STORMY DANIELS in 2018 (Shutterstock).

Stormy Daniels, the porn actress who claims she had sex with former president Donald Trump and was later paid to “keep it quiet” testified on Tuesday in a New York City court and spoke of her encounter with him.

Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, told of meeting Trump in 2006 in Lake Tahoe and visiting his penthouse.

After visiting the bathroom, she said, she found him in the bedroom in his underwear. “The next thing I know was: I was on the bed” and they had sexual intercourse. She said the encounter left her “shaking.”

Later, in the wake of the surfacing of the “Access Hollywood” tape in which he bragged about touching women sexually without permission, she learned that Trump’s lawyer Michael Cohen wanted to buy her silence for $130,000.

Trump’s lawyers sought a mistrial, which the judge denied.

Biden condemns “antisemitism”

PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN

President Joe Biden spoke at a holocaust remembrance ceremony in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday and spoke out against what he called “a ferocious surge in antisemitism” in the wake of the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Biden said the rise in acts and speech against Jews across the world reminded him and others of Nazi Germany’s efforts.

“This ancient hatred of Jews didn’t begin with the Holocaust,” he said. “It didn’t end with the Holocaust, either.”

Demonstrations and “occupations” of college campaigns by pro-Palestinians have sometimes generated speech that can be offensive. One student leader said – and then apologized for – “Zionists have no right to live.”

Biden noted that the war began on Oct. 7 by Hamas attacks that killed about 1,200 Israelis. Since then about 34,000 Palestinians have died.

Israel captures one side of crossing

FLAG OF ISRAEL

The beginning of Isreal’s surge into Rafah in Gaza is underway. That nation’s military has said it has captured the Gazas side of the border crossing with Egypt, which has been a vital corridor for humanitarian aid to pass into the besieged area.

About 20 Hamas militants have been killed by Israeli forces in an operation in east Rafah, it’s reported. Four Israeli soldiers were said to be wounded by mortar fire.

The move toward the border crossing comes after negotiations on a cease-fire broke down. Gazans have been warned to evacuate the area around Rafah toward where an “expanded humanitarian area” is said to have been created.

A full invasion of the area is expected to follow.

Boy Scouts changing its name

The Boy Scouts of America is changing its name and brand to Scouting America, the organization announced on Tuesday.

BOY SCOUTS of America.

The change comes as the organization, now 114 years old, is seeking to reverse declining membership and image issues that include charges of sexual abuse and exclusivity. The renamed youth group will welcome girls, gays and others long not welcome.

“In the next 100 years we want any youth in America to feel very, very welcome to come into our programs,” said Roger Krone, the group’s new president. The new name will be in place on Feb. 8, 2025, the 115th anniversary of BSA.

This is the latest change reflecting a liberalization of membership. Gay youth have been allowed since 2013, adults gay leaders in 2015 and girls in 2019.

Angels and Dodgers each win big

It was a rare night, but both Los Angeles-Orange County major league baseball teams won blowouts on Tuesday.

The Los Angeles Angels finally got what they’ve needed – good pitching and lots of timely hitting.

On Tuesday night the Halos hammered out 15 hits –including two home runs and six RBIs by Kevin Pillar — en route to a 9-0 victory over the Pirates in Pittsburgh.

At the same time, the team got an outstanding performance from starting pitcher Patrick Sandoval (2-5), working seven innings and yielding three hits. He struck out seven batters and walked just one.

Catcher Logan O’Hoppe raised his batting average to .279 with a 4-for-5 performance with two RBIs.

With the win, the Angels snapped a three-game losing streak and improved their record to 13-23 which lifted them into fourth place in the American League West.

Showing no sign of slowing down, the Los Angeles Dodgers won their sixth consecutive game on Tuesday, beating the Miami Marlins 8-2 at Chavez Ravine. It was their 13th win in  15 games.

Max Muncy hit a grand slam in the first inning and Gavin Lux hit a solo home run. Starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (4-1) pitched eight strong innings, giving up five hits and two runs. He struck out five batters and walked two.

The Blue Crew is now 25-13 and leads the NL West by 6.5 games over the San Diego Padres.

Weather: Still in the Seventies

Pleasant days continue in our West Orange County area right into the weekend with mild temperatures and partly cloudy skies. Wednesday’s daytime high is predicted to be 74 with an overnight low of 57. Thursday looks a little cooler at 72 (56), and then Friday bobs up to 74 (56). Saturday is forecast at 72 (58).