Prosecutors unveil cache of Menendez texts in bribery trial: "It is extremely important that we keep Nadine happy"
CBSN
Washington — Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jersey was on the cusp of turning 64 when Nadine Arslanian, who would later become his wife and be indicted alongside him in a federal bribery case, asked to take him to lunch for his birthday.
"Would love to get together but as I said once before I don't want to interfere with your boyfriend," the Democratic senator texted her back on Dec. 31, 2017.
A month later, on the day the Justice Department dismissed the remaining charges against him in a separate corruption case, she wrote him, "Now re-election!!!!"
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine are holding a briefing for reporters Thursday on the latest developments in the Iran war, their first since Israel carried out strikes killing Iran's top security chief Ali Larijani and Esmail Khatib, its intelligence minister.
The Grammy-nominated rapper Afroman won a defamation lawsuit filed by seven Ohio sheriff's deputies who sued him over music videos in which he used home security footage to mock their raid of his home. In:
A lawyer who worked closely with Jeffrey Epstein for decades before becoming an executor of his estate will be questioned Thursday by the House Oversight Committee. In:
A group of House Democrats walked out of a closed-door briefing with Attorney General Pam Bondi on the Jeffrey Epstein probe late Wednesday, as tensions over the Justice Department's handling of the Epstein case continue to simmer. In:
The FBI is investigating former National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent in connection with alleged leaks of classified information, multiple sources with direct knowledge of the matter tell CBS News.
Illinois' Democratic primary elections on Tuesday received a lot of attention, and not always for the candidates on the ballot. The primary for the open seat left by retiring Sen. Dick Durbin, had served as a test for Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker's political clout ahead of a potential 2028 presidential run.
Gasoline prices in the U.S. jumped on Wednesday, as the Iran war continues to take a toll on energy infrastructure in the Middle East and slow shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. In:
Joe Kent, who resigned Tuesday as National Counterterrorism Center director, has been a stalwart Trump supporter, backing him since his 2016 campaign, through his 2020 election defeat, the Jan. 6 riots, as well as during his own conservative media advocacy and two failed congressional bids. In:
Nancy Guthrie has been missing for 45 days, and with the latest update in the case being of little use to authorities, one expert tells CBS News the extended timeline means it "becomes much harder to keep the investigation going." In:
Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon accused a top Justice Department official of blocking the release of a document related to a secret investigation of drug trafficking and prostitution by Jeffrey Epstein. In:
Labor leader Dolores Huerta appeared to corroborate allegations of abuse against young women or minors by the late Cesar Chavez on Wednesday, writing in a statement that she had two non-consensual "sexual encounters" with him that ended in pregnancy. In:
As TSA lines get longer and the situation at U.S. airports becomes more uncertain, there's a method for flyers hoping to fast-pass security wait times. In addition to keeping tabs on TSA wait-time trackers, which are often available on individual airports' websites, air travelers can also enroll in the TSA PreCheck Touchless ID program, a verification process that uses biometrics similar to Clear. In:
President Trump hasn't made up his mind yet on whether he wants to send American forces into Iran and seize the country's nuclear material, which would be a very dangerous operation, sources familiar with the matter told CBS News. Margaret Brennan contributed to this report. In: