregation post they got her to stop a gunman while dozens of kids away to ther awar first holy communion. The heroic story next. Ract, or genital yeast infections, and low blood sugar. A rare, lifethreatening bacterial infection in the skin of the perineum could occur. Stop taking farxiga and call your doctor right away if you have symptoms of this infection, an allergic reaction, or ketoacidosis. Farxiga heartburn makes you queasy . Get fast relief with new tums upset stomach nausea support, and love food back. noel did you know its possible to have a heart attack at age 36 . I didnt. Heres a tip. If you smoke, its totally possible. Thats what happened to me. announcer you can quit. For free help, call 1800quitnow. [meowing] hi, whats your name . This is our new friend. Well talk about it later, ok . what does a cat need . Chewys here. [smash] no, no, no, no. That good . Hey, wait, come back. is this normal . Ask the chewy vet team. How much is too much catnip . For everything you need and everything you need to know. Find it at chewy. with wet amd, i worry im not only losing my sight, but my time to enjoy it. But now, i can open up my world with vabysmo. vabysmo is the first fdaapproved treatment for people with wet amd that improves vision and delivers a chance for up to 4 months between treatments, so i can do more of what i love. vabysmo works differently, its the only treatment designed to block 2 causes of wet amd. Vabysmo is an eye injection. Dont take it if you have an infection, active eye swelling, or are allergic to it. Treatments like vabysmo can cause an Eye Infection or retinal detachment. Vabysmo may cause a temporary increase in eye pressure after receiving the injection. There is an uncommon risk of heart attack or stroke associated with blood clots. Severe swelling of Blood Vessels in the eye can occur. Most common eye side effects were cataract and broken Blood Vessels. Open up your world with vabysmo. A chance for up to 4 months between treatments with vabysmo. Ask your doctor. Norah quick thinking churchgoers joined forces to stop a gunman in louisiana this weekend. Omar villafranca has the dramatic video. Chaos during communion caught on a live stream, happened saturday during a first communion ceremony for 60 children, all second graders in abbeville louisiana. Police say a 16yearold boy carrying a gun opened the back door of a packed church but was immediately confronted and escorted away from the church by parishioners. The priest tries to calm everyone by asking them to recite a prayer while Altar Servers can be seen running for cover and clergy ducking behind the altar. A 16yearold was arrested and taken for evaluation. A man attempted to shoot a Pennsylvania Pastor amid service, video captures the moment his gun jammed and a deacon dives over a few entitles him. Im trying to get out of the way of him shooting because he pointed at right at me. Im looking right on the barrel of a gun. Bernard polite said he heard voices, hes under arrest and charged with murdering his cousin earlier that day. Omar villafranca, cbs news, dallas. Norah whats supposed to be a new simple fight system for federal College Loans is upended by glitches. What students and parents need to know, thats next. Over 97 of Eliquis Patients did not experience a stroke. Dont Stop Taking Eliquis without talking to your doctor as this may increase your risk of stroke. Eliquis can cause serious and in rare cases fatal bleeding. Dont take eliquis if you have an Artificial Heart Valve or abnormal bleeding. While taking, you may bruise more easily. Or take longer for bleeding to stop. Get help right away for unexpected bleeding