Manhattan

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday again rebuffed President Trump’s push to throw out a jury’s $5 million finding that he sexually abused the writer E. Jean Carroll at a New York City department store in the mid-1990s and later defamed her.

The Republican president’s lawyers had asked the justices to reconsider their refusal to hear his appeal. The court denied Trump’s petition along with several others.

It’s unusual — although not unheard of — for the court to grant such requests. Trump paid the judgment shortly after the court declined to take up his appeal in June.

Trump and the Justice Department are also asking the high court to toss out a second Carroll verdict totaling $83 million. They argue he’s immune from being sued over comments he made about her in 2019, when he was president. The court has not yet acted on that appeal.

Carroll is a longtime advice columnist and former TV talk show host. She testified at a 2023 trial that Trump turned a friendly 1990s encounter into a violent attack in the dressing room at Bergdorf Goodman, a luxury retailer across the street from Trump Tower in Manhattan. The jury found Trump liable for defaming Carroll when he denied her allegation in 2022.

Trump has denied any wrongdoing.

The Associated Press does not identify people who say they have been sexually assaulted unless they come forward publicly, as Carroll has done.

Whitehurst writes for the Associated Press.

Taryn Brasher and Kristen Cruz clinched an AVP Manhattan Beach Open three-peat on Sunday, sweeping Kelly Cheng and Megan Kraft.

It was the tournament’s first three-peat since Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings won four straight titles from 2005-08.

Brasher and Cruz, the top-ranked women’s pro beach volleyball team out of Louisiana State, rolled past Cheng and Kraft 2-1 (21-18, 21-16).

Brasher and Cruz took a commanding 4-1 lead to start the first set, the first of back-and-forth surges by both sides. Cheng and Kraft tied the set at 15, but Brasher and Cruz pulled ahead for the 21-18 win.

Kristen Cruz dives for a dig during the AVP Manhattan Beach Open women’s final at Manhattan Beach Pier on Sunday.

(Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times)

Taryn Brasher, left, and Kristen Cruz celebrate after defeating Kelly Cheng and Megan Kraft during the AVP Manhattan Beach Open women’s final Sunday.

(Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times)

Brasher and Cruz kept the pressure on during the second match, pulling ahead early 8-6 and leading by as much as 17-12 before closing out the victory.

On the men’s side, Andy Benesh and Taylor Crabb defeated Thomas Hurst and Gage Basey in two sets (21-14, 21-13) to clinch the tournament title.

Crabb previously clinched a Manhattan Beach Pier bronze plaque, but it was Benesh’s first time winning the open.

Crabb and Benesh took a commanding 8-3 lead in the first set with all of the energy flowing on their side. Hurst and Basey rallied to cut the deficit to 8-7, but Benesh ended the scoring drought with a monster block.

Taylor Crabb dives for a ball during the AVP Manhattan Beach Open men’s final at Manhattan Beach Pier on Sunday.

(Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times)

Andy Benesh, left, spikes the ball under pressure from Thomas Hurst.

(Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times)

Andy Benesh and Taylor Crabb stand alongside friends and family after winning the AVP Manhattan Beach Open on Sunday.

(Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times)

Benesh and Crabb added to their lead to 13-8 with back-to-back blocks and rolled to a 21-14 win.

The duo led early in the final set and had little trouble delivering a 21-13 victory.

Crabb had 10 kills and 14 digs during the match, with many of the kills coming during the second set. Benesh closed with 14 kills and eight blocks.