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Developing now, Wednesday, August 22, 2018

An illegal immigrant has been charged with murder in the death of Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts, whose body was believed to have been recovered Tuesday, more than a month after she was reported missing. The suspect will make his first court appearance Wednesday.

Michael Cohen, President Trump's former longtime personal attorney, has pleaded guilty to violating campaign finance laws in arranging hush money payments to two women who allegedly had affairs with Trump. Pundits debate how much potential legal jeopardy the president faces.

Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort faces up to 80 years in prison after a jury convicted him of eight counts of bank and tax fraud; President Trump called Manafort's conviction a 'disgrace' that has nothing to do with Russian collusion

Wyoming state treasurer Mark Gordon defeated Trump-backed billionaire Foster Friess in the state's GOP gubernatorial primary race Tuesday

THE LEAD STORY - SEARCH FOR MOLLIE COMES TO TRAGIC END: The suspect in the killing of Iowa college student Mollie Tibbetts is a 24-year-old illegal immigrant from Mexico who had been living in the area for up to seven years, officials revealed Tuesday ... Cristhian Bahena Rivera was arrested Tuesday and charged with first-degree murder in the death of the 20-year-old Tibbetts, who was reported missing more than a month ago. Rivera is scheduled to make an initial court appearance on Wednesday at 1 p.m. local time in Montezuma, Iowa. Tibbetts was last seen jogging July 18 near Brooklyn, Iowa in Poweshiek County, where Rivera lives. A body believed to be Mollie Tibbetts was discovered in a cornfield, and Rivera led authorities to the location, said Rick Rahn, special agent in charge with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.

Tibbetts' alleged murder and the revelation that suspect Cristhian Rivera is an illegal immigrant sparked almost immediate comparisons to the death of Kate Steinle, who was shot and killed on a San Francisco pier in 2015. Investigators said the suspect, Jose Ines Garcia Zarate, was in the U.S. illegally. A jury acquitted him of murder, manslaughter and assault last year but convicted him of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

PRESIDENT IN LEGAL PERIL? - Michael Cohen, President Trump’s longtime personal attorney, admitted Tuesday to violating federal campaign finance laws by arranging hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal “at the direction” of then-candidate Trump ... In entering the plea, Cohen did not specifically name the two women or even Trump, recounting instead that he worked with an “unnamed candidate.” But the amounts and the dates all lined up with the payments made to Daniels and McDougal.

In total, Cohen pleaded guilty to five counts of tax evasion, one count of making false statements to a financial institution, one count of willfully causing an unlawful corporate contribution, and one count of making an excessive campaign contribution. The deal does not involve a cooperation agreement with federal prosecutors. Cohen is set to be sentenced Dec. 12.

In a statement, Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani said: “There is no allegation of any wrongdoing against the President in the government’s charges against Mr. Cohen. It is clear that, as the prosecutor noted, Mr. Cohen’s actions reflect a pattern of lies and dishonesty over a significant period of time.” Cohen attorney Lanny Davis told FOX News that Cohen’s involvement in the Trump-Russia investigation does not end with the plea deal, but in fact "it is only the beginning."

Scholars disagree over how much potential legal jeopardy Trump faces. George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley said on "Special Report" that President Donald Trump may end up an "unindicted co-conspirator" in the case. However, Harvard Law Professor Emeritus Alan Dershowitz told "Tucker Carlson Tonight" that Cohen's guilty pleas may cause some trouble for Trump, but that they are not "lethal" to his presidency.

'NOTHING TO DO WITH RUSSIAN COLLUSION': A federal jury in Virginia convicted former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort on eight counts of bank and tax fraud, making him the first campaign associate of President Trump found guilty by a jury as part of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s probe ... But after four days of deliberations, the jury told Judge T.S. Ellis III on Tuesday afternoon that it could not come to a decision on 10 other counts related to financial crimes. A mistrial was declared on those counts.

“I feel very badly for Paul Manafort,” Trump told reporters Tuesday evening after landing in West Virginia for a political rally. “It has nothing to do with Russian collusion,” Trump added, calling Mueller’s probe a “witch hunt.” The government has until Aug. 29 to decide whether it will move to retry the 10 deadlocked counts. Manafort is facing a maximum sentence of 80 years in prison.

NO 'TRUMP BUMP' IN WYOMING: Wyoming state treasurer Mark Gordon won a fiercely contested GOP primary to replace term-limited Republican Gov. Matt Mead on Tuesday, prevailing over a billionaire businessman who received a last-minute endorsement from President Trump ... Foster Friess, the GOP megadonor who Trump tweeted would be "Strong on Crime, Borders & 2nd Amendment," is a major financial contributor to Christian causes, which analysts had predicted might help him secure Wyoming's religious votes in the race against Gordon and several other candidates.

Trump, who has aggressively campaigned nationally for various state candidates ahead of November's midterm elections, won the state by more than 40 points in the 2016 presidential race. His endorsement has carried significant weight in several primary races this year, helping to oust Rep. Mark Sanford in South Carolina in a stunning upset and keeping Rep. Martha Roby's candidacy alive in Alabama. But it wasn't enough Tuesday, as vote tallies showed Friess trailing Gordon by more than 6 percentage points with virtually all precincts reporting.

Meanwhile, Sen. John Barrasso, a vocal supporter of President Trump, fended off a well-funded challenger in Wyoming's Republican primary Tuesday, soundly defeating Jackson Hole business investor Dave Dodson by more than 30 percentage points.

In Alaska, former state Sen. Mike Dunleavy won the Republican nomination for governor, setting the stage for what's expected to be a three-way fight for the office this fall. He topped a crowded field in Tuesday's GOP primary that included former Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell, who had fashioned himself as the more experienced candidate.

AS SEEN ON FOX NEWS

A 'GREAT' NEW THEME FOR DEMOCRATS: "That's going to be their theme now, 'America was never great' ... Let's give them a new theme: 'America was never great.'" – President Donald Trump, during a rally in West Virginia, referring to a recent gaffe by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. WATCH

MOLLIE SHOULD BE ALIVE: "He 100 percent shouldn't have been here. If [he] weren't here, this woman [if the allegations against Rivera are true] would be alive. That's not irrational or unreasonable." – Former Secret Service Agent Dan Bongino, on "The Five," blasting the failure to enforce immigration laws and other factors that led to Mollie Tibbetts' death. WATCH

TRENDING

Parents put sticky note bow on baby daughter's head after nursery suggests she should dress 'more like a girl.'

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry will not have custody of their children: report.

Aretha Franklin did not leave will: report.

THE SWAMP

Schumer suggests Kavanaugh is lying about time in the White House, would overturn abortion rights.

Rep. Duncan Hunter, wife indicted on corruption charges in California.

West Virginia House speaker Armstead resigns to run for Supreme Court.

ACROSS THE NATION

Facebook purges hundreds of pages, groups, accounts linked to Russia, Iran.

Massage Envy faces new lawsuit alleging it enabled employees' sexual misconduct: report.

Hurricane Lane nears Hawaii as state braces for heavy rain, powerful winds.

MINDING YOUR BUSINESS

Stock futures point lower as political storm surrounds former Trump allies.

U.S., China trade talks to resume amid low expectations.

Sears' pension liabilities may be a thorn in Kenmore sale.

A record bull market, what it means for you.

Slack raises another $427M, valuation spikes by billions.

How Trump’s China tariffs could affect JOANN Fabric sales.

PETA pressures makers of ‘Barnum’s Animals’ crackers to change decades-old box design.

FOX NEWS OPINION

John Stossel: Social media censorship won't fix bad speech.

Gov. Hutchinson: Reduce mental illness in criminal justice system with treatment, not incarceration.

Marc Thiessen: Trump revoking Brennan's security clearance backfired -- here's why.

HOLLYWOOD SQUARED

Politically charged MTV VMAs drop double digits from last year.

Michael Shannon slams Trump in vulgar, profanity-filled interview: 'F--- that guy.'

Nicki Minaj cancels North American tour.

WWE stars The Miz and Maryse open up about being 'role model' parents and how their lives have changed.

DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THIS?

'Cursed' ancient Egyptian sarcophagus reveals its grisly secrets.

Remarkable graveyard discovery: 5,000-year-old 'monumental' cemetery stuns archaeologists.

Man captures giant 1,000-pound alligator on Florida's Lake Okeechobee.

STAY TUNED

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On FOX News:

FOX & Friends, 6 a.m. ET: What do the Manafort guilty verdict and the Cohen plea deal mean for the Mueller investigation? Alan Dershowitz weighs in. Plus, the latest on the arrest of an illegal immigrant in the killing of Mollie Tibbetts. Dr. Nicole Saphier has a back-to-school medical checklist for kids and college students. And FOX News transportation expert Mike Caudill explains why this is the year of the muscle car.

On FOX Business:

Mornings with Maria, 6 a.m. ET: Guests include: Steve Forbes, Forbes Media chairman; Joe Lieberman, former U.S. senator from Connecticut and Democratic VP nominee; Scott Wren, Wells Fargo senior global equity strategist; Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform.

Varney & Co., 9 a.m. ET: Kayleigh McEnany, RNC national spokeswoman; Martha MacCallum, host of "The Story"; Thomas Lee, Fundstrat Global Advisors managing partner and head of research.

Cavuto: Coast to Coast, Noon ET: Mark Zandi, Moody’s Analytics chief economist; Terry Duffy, CME Group chairman and CEO; Austan Goolsbee, former Obama economic adviser; Doug Holtz-Eakin, former CBO director; John Allison, former BB&T CEO.

Countdown to the Closing Bell, 3 p.m. ET: Terry Duffy, CME Group chairman and CEO; John Allison, former BB&T CEO.

On FOX News Radio:

The FOX News Rundown podcast: On Tuesday, Michael Cohen, President Trump's former personal lawyer, pleaded guilty to eight counts in federal court in New York. And in Virginia, a jury found former Trump campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, guilty on tax and bank fraud charges. Two former assistant U.S. attorneys join the podcast to discuss the two cases and how they could impact Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe. ICE agents have deported a Nazi concentration camp guard who had been hiding in New York City for decades. FOX News' Rob Schmitt explains why the deportation took so long. Plus, commentary by FOX News contributor Jessica Tarlov.

Want the FOX News Rundown sent straight to your mobile device? Subscribe through Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Stitcher.

The Brian Kilmeade Show, 9 a.m. ET: The Paul Manafort and Michael Cohen cases will be debated and analyzed by the following guests: Jonathan Turley; Sen. Mike Lee; Jonathan Swan; Marie Harf; Martha MacCallum; and Greg Gutfeld.

The Tom Shillue Show, 3 p.m. ET: Comedian Joe DeVito and Fox News contributor Jessica Tarlov join Tom Shillue's nightly panel to discuss Michael Cohen's plea deal.

#OnThisDay

1989: Black Panthers co-founder Huey P. Newton is shot to death in Oakland, Calif. (Gunman Tyrone Robinson would be sentenced to 32 years to life in prison.)

1972: John Wojtowicz and Salvatore Naturile take seven employees hostage at a Chase Manhattan Bank branch in Brooklyn, N.Y., during a botched robbery; the siege, which ends with Wojtowicz's arrest and Naturile's killing by the FBI, would inspire the 1975 movie "Dog Day Afternoon."

1932: The British Broadcasting Corp. conducts its first experimental television broadcast, using a 30-line mechanical system.

FOX News First is compiled by FOX News' Bryan Robinson. Thank you for joining us! Enjoy your day! We'll see you in your inbox first thing Thursday morning.