E Minus 25: Donald Trump struck back yesterday, accusing The NY Times of making up its story about two women who say he sexually assaulted them, and calling the women “horrible, horrible liars.” He also denied an incident described by a former reporter for People Magazine, who wrote that Trump forced his tongue down her throat.

Trump also railed at the media during a rally in Palm Beach, Fla., yesterday, saying “Anyone who challenges them is deemed a racist, a sexist, a xenophobe and morally deformed.” Targeting The NY Times in particular, Trump declared, “They will seek to destroy everything about you, including your reputation. They will lie, lie, lie and they will do worse than that.”

Trump’s lawyer wrote The Times a letter describing their story as “libel per se,” demanding a retraction. The Times responded with a brief primer on libel law. Times lawyer David McCraw wrote that, “The essence of a libel claim, of course, is the protection of one’s reputation.”  He went on to say that Mr. Trump has bragged about his non-consensual touching of women, walking into beauty pageant dressing rooms amidst naked women, and discussing his own daughter as a “piece of ass.” McCraw wrote, “Nothing in our article has had the slightest effect on the reputation that Mr. Trump, through his own words and actions, has already created for himself.”

This came after Natasha Stoynoff, a former reporter for People Magazine who once covered the “Trump beat” described an encounter with the Donald. “We walked into that room alone, and Trump shut the door behind us. I turned around, and within seconds he was pushing me against the wall and forcing his tongue down my throat.”

A few minutes later, as the two were waiting for the pregnant Melania Trump to change clothes, Trump sat on a sofa, smiled, leaned forward and, and according to her article, said to Stoynoff, “You know we’re going to have an affair, don’t you?”

First Class: Michelle Obama, who’s been one of the more popular and effective speakers on behalf of Hillary Clinton, went off script yesterday to denounce what Donald Trump has brought to the national conversation. “This is not normal,” Obama said. Without using Trump’s name, she said, “This is not something we can sweep under the rug as just another disturbing footnote in a sad election.” She went on, “This was a powerful individual speaking freely and openly about sexually predatory behavior. … We cannot endure this or expose our children to this any longer, not for another minute, let alone for four years.”

Police Beat: The Justice Department announced that it will start collecting records on police shootings and other violent encounters with the public in the wake of controversial police shootings in recent years. While the feds keep crime statistics, they have not been keeping a statistical picture of what the police are doing.

Traffic Jam: A New Jersey judge cleared the way for prosecutors to open a criminal investigation of Gov. Chris Christie’s possible involvement in the 2014 closing of traffic lanes on the George Washington Bridge to punish the mayor of Ft. Lee. The decision came in response to a complaint filed by a man named Bill Brennan. Christie’s office issued a howling protest saying, “This is a dishonorable complaint filed by a known serial complainant and political activist with a history of abusing the judicial system.”

Death of a King: Thailand is mourning the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who ascended to the throne just after World War II and lived to become the world’s longest-sitting monarch. He was 88. King Bhumibol was Thailand’s father figure, although the country has been ruled for the past two years by a military junta. His death creates uncertainty. The king’s heir apparent, Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn, is a jet-setting playboy. He’s been married and divorced three times.

Choice Words: Speaking about Republicans wavering in their support after the release of the video on which Trump used a vulgar word for the female anatomy, campaign manager Kellyanne Conway said on ABC News, “Enough of the pussyfooting around.”

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