Happening Today: Cosby Trial, Manchester Bombing, Uber, Fentanyl, George Clooney

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Trump Wishes Comey Luck, Allies Aim at Lawman's Credibility

The White House and its allies are scrambling for ways to offset potential damage from fired FBI Director James Comey's highly anticipated congressional testimony, an appearance that could expose new details about his discussions with President Trump about the federal investigation into Russia's election meddling. Asked about the testimony, Trump was tight-lipped: "I wish him luck," he told reporters before a meeting with lawmakers. Meanwhile, a person familiar with the situation said Comey had told Attorney General Jeff Sessions that he did not want to be left alone with Trump. The person, who was not authorized to discuss the matter by name and spoke on condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press the comment was made because of concerns Comey had about Trump.

“I Was Frozen”: Cosby Accuser Says She Was Drugged, Groped

Bill Cosby's chief accuser took the stand at his sexual assault trial to tell her story publicly for the first time, saying the comedian violated her after giving her three blue pills that left her paralyzed and helpless. "In my head, I was trying to get my hands to move or my legs to move, but I was frozen," Andrea Constand, a 44-year-old former employee of the basketball program at Temple University, Cosby's alma mater, said in their long-awaited courtroom confrontation. "I wasn't able to fight in any way." Cosby, 79, is charged with drugging and violating Constand at his suburban Philadelphia home in 2004. The TV star once dubbed America's Dad could get 10 years in prison if convicted. His lawyers tried to poke holes in Constand's story, citing differences between her courtroom testimony and the accounts she gave to police and in a lawsuit in 2005. The defense has argued the two had a romantic relationship, that Constand wasn't incapacitated and that the sexual encounter was consensual.

Police Release New Photos in Hunt for Manchester Bomb Clues

Police investigating the Manchester bombing freed three more people without charge, including the bomber's brother, and released more photos as they worked to reconstruct the killer's final movements. The May 22 attack at an Ariana Grande concert killed 22 people as well as bomber Salman Abedi, a Briton of Libyan descent. Police are trying to uncover clues about a suspected network that supported him. Greater Manchester Police released photos of a white Nissan Micra seized in Manchester, saying "significant evidence" had been found inside. Police appealed for anyone who saw the car between April 13, when its previous owner sold it, and April 15 — when Abedi left the U.K. — to contact detectives. Police say Abedi returned to Britain from Libya four days before the attack.

Uber Fires at Least 20 People After Investigating Sexual Harassment Claims, Source Says

Ride-sharing company Uber has fired at least 20 people after the tech giant investigated claims of sexual harassment within its ranks, the company confirmed. The law firm Perkins Coie investigated 215 claims in its probe into the allegations. One hundred of those resulted in no action, and NBC News reports that 57 of the cases are still under review. An Uber spokesperson said that the complaints "covered a wide spectrum ranging from discrimination, sexual harassment, unprofessional behavior and bullying." "All reported incidents were investigated, and when corroborated, swift action was taken," a company spokesperson told NBC Bay Area. It was not immediately known who was among the terminated employees. Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has been investigating claims of sexual harassment at Uber in a separate probe. The dual investigations began in February after former Uber engineer Susan Fowler published a blog post called "Reflecting On One Very, Very Strange Year At Uber."

DEA Issues New Guideline for First Responders Dealing With Dangerous Fentanyl Drug

The Drug Enforcement Agency released a new set of guidelines to help first responders know how to handle the deadly drug fentanyl in the battle against the national opioid epidemic, NBC News reported. "Assume the worst," DEA acting chief Chuck Rosenberg says in a video accompanying the guideline. "Don't touch this stuff or the wrappings that it comes in without the proper personal protective equipment." Rosenberg said the guideline, produced with help from police officers in Ohio, New Jersey, Connecticut, Maryland and Georgia, should be required reading for first responders. The DEA recently moved to declare the designer drug Acryl fentanyl a controlled substance and make it illegal to buy online.

George and Amal Clooney Welcome Birth of Twins, Couple Says

George and Amal Clooney are now parents of twins and, rest assured, George is doing fine. The Clooneys welcomed a girl and a boy — Ella and Alexander — the couple announced in a joint statement. Both mother and children, born at a hospital in London, are "happy, healthy and doing fine. "George is sedated and should recover in a few days," added the family's statement, released through Clooney's publicist. The Clooneys had been living in London while awaiting the arrival of their babies. They own a historic mansion just west of London in Berkshire. Clooney, 56, and international human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin, 39, married in Italy in 2014. These are the first children for both.

Sony Backs “Ghostbusters” Director After Aykroyd Criticism

Sony Pictures Entertainment is backing the director of last year's "Ghostbusters" remake, Paul Feig, after Dan Aykroyd criticized him for spending too much money on the film to make it worthwhile for Sony to make a sequel. Without mentioning Feig's name, Aykroyd said on the British chat show "Sunday Brunch" this week that Feig didn't want to shoot scenes Aykroyd and others told him were necessary. He said the scenes were eventually added as reshoots and cost the production an additional $30 million to $40 million, making a sequel "economically not feasible." While he said he was pleased with the reboot of the franchise that starred Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy, Aykroyd suggested Sony wouldn't be eager again to work with Feig, who directed comedy hits "Bridesmaids" and "The Heat." Sony Pictures took issue with Aykroyd's comments in a statement to The Associated Press, putting the cost of the reshoots at $3 million to $4 million.