5 Things To Know For You New Day-Friday February 17

Trump — Under Fire — Returns To The Campaign:

President Donald Trump is taking his fate into his own hands.

Reeling from a week that included the firing of his national security adviser, the withdrawal of a Cabinet nominee and persistent questions over contacts between his campaign and Russia, Trump is aiming to regain control of his nascent administration by putting himself back in the spotlight.

The centerpiece of the effort: a return to the scorched-earth politics that served him so well on the campaign trail. That was on display Thursday when Trump cranked up the political theater during an extraordinary news conference that transferred the seething air of grievance from his campaign rallies to the ornate splendor of the East Room of the White House.

Donald Trump Calls Treatment Of First Lady Unfair:

More than an hour into a raucous White House news conference, President Donald Trump was asked a personal question about his wife, Melania Trump.

The President embraced the opportunity to talk about the first lady, who has not spent much time in the public eye since her husband assumed office almost four weeks ago, and to defend her against some of her critics.

“I think she is a great representative for this country, and a funny thing happens. She gets so unfairly maligned,” said Trump. “The things they say, and I have known her for a long time, the things they say are so unfair.”

Melania Trump has been falsely accused of working for an escort service — a charge she defended herself against in court, winning one of the cases, and continuing her fight against another outlet.

“I’ll tell you this, she is going to be a fantastic first lady, she is going to be a tremendous representative of women,” Trump said.

Defamation Lawsuit Against Bill Cosby Dismissed:

A federal judge in Massachusetts dismissed a defamation lawsuit against Bill Cosby by Katherine McKee, an actress who claimed he raped her in 1974, according to court documents.

McKee’s sexual assault allegation first appeared in a New York Daily News article in 2014. After the article was published, Cosby wrote a letter to the paper denying the claim. His lawyer asked the paper to retract the article, according to Cosby spokesman Andrew Wyatt.

McKee sued the comedian for defamation, seeking monetary and punitive damages, according to court documents. McKee filed the lawsuit at the end of 2015, a year after the article’s publication.

U.S. District Court Judge Mark Mastroianni ruled that McKee had not proven that Cosby had defamed her simply by denying her claims.

“An accused person cannot be foreclosed, during their responsive navigation, from considering the issuance of a simple and unequivocal denial — free from overall defamatory triggers or contextual themes,” he wrote in the decision. “Such a situation would be inconsistent with basic First Amendment principles.”

Trump Says No To Filling Out March Madness Bracket For ESPN:

ESPN minted a March Madness tradition under President Obama that is apparently coming to an end in the Trump era.

The network said in a statement Wednesday that it asked President Trump to fill out brackets for the men’s and women’s NCAA basketball tournaments — but the White House “respectfully declined” the offer.

Obama, a longtime fan of the sport, had made the endeavor an annual tradition when March Madness rolled around, even appearing on ESPN’s Sportcenter to discuss his picks. He was also known to take to the White House courts during his tenure.

Trump, however, is better known for his love of golf — and building golf courses.

The White House did not immediately respond to CNNMoney’s request for comment regarding Trump’s decision not to fill out the ESPN bracket.

DARRELLE REVIS CHARGED AFTER ALLEGED ALTERCATION IN PITTSBURGH

New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis was allegedly involved in an altercation in the South Side of Pittsburgh over the weekend. Conflicting reports have emerged regarding the nature of that altercation, however.

Revis’ attorney, Blaine Jones, told ESPN police have informed him that Revis will be charged with robbery, terroristic threats, conspiracy and aggravated assault, per Rich Cimini of ESPN. Jones also said a warrant will be issued for Revis’ arrest, and he will turn himself iN.

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source: CNN.com

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