Get the top headlines of the day in your morning briefing from NBC 4 New York, Monday through Friday. Sign up for our newsletter here.
Jeffrey Epstein Faces Bail Hearing Again Following Fake Passport Revelation
A judge in Manhattan on Thursday is expected to announce his decision on whether to allow bail for Jeffrey Epstein, who's accused of sexually abusing dozens of underage girls, following a bombshell revelation that the billionaire had a fake passport and piles of cash stashed in his safe. The details emerged amid discussion of the financier's assets and whether he would be a flight risk. At Monday's hearing, U.S. District Judge Richard Berman said he needed more time to decide whether to grant bail. He said he will announce his decision Thursday morning. Epstein's lawyers want him released on house arrest but prosecutors had said evidence against Epstein is growing "stronger by the day" after several more women contacted them in recent days to say he abused them when they were underage.
Documents Tied to Cohen's Hush-Money Payments to Be Released
A New York judge ordered the government to put the search warrant records related to searches of Michael Cohen's residence and office in the public record by 11 a.m. Thursday. For months, prosecutors had asked that the documents remain sealed because they were still probing payments Cohen helped orchestrate to two women — porn actress Stormy Daniels and Playboy centerfold Karen McDougal — who claimed they had affairs with Trump. But now that the investigation has concluded, U.S. District Judge William H. Pauley III says the public has a right to scrutinize the materials.
Mount Vernon Police Commissioner Appears in Court After Arrest
Mount Vernon Police Commissioner Shawn Harris is expected in court Thursday after he was arrested Tuesday morning, hours after being appointed to the role by an acting mayor whose authority is not recognized by some city officials. Harris spent most of his first day on the job in jail before being released Tuesday evening, calling it "the worst day of (his) life." "It's been an embarassment for me, and my family and the great city of Mount Vernon," Harris said shortly after being released. His arrest capped a day of political drama in a city notorious for it. Harris was ousted from the police department by then-Mayor Richard Thomas in March, but re-appointed to the role by Acting Mayor Andre Wallace on Monday night, according to a LoHud.com report.
Local
Manchester Arena Bombing Suspect in Court, Denies 22 Counts of Murder
The brother of the suicide bomber who killed almost two dozen people at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester appeared in court Thursday to face 22 charges of murder. Hashem Abedi's lawyer, Zafar Ali, said his client denied the charges. The 22-year-old is the younger brother of Salman Abedi, who blew himself up amid concertgoers at Manchester Arena on May 22, 2017. He was detained in Libya, his parents' homeland, soon after the attack and extradited to Britain on Wednesday. Abedi stood in the dock at Westminster Magistrates' Court as prosecutor Kathryn Selby said he was charged with 22 counts of murder, one count of attempted murder relating to the more than 260 people who were injured, and one count of conspiring to cause explosions.
