It's the Brian Laird show on WNYC. I'm David First, WNYC's weekend edition host, filling in for Brian.

On today's show, we'll get to the big political news of the morning in about an hour,

which is how did Biden do? He held a highly anticipated press conference yesterday evening,

where he spoke for about an hour after the NATO summit. A lot of the pundits today say he

fielded a number of tough questions and handled things pretty well, but we will ask

you to weigh in, of course. Again, that's going to be coming up at about 11 o'clock this morning.

Plus, we'll try to understand a little bit about why Amtrak has been having major service issues

on the Northeast Corridor this summer. And plus it is the last full-sun Manhattan Henge of

the year this evening.

An astrophysicist will explain the phenomenon for us and talk about a party that the American

Museum of Natural History is throwing to celebrate.

But first, closing statements wrapped up this week in the federal corruption trial of New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez.

And jury deliberations are expected to get underway this morning.

Menendez is charged with bribery and corruption along with his wife and two businessmen.

A third businessman who was charged, pleaded guilty, and testified during the trial.

The senator's wife, Nadine, will stand trial at a later date.

Over the last several weeks, U.S. attorneys described what they say was a scheme where New Jersey's

senior U.S. senator did favors for Egypt and tried to intervene in criminal cases, and in exchange received

gold bars, a Mercedes-Benz convertible, and more than half a million dollars in cash.

Menendez pleaded not guilty and denies any wrongdoing. His lawyer says the senator has only

been doing his job and doing it well.

Meanwhile, election, an election is underway for his Senate seat, Democratic Congressman Andy Kim, is running against Republican businessman Curtis Bashaw in the general election this November.

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